The Current Approach to Test Automation is flawed
Since the dawn of the software era, companies have been trying to automate the most mundane tasks like regression testing. Unfortunately very few companies have been successful. The HPs, IBMs, and Microsoft’s of the world have the best-in-breed test automation solutions for their customers and in addition to it open source tools like Selenium and others are available for free. In spite of all the tool availability, 80% of the companies in the world are still below a 20% automation level. Specialized software companies are today addressing this challenge utilizing new approaches.
Testers and business analysts specialize in business processes. They have sound knowledge of the domain and business processes, and are critical in designing and defining the test scenarios. Running these well defined tests is a necessary evil, but using testers and business analysts to run these tests frequently is not the best use of their talent. To make the best use of their testers’ time, organizations realized the need for a test automation tool. They either licensed a test automation tool – QTP, Test Complete, Ranorex, Rational Functional Test, Silk Test, TFS – or used an open source tool like Selenium, Selendroid, Robotium, Robo framework, etc. In most cases, these test automation tools were handed directly over to the testing teams, with the assumption that the testers could simply use this “Test Automation” tool, and everything would be automated. However, they were only able to move the automation needle from 0% to 8-9%, which resulted in making the overall cost higher than testing everything manually!
When organizations realized that the test automation tools were too complex to be used by testers, they created automation teams. Today, test automation tools are owned mostly by a new team called the “Automation Team”, and the automation needle has moved up from 8-9% to 15-20%. This approach is still more expensive than testing the apps manually, and the addition of yet another team in the process has resulted in the need for an automation framework, additional management oversight, etc.
Companies are forced to deal with the complexity of the test automation tools, and are building automation frameworks or adding third party solutions like Qualitia, Turnkey C-Factory etc.. to ease the pain. A few firms have totally eliminated automation and are back to manual testing.
The primary objective for test automation was to take away the routine regression test execution burden from the creative testers. To achieve the objective, organizations bought test automation tools. To address the complexities of the test automation tools, companies formed automation teams. To address the complexities of test automation tools, companies built frameworks or purchased third party frameworks. All to achieve a 15-20% automation level. And in many cases, at a higher cost.
What companies need instead is a simple tool in the hands of their testers and business analysts, so that they can automate their routine business process executions and focus on the business outcome rather than the technical outcome.
Verifaya is one of script less test automation platform more suitable for testing teams to automate their mundane jobs like smoke tests and regression tests.
Verifaya is an automation platform that is script less hence easy to use by all testers with small learning curve. It has inbuilt libraries, hence automation is faster and no need to build reusable functions. Verifaya supports all latest technologies and devices, hence no need to use multiple tools for automation. Verifaya has an inbuilt framework, hence test cases are available within couple of weeks for running regression suites on software builds and most suitable for agile software development. Verifaya integrates with external test management, defect management; continuous integration etc., hence fits well into software development ecosystem seamlessly.