We are currently immersed in the era of Test Automation. Numerous testing initiatives are moving their manual test cases to automated ones with the aim of improving efficiency and scope.
The selection of suitable test cases and the determination of return on investment (ROI) are pivotal steps in initializing Automation Testing.
Recommended IPTV Service Providers
- IPTVGREAT – Rating 4.8/5 ( 600+ Reviews )
- IPTVRESALE – Rating 5/5 ( 200+ Reviews )
- IPTVGANG – Rating 4.7/5 ( 1200+ Reviews )
- IPTVUNLOCK – Rating 5/5 ( 65 Reviews )
- IPTVFOLLOW -Rating 5/5 ( 48 Reviews )
- IPTVTOPS – Rating 5/5 ( 43 Reviews )
What should you anticipate from this article?
In this piece, I have accumulated various vital aspects based on my experience to help you pinpoint the ideal candidates for automation and to discern the different factors that can contribute to superior test outcomes and advantages.
Why Opt for Automated Testing?
Automation is not a replacement or a superior alternative to Manual Testing, instead, it works in tandem with it. Similar to Manual Testing, Automation demands a well-structured strategy inclusive of effective planning, monitoring and control. If implemented the correct way, Automation can become a significant asset to the team, project, and organization.
There are several benefits of Automation, here are noteworthy few:
- Productive in performing repetitive tasks such as Smoke tests and Regression tests.
- Aids in devising Test data.
- Facilitates the execution of Test cases involving intricate business logic.
- Can be applied for executing cross-platform test cases (for instance, varying OS, browsers, etc.).
- Helpful in executing test cases that could be harder to perform manually.
- Appropriate when the volume of iterations of test case executions is indefinite.
Generally, stakeholders view test automation as a tool that supports Manual Testing. Hence, understanding that automation is the most efficient method to boost the effectiveness, efficiency, and scope of testing, is important. It does more than just save time; it also improves precision since manually executed repetitive tasks are prone to human errors and can be lengthy.
Candidates for Automation
Common Mistake to Steer Clear From:
One of the most frequent mistakes committed by testers is the inability to choose the suitable test cases for automation.
Avoid the temptation of picking any test suite. Scrutinize the test cases thoroughly and select automation candidates based on the pivotal factor, which is ROI. In the beginning, it’s essential to grasp and pinpoint ways to obtain a higher and positive ROI.
(ROI – Return On Investment – It refers to the calculation of perks in terms of cost-saving, amplified efficiency, and quality)
There isn’t a universal procedure for determining the appropriate test cases for automation. It primarily depends on the specific application undergoing testing.
From my experience, I have presented a few steps that may provide insights into choosing the test cases resulting in a positive ROI in automation.
See Also => How to Transpose Manual Test Cases into Automation Scripts?
What You Will Learn:
How To Select Correct Test Cases For Automation Testing
Step 1:
Identify the factors that will determine your selection of a test case for automation.
Currently, I am identifying the subsequent factors, but feel free to establish your own parameters based on your application needs.
- Test case conducted with varied data sets.
- Test case executed across different browsers.
- Test case performed within different environments.
- Test case completed with complex business logic.
- Test case implemented with varying sets of users.
- Test case involving substantial data volume.
- Test case with any dependencies.
- Test case necessitating special data.
Step 2:
Break the application down into modules. For each module, assess and attempt to identify the test cases that must be automated based on the previously mentioned factors. This list could vary between projects and can be expanded as per your requirements:
Fig 1.0
Y – Yes
N – No
Likewise, apply this list to all modules to identify the test cases that are appropriate for automation.
Step 3:
Amalgamate and group together the number of test cases for each module as displayed below:
Fig 2.0
Figure 2.0 provides a precise depiction of the number of test cases for each module. It intends to quantify the specifics and offer an estimated timeframe for manual testing completion.
Step 4:
Once all the specific details have been identified, present them in the modus operandi shown. We can now compute the ROI.
