In today’s fast-paced digital world, staying up to date with industry trends is simply not enough. Enterprises are racing to go a step further to ensure they offer the very best service with regular upgrades. The onus is on the organization to make sure all customizations are tested after every upgrade. Some upgrades can run into hundreds of test cases. Testing each feature could take anywhere between a few weeks to a few months based on the number of test cases. ServiceNow Automated Test Framework (ATF) allows users to run automated tests on their ServiceNow instance and can help reduce time taken from weeks to a few days.

Studies found that manual testing was behind delays in 90% of all IT projects. ATF cuts down on human intervention, thereby reducing probability of errors as seen in long drawn-out manual processes. ATF in ServiceNow is an Out-of-The-Box (OOTB) feature without any add-on cost. It allows enterprises to execute infinite test cases so upgrading the ServiceNow instance is an error-free, cost-effective and time-efficient process.

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How ATF expedites the software delivery cycle

ATF allows enterprises to test customizations and functionalities in ServiceNow without having to adopt third-party tools. All businesses have to do is simply install the ATF plugin to access the application.

ATF can be used for functional testing, browser compatibility testing, regression testing and server-side testing. For instance, every business has a specific change management process. Using ATF, an enterprise can build a test wherein change requests are automatically created and taken through the change management lifecycle to ensure that the process is still efficient. Since ATF’s introduction, ServiceNow has remained committed to expanding its coverage with each release. Using ATF for regression testing has become a part of ServiceNow’s best upgrade practices.

Automated Test Framework in ServiceNow reduces congestion caused by upgrades with little to no impact on the business, improving development efficiency. Businesses can leverage parameterized testing, quick start and full stack testing. The application curbs all potential human errors during a test run and makes documentation an easier process. An enterprise can run an entire suite of tests and get results in minutes to analyze and determine if remediation is needed. Developers and testers can design tests once and reuse them in different contexts and with different datasets even after the business has upgraded or modified an instance. ATF allows them to create test suites to organize and run tests in batches and create custom test steps to expand coverage. Aside from running test suites on demand, businesses can also schedule them to run during off hours. They can cut down on test design time by copying quick start tests and test suites. Non-technical test designers too can create automated test scripts using the simple drag-and-drop function.

Achieving increased ROI

Businesses adopting ATF can simplify the implementation process, reduce risks, and save time and money, thereby increasing ROI. With fewer hours and personnel devoted to the testing process, an organization can divert resources and talent to aspects such as maintenance and feature implementation.

In manual testing, an organization typically spends less time in the test planning and documentation phase as only documentation is required here. Using ATF will require both documentation and configuration of tests, meaning the initial setup will take longer. However, with manual testing, testers will have to perform actions as described in the test documentation, keep referring to it to ensure they are on track and regularly update the results. With ServiceNow Automated Testing Framework, it is as simple as just clicking the ‘Run Test’ button. For example, if 21 actions must be performed manually by a tester for a seven-step test, ATF reduces it to just one. Hence, while the initial setup takes longer, companies can quickly bridge that gap and easily surpass it with ATF.

Often, businesses are wary of upgrading their ServiceNow instance due to the tedious testing process. ATF ensures that the upgrade is faster, and all features and enhancements are quickly available to users. Following ServiceNow ATF best practice saves time and effort when it comes to upgrade issues and allows smooth adoption.

By implementing ATF, Aspire helped a leading chemical and ingredients distributor and provider eliminate 90% of manual testing costs and enhance process efficiency by 10%. Read our case study to know more. 

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