How to Create a Successful Test Automation Strategy
Software testing has become an increasingly important aspect of the development process. Initially, big teams were responsible for executing manual test cases. In recent years, this has changed as testing teams have discovered a means to assist a speedier deployment cycle: test automation. In automation testing, a cost-effective automation testing strategy with a results-oriented approach is always a key to success. Let's look at how to create a solid test automation approach in this article. The SDET Training might help you better understand the ideas.
The following are the themes discussed in this article:
·
An Overview of Test Automation
·
Strategy for Test Automation
·
Building Blocks of Test Automation Strategy in
the Automation Life Cycle
·
Advantages of a Test Automation Plan
An Overview of Test
Automation
Manual testing is when a web application is tested manually,
by humans. Someone actually uses a product to test a variety of features, such
as design, functionality, and performance. Manual testing, on the other hand,
can be tedious, error-prone, time-consuming, repetitive, and even dull.
Automation testing, on the other hand, employs the usage of tools, scripts, and
software to execute test cases at various levels of the product.
The following are some of the benefits of test automation
over manual testing:
·
Increases test case efficiency
·
Reduces maintenance costs
·
Increases execution speed
·
Reduces manual intervention
·
Improves test accuracy
·
Saves time and effort It provides test coverage
One of the most common test automation blunders is focusing
solely on the short-term gains and overlooking the wider picture. After a
sprint or two, many teams quit their SDET
Bootcamp efforts and return to manual testing. Now, why do you believe this
occurs?
The majority of these businesses rely on automation simply
because others do. Here are a few of the issues:
·
Companies are unsure how to go about
implementing test automation.
·
They don't use the proper automated testing
methodologies.
·
Companies may not know when to use test
automation and when not to. They may also be unaware of the best solutions for
their needs.
So, in order to succeed in test automation, they'll need to
plan ahead and strategize: Strategy for Test Automation.
Strategy for Test
Automation
In automation testing, a cost-effective test automation plan
with a results-oriented approach is always a key to success. A effective test
automation approach will assist firms in keeping up with the market and
avoiding major technological disasters.
You must be familiar with the test automation life cycle in
order to develop a successful test automation plan. Let's have a look at it:
The steps of the test
automation life cycle are as follows:
Feasibility Study of
Automation
This phase determines whether or not automation is feasible.
This includes narrowing down the test cases that should be automated and
choosing the best test tool for the job.
Strategy for the Test
The test automation framework is chosen here. You have a
number of options to pick from. For instance, there are linear test automation
frameworks, data-driven frameworks, and key-word driven frameworks.
Setup of the
Environment
You set up the testing environment and acquire the necessary
gear and software to run the automated test cases in this step.
Development of Test
Scripts
You begin writing the automation test scripts in this step.
Check to see if the scripts you've built are reusable, well-structured, and
well-documented.
Execution of the Test
Case
In this phase, you'll run the test cases you've previously
developed.
Generating and
analysing test results
The output of test cases is analysed at this phase of the
test automation life cycle, and reports are shared with stakeholders.
Test Automation
Strategy's Building Blocks
The primary goal of any software project is to produce
high-quality results while decreasing the project's cost and time to
completion. Companies can achieve this with the help of a strong test
automation approach. The following is a list of the components of an automation
test strategy:
Automation's Scope
Outlining dates and milestones for each sprint in the
project is part of defining the project scope. The following are the two most
crucial points:
The test cases to automate are being narrowed down.
Mike Cohn's "Test Automation Pyramid" is one of
the better models for assisting you with this endeavour. Unit tests, according
to the pyramid, are easy to write. They provide the best return on investment
(ROI) and should be the foundation of your automation testing strategy. Your
next focus should be regression testing. The next step is to use functional
testing to assess functioning and other quality attributes. After that, there
are UI (User Interface) testing. They're pricey, take a lot of upkeep, and
produce the most false positives and negatives.
Choosing the best
test automation software
You must choose from a variety of test automation
technologies accessible on the market. That can be a challenging task. To
choose the tool that is ideal for your project, you must first completely
understand the project requirements. Establish a budget. Choose tools that meet
your needs while staying inside your budget. Then you may narrow down your
choices based on other factors including the tool's licencing cost, maintenance
costs, training and support, and the tool's extensibility, performance, and
stability.
