Cut Down Your Testing Efforts with Intelligent Test Automation Strategies 

Test automation has become a game-changer in the field of software testing. It has also become integral to advanced development and deployment processes, especially in the agile development environment. The different stages of the software development lifecycle require different types of testing, including code-level through unit testing and integration-level testing with system and integration testing. However, test automation may have its challenges.

Challenges in automation testing 

With so many automation testing tools in the market, including open-source tools to support different testing technologies, it may not always be easy to choose the right one. However, planning before implementation would be a good start as a sound testing strategy. What’s more, intelligent test automation can help redefine testing with its ability to automate all routine and repetitive tasks through AI/ ML.

What is Intelligent Automation? 

Intelligent test automation (ITA) combines process automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to implement smart processes. Intelligent testing processes are based on adaptable workflows and a few key parameters:

  • Focus on processes driven by data, leveraging technologies like AI/ ML
  • Reduced maintenance costs because the test cases will be created and executed with a model-based approach automatically.
  • Optimizing the entire test suite
  • AI-driven testing clears the backlog and adapts the cycle as it evolves and develops.
  • Instant feedback is available with intelligent test analysis to reduce response time. Smart analytics help identify areas of criticality and implement test cases automatically.
  • AI/ ML-based testing to analyze test results, identify bugs, and predict the quality of test cases. It is also prescriptive as you can use the data to make informed decisions on the next step. Detecting action failure in real-time enables a prescriptive solution within the defined time frame.
  • A deep dive into the automation suite gets insights into the root cause of failures, leading to a preventive approach for recurring defects.
Building an automation testing strategy 
  • A dedicated automation team is preferable to having the manual testing team use automation testing tools. A strong automation engineer or a team, along with a test automation architect, would be an excellent place to start.
  • While tool selection is essential, knowing the right tool for your project is just as important. The right approach is to understand that a tool cannot wholly automate everything but make the entire testing process easier and faster. Even more important is to have a skilled team to use the tool effectively.
  • Selecting an automation testing tool will depend on the technology used in your application. For instance, if it is a web application, you would need to know the browsers it supports, the technology, if it is a desktop or mobile application. You would also want to know the third-party controls used in the application.
  • A good test design can prevent recurring errors and help in purposeful testing without wasting time and resources later in the testing phase. One of the best tips is to write the test case manually, following it by identifying the prerequisites of the test data. Listing the steps down brings greater clarity. Running this test at least once manually can help identify the objects and understand the flow of navigation. This is a solid strategy to discover bugs before an automation script can be written.
  • Opportunities with automation lie in identifying the larger scope of the test case. If a manual test case needs to be automated, it can be expanded to become data-driven. Exploring possible scenarios and adding them to the list can be a data source for reference.
Is it worth investing in intelligence automation testing? 

It has been proven that AI-driven automation testing empowers businesses, large, medium-sized, or small. There remain quite a few enterprises that balk at the cost of automation testing. While it can be a tad expensive, it is still more affordable in the long term as it saves resources in manually testing and deploying the application.

Knowing that automation testing can be used for facilitating other operations in the enterprise moves it beyond manual testing. The automation tool can be used to set up configurations and create master data to empower manual testers.

Finally, quality software needs established best practices, such as automation framework, code reviews, bugs reported in the repository, use of source control, and more.

Moreover, it also makes for a smoother transition to digital transformation. It has come through loud and clear that test automation can no longer be compromised due to budget. Inefficient test coverage may cause more significant losses to the business. Being proactive and bringing in automation testing into the SDLC is a wiser strategy when it comes to business growth.

The Future

Automation testing is a cornerstone of high-quality software, but the tests don’t come for free. The key aspect is to consider the costs and benefits of test automation before deciding on the appropriate testing strategy and coverage level for the requirement. At the same time, we should carefully consider tools that can help reduce testing costs.

Our Contribution

Aspire, as a pioneer in the industry for decades now, has been helping ISVs to accelerate their software delivery using best practices of Agile, DevOps, and Shift-Left methods with best in class automation strategies like Hyper-Testing and frameworks like AFTA 4.0. Our Managed Testing & QA services take complete ownership of all the applications, migrate legacy apps to new-age apps, perform various types of testing like API Testing, Mobile Testing, Performance, Security Testing, and Functional Testing. It brings together Quality Engineering and development teams to deliver quality work and results like around 35% cost savings within the first year, 50% reduced test efforts, and 20% improved time to market.

Hyper-Testing and AFTA 4.0 for automation make testing and test automation easier and more accessible to cut down on time and cost. With an easy-to-use interface, test engineers can easily create reusable tests that scale and integrate them with automated testing frameworks.

To know how automated testing strategy and framework can help your organization to reduce testing efforts and increase ROI.

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