Introduction:

  Automation testing is a type of software testing that is used to remove bugs, errors, and software issues. Automation testing is more accurate instead of manual testing done by a human, which may be error-prone or take longer. In automation testing, we use special tools to run tests on software automatically. Automation testing is time-saving, increases the efficiency of software, and reduces the risk of human error. This blog reveals the significance of automation testing, types of automation testing tools, and key factors for the right automation testing service.

When is Test Automation Necessary?

In software development,automation testing still plays a vital role in particular project requirements and needs. Automation testing is better suited for instances when:

• You have regular regression testing iterations
• You have multiple repetitive tests
• Manual test execution is inadequate for critical functionality
• You’re handling numerous BVT cases
• AUT has a relatively stable UI
• You need to simulate multiple users accessing the application resources.

Significance of Test Automation:

A lot of controversy about whether manual testing has fallen behind as automation testing has risen in popularity. Regardless of contrary opinions, the importance of test automation nowadays is no doubt undeniable.

The software market now demands “Quality at Speed” from industry players. As the name implies, “Quality at Speed” means higher quality products must reach end-users but in a shorter period than before. This difficult demand fueled test automation’s impressive growth and turned it into a game-changer by allowing QA teams to execute faster and more accurate test cases.

Automation testing removes bugs and errors and also increases the speed and quality of software.

Test types that require repetitive actions, like regression testing, are what need to be automated the most. Frequent software changes will significantly escalate the total cost in terms of time and human resources used to run tests manually. Therefore, automating tests is the smarter and more efficient choice in such cases.

Types of Automation Testing Tools

All available test automation tools can be divided into three types in general as below.

Open-source automation tools: 

These tools are free platforms that allow users to access and use their source code. Users can opt to fully adopt the code or modify it to suit their testing needs. This type of tool is free of charge and developed by the community. Open-source tools are the top choice for many automation testers with a programming background due to their free access and the ability to customize advanced test cases.

Commercial automation tools:

Commercial tools are produced to serve commercial purposes and are usually distributed via subscription plans. Users must purchase a paid license to use the software. Compared with open-source software, this kind of tool usually has more premium features and thorough customer service that completes the whole testing process for companies or enterprises.

Custom framework:

Some projects  use a single open-source software or fixed commercial testing tool that cannot fulfill the requirements. They are mainly due to differences in their testing processes and testing environments. In such cases, teams need to develop customized software on their own. The custom framework is much more complicated than the two other solutions and can be deployed by technical experts.

Key Factors for Right Automation Test Service:

1. Build a Dedicated Team:

   The first thing one needs to start with is building a dedicated team. A team that devotes its total creative and intellectual energy to the testing process. Employing newly graduated smart students at local institutes might help. Younger employees like these students have more theoretical knowledge and have a knack for the ongoing digital scene. The staffing must be preferably flexible as it gets easy to make changes in the team as per the business demands. For reference on solutions to eliminate the recruiting process, check out various sites that offer this. These sites will offer you the best people in business at an affordable price.

2. Selecting Tool:

   A selection method that is completely tailored to your needs is the best way to go forward. If you don’t evaluate and analyze the utility of the automation testing tool beforehand, it may have poor consequences on selecting a tool that is not compatible with your requirements. Identifying the needs and requirements and then choosing the best tool accordingly is one of the essential things to do in the testing process. If the wrong tool is selected, it will cost you money, time, and effort. Apache JMeter, Selenium, Wapt, etc. are some of the best automation testing tools in the market right now. Look for these tools as per your requirements, and you will get the best suited for your process right away.

3. Automation Framework:

   Even if one selects the right tool, the process doesn’t end here. You cannot automate anything even with the correct tools if you do not have a proper testing framework. Just like all other processes, a proper framework must be made to implement the tool. In a framework, there are certain guidelines by which one should execute the process of automation. It is like a rule book. It maintains testing consistency and hence minimal changing of code. Reusability is improved by this.

There are 4 types of frameworks in automation testing –

• Keyword-driven automation framework
• Hybrid automation framework
• Data-driven automation framework
• Modular automation framework

Choose the appropriate framework, and you are good to go.

