Organizations today face many Quality Assurance (QA) challenges – time constraints in development and test cycles, executing large volumes of test cases, testing diverse legacy applications, and mitigating the impact of ripple effects that arise from configuration changes in application modules. The best way to deal with this situation is to adopt a well-integrated and robust automation solution that can predict and simulate business scenarios.
Automation testing uses automated tools or programs to execute a series of tests that check the quality of a program or product.
The significant feature of automated testing is its ability to perform hundreds of tests in minutes and record outcomes with accuracy and speed. Tests run repetitively based on programmed expectations, which can often be too tedious to perform manually.
Vendors today provide automation testing services/platforms as part of their quality engineering services to ensure continuous feedback into the product lifecycle.
THE DEMAND FOR AUTOMATION TESTING
According to the Global Automation Testing Market report, the automated testing industry is expected to grow at 14.2% CAGR during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026.
In another survey conducted by Compuware, most enterprises think that manual testing is one of the major hindrances to a business’s success.
Additionally, more than 90% of respondents believe automation testing to be the most critical factor in accelerating innovation. And as a result, the demand for smart automation testing services is booming.
WHY DO BUSINESSES WANT AUTOMATION IN TESTING?
With automation testing, both developers and quality analysts can be sure of the quality of their products without lengthy test execution cycles. Automated testing can give organizations quick feedback on product or software performance.
In May 2019, the difference between test execution efforts of manual and automation testing was recorded. The results showed that for a test case set of 1000 Full Regression, manual testing took 160 hours, while smart test automation required only 16 hours, a clear saving of 90% of test execution efforts.
These results have defined the efficiency of executing automation testing in technology developments.
EXPECTATIONS VERSUS REALITY IN AUTOMATION TESTING
We’ve established that automation testing services are a necessity to improve your product performance effectively. But there is also another side to it. Faster release cycle with quality, notwithstanding, automation testing services also come with some limitations:
Everything Cannot Be Automated
Some businesses have started to consider whether every test can be automated, in other words, 100% test automation. But the belief that a higher level of automation is always desirable and achievable is a myth.
While specific tests may benefit from being automated, others cannot be automated. Also remember, that automated test cases will only be as good as the programming behind them.
Costs Versus ROI
Automation testing needs to be designed based on whether the automation tests can save manual effort and offer a long-term return on investment (ROI). Automation testing tends to require a higher investment initially, with potential earnings and saving realized later. Additionally, the ROI of automation testing can be dependent on the tool that is used to conduct the tests as well as the complexity of tests implemented.
Staying Objective
While Test Automation can have a tremendous impact on product quality and returns, it is essential to understand its limitations and set realistic expectations. To achieve significant success with test automation, teams must first define the results objectively and carefully plan the tests without bias creeping in. Our objective should be to automate 100% of the test that should be automated instead of automating every test. So, figuring out what to automate (or not to automate) should be given the utmost importance before starting any automation activity.
THE FUTURE OF AUTOMATION TESTING
In today’s highly competitive market, businesses are seeking faster time-to-market along with the pressure of continuing to offer a superior product or solution. As a result, companies run more tests to find bugs faster and release their products or upgrades more quickly.
The role of AI in automation testing is one of the most prominent automation trends in 2021.
As AI-powered tools continue to advance, businesses will manage their automation testing even more efficiently and at speed. Machine Learning and AI testing will also develop automatic research methods and use advanced analytics to track results.