Environment for Test
Automation
Another component of your test automation plan is to set up
your test environment. You'll be able to set up your automation testing setup.
To begin, determine the test environment's needs.
After that, you must obtain the essential tools as well as
their licences.
You can also think about the data that comes with test
cases, such as:
Where should the test data be saved?
Is it necessary to conceal the data?
What happens to the data after the tests are completed?
Test automation is similar to a deterministic game in which
known inputs provide predictable results. Successful test automation requires a
reliable and predictable test environment.Approach to Test Automation in
Software Testing
There are three factors to consider while selecting a test
automation strategy: Roles, Processes, and Technology
Process
Your automation rollout should always be a well-structured
and well-defined procedure.
Technology
This is where you learn everything there is to know about
the programmes you wish to automate. Determine the technology they are based on
and whether or not your test automation platform supports them.
Roles
The test automation team's job roles are defined here. You
must ensure that all team members are aware of who is in charge of which aspect
of the automation project. Every member of a test team, whether domain experts,
technical testers, or test management, plays a significant role in test automation's
success. You should use a test automation platform that is simple to use for
all testers so that automation becomes a natural part of everyone's everyday
work.
Analyses of Risk
Risk analysis is an important aspect of project planning in
general, but it is also crucial to consider when automating tests. You can
develop a risk document by evaluating a few viable parameters. The parameters
would be as follows:
Description - What is a succinct description of the risk?
Level of Risk — What will happen if the risk materialises?
What kind of impact will it have on the project?
Probability is the likelihood of a risk becoming a reality.
Mitigation - What can be done to mitigate the risk?
Estimated Cost - How much would it cost to mitigate the
risk?
The fact that the risk document is dynamic is crucial. As
the project progresses, risks will be added and removed from the list.
Execution and
Management of Tests
A test automation plan should also specify how test cases
are executed and managed. Text execution should include things like day-to-day
tasks and automated methods. When executing test cases, keep the following tips
in mind:
·
Run and verify any automated test cases numerous
times before adding them to the regression suite to ensure they work as
intended.
·
Define a set of recommended practises for making
test cases resilient to changes in the automated system.
·
To run test cases in parallel, use a pipeline
orchestrator (Jenkins, TFS, Bamboo, TeamCity, etc.) or a scheduling tool.
·
After the test case has been executed, assign
the status 'Pass' or 'Fail' to it. This status is assigned to the test cases
automatically based on the set success criteria.
·
Perform a failure analysis if the status is
'Fail.'
Results of Failure
Analysis and Reporting
A plan for analysing and resolving failed test cases is an
important aspect of any test automation strategy. Notifying the failure, analysing
it, and resolving it can take considerably longer than you expect. A
well-defined method for this can save the development team a lot of time and
work. Outline how various errors should be dealt with. The following are
examples of errors:
Issues with the test environment – notify the DevOps team.
A bug in a test application — report an issue to the
development team.
Automation scripts have a bug – Make a task for the testing
team to complete.
The next step is to collect and document everything you've
done so far, including the methods you used to apply automation, test results,
and the benefits and disadvantages of your test automation plan. Then, by
learning from your mistakes, you can keep improving your test automation plan.
Rethink your approach to test automation.
So, these are some key stages and requirements to consider
when developing a cost-effective and powerful test automation plan.
What Are the
Advantages of a Test Automation Strategy?
A successful testing strategy and framework can have a lot
of positive effects on your business and organisation, including:
·
Provides more thorough testing. Even complex
test automation activities are simple to accomplish, and as a result, your
products become more robust.
·
Encourages the reuse of essential components.
Employee productivity rises as they devote more time to other important aspects
of their jobs and businesses.
·
Lowers the expense of upkeep. Your testing
technique may be simply changed and updated. These adjustments will be swiftly
and easily adopted by your staff.
·
Establishes a testing standard for your company.
Because of its comprehensiveness and robustness, your plan will become the
industry standard.
·
If your strategy is built on a results-oriented
approach, stakeholders will gain early confidence in shippable software.
A well-executed testing plan can yield big results! To fully
reap the benefits of automated testing and reach the desired level of success,
it's critical to devise an intelligent test automation approach. I hope the
information you've gained today will be useful as you embark on your automation
path.
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