4. Measure Metrics:

   To measure the success of automation by comparing it with manual work is pointless. It should be measured in different variable metrics like Productivity improvement, percent of errors found, etc. These things matter to industry persons and all the people as they justify investments and Quality assurance. Initially, the analysis of the amount of time one gets from a manual test and the money saved per annum should be done. After that, there are certain things that one must look for. Such as –

• Defect reduction (reduce production defects by 60%)
• Accelerate time to market
• SAP transport impact analysis
• Improve productivity with automation

5. Finding the Right Tool:

   When anyone thinks about automated testing, selecting the right tool and framework is the topic that takes up most of the focus. Choosing the correct framework and tools is the basis for a healthy automation process. There is hardly any example of a company that aims at full automation and is successful. One must have a good plan with balancing strategies. Hence, one must think properly and take the time to decide how automation is going to help their particular testing plan. It will make the whole process more optimum and valuable and will increase the success rate.

6. Budget Cost and Process:

   Going over budget or having a surplus amount at the end are both signs of a bad costing plan. Budgeting should be precise in the case of automation testing, involving costing for different aspects including development, training, test tools, and resources. Also, a maintenance cost is involved when we talk about automation testing. As the testing process defines test coverage, it must be well-defined and precise in defining the quality control and process and execution of the test. Also, the test criteria must be defined at each stage.

7. Preference of Tool Selected:

   The technology used for the development of the application is one of the major impacting factors in the selection process of the testing tool. To take an example, Informatics won’t be supported by QTP, hence it won’t be used for testing informatics applications. To conduct proof of concept of the respective tool on AUT sounds like a sensible idea. Many a time, choosing the right tool can be a complex and tricky task. If you do the research right, you will find some essential criteria that will help you in selecting the best tool. Which scripting language the tool uses is one of them. Also, it will support numerous types of tests including test management, Functional, mobile, etc., and will sustain the support for different testing frameworks.

8. Automation cannot be Done for Everything:

   Before initiating the process, the scope of automation must be determined in detail. To select which test cases are to be automated, there are certain criteria. Check out the list below.

• Tests that are difficult to perform manually.
• High-risk business
• Tests that are executed on a regular repeated basis.
• Time-consuming tests.

However, for eliminating the tests from the automation list, there are other criteria. These factors determine which tests are not suitable for automation. Check out this list below.

• Tests that have changing requirements.
• Tests that are not executed manually and are newly designed.
• Tests that are executed on an Ad-HOC.

9. Reducing Time for Testing and Test Automation:

   Another important goal of the software testing process is to reduce the testing time. But generally, the part of the process which is time-consuming does not have anything to do with automation. The main time-consuming task in the testing process is the detection of bugs. The detection and correction of bugs take place in a repeated manner. In the case of automation testing, maintenance, Execution, and Step-up may take longer compared to manual testing. Also, Analysis of Clear-ups and failures may take more time. In an ideal scenario, all these activities will take less time if the right kind of matured automation process is executed. All in all, it is not easy to reduce the testing time using automation, but it is not impossible. One must consider it as a long-term goal to achieve.

10. Automated Maintenance:

    The scripts of these automation tests must be added to the system that is under test with successive cycles. For each release cycle, they have to be thoroughly verified and maintained. Maintenance is one of the primary factors that help improve the effectiveness of automation scripts. Try using automation in simple routine tasks like cleaning out temp files, Restarts, and Defrags. Assurance of the up-to-date nature of your client’s machine with the latest software patches and assurance of a stable system can be confirmed by automating patch management. You can either upload your script or run scripts from the library. Plan a proper schedule to execute tests on a certain date. You can also trigger them to run automatically after a failed monitoring check. Even if anyone is not familiar with these scripts, various communities provide useful scripts like Fixit scripts, etc.

Conclusion:

                        In conclusion, choosing the right automation testing service requires a thorough understanding of your requirements, coupled with careful evaluation of key factors such as compatibility, scalability, test coverage, reporting capabilities, integration options, and ROI. By taking a strategic approach and prioritizing these factors, you can navigate the maze of options and select a service that empowers your team to deliver high-quality software products efficiently and effectively. Contact Siznam for reliable automation testing services and to increase the quality of your software products.