Fig 3.0:
We must also take into account the following attributes imperative in deciding the ROI:
- Acquisition and authorized cost of the automation tool
- Time necessary to construct the scripts
- Time requisite to preserve the scripts
- Time necessary to manually and automatically examine the results
- Time and cost related to training resources
- Management overhead
Test Automation ROI Calculation Example
ROI is usually calculated over a span of 5 years, but this isn’t obligatory. Considering the previous factors mentioned, let’s dissect the computation of ROI for 5 years. Bear in mind that this calculation can be customized and augmented according to your specific needs.
ROI = (Cumulative saving / Automation investment)100
Manual To Automation Testing – What Are The Obstacles in the Process?
I have underlined what I find to be the primary difficulties encountered when automating a test suite.
#1) Automation Requirement: Every test team has its distinct automation needs. We cannot establish a rigid standard, but we can modify a standard to suit our needs. This is why strong backing from management and the development team is crucial for automation.
#2) Automating the Entire Application: Automating the entirety of an application is an intensive task. It isn’t impossible, but it demands judicious planning, observation, and time management. There are countless combinations of data, environments, authentication, and authorization characteristics that need verification, necessitating a well-articulated automation approach.
#3) Manual Vs. Automation Mentality: “We usually automate tasks that are significant and recurring, but we prefer to test crucial functionality manually.” Sounds perplexing? It could be! It’s important to create criteria to determine which test cases are genuinely significant. These criteria can be predicated on elements such as intricate business logic, areas of interest for clients, and high-risk zones.
#4) Decree on the Framework: Designing a framework is the most pivotal aspect of automation. I firmly believe more time should be invested in developing the framework rather than scripting. When devising the automation plan, prioritize framework design.
Plan out the framework design. Identify and create a list of the elements that will comprise the framework. A sturdy framework simplifies scripting and maintenance.
#5) Team Familiarity: Automation is not the sole duty of a select few; the entire team should contribute. This not only hones the skills of the team members but also keeps them motivated. Focus on developing logic rather than solely on learning programming or scripting languages.
#6) Reporting: Every tool has a standard reporting layout for test results. Customizing the reporting can be a challenge and requires coordination and maintenance, which adds to the overall cost.
#7) Trust: We should hold faith in our automation. Even though we invest man-hours in constructing an automation suite, sometimes we lack trust in the test outcomes. Efforts should be directed towards maintaining the scripts. In addition, the team in charge of manual testing should be involved in the automation process as they possess a deeper understanding of the application.
Most of the time, automation is handled by a separate team, which means the actual testing team is unaware of the scripts and frequently conduct the tests manually since they believe managing the scripts adds to their workload.
See Also => Manual and Automation Testing Challenges.
Conclusion
In numerous circumstances, the chosen method is to automate the Regression suite (here we discuss challenges in automating the regression suite in an agile environment) as it usually possesses a vast number of test cases. In such situations, one can split the regression suite into smaller subsets and run the suitable subset based on release requirements.
For instance, if a regression suite contains 1500 test cases, you can break it into 3 subsets of 500 test cases each and automate them.
Instead of automating the whole suite, you can opt for phased automation. In other words, follow the prototype model for developing the automation suite. Begin with a structure or framework with a smaller number of test cases and start using it, gradually enhancing it by adding more test cases over time.
We should adhere to the Deming wheel (PDCA cycle) for automation as well. As an ongoing activity, we should concentrate on building the framework properly, which will result in easier maintenance and execution of new features.
Automation necessitates support from the development team and management. Encourage the testing team to actively contribute to Automation Testing as their profound knowledge about the product is beneficial.
About the Author: This piece was penned by Shilpa Chatterjee Roy, who has 8.5 years of tenure in the Software Testing field across various domains.
I hope this guideline will simplify the ‘Manual to Automation testing’ process. Do share your experiences and thoughts on how you tackle process difficulties.