Business Process Testing (BPT) – How to Simplify and Speed Up the Testing Process Using BPT

In the rapidly changing landscape of testing powered by automation, Business Process Testing (BPT) is reshaping the standards of the testing industry.

Business process verification thoroughly scrutinizes the step-by-step business process to certify the correct functionality of all business rules. Any detected discrepancies are registered as defects.

This in-depth guide offers an understanding of BPT, delving into its functionalities, components, and relevance.

What is Business Process Testing?

#1. BPT comprises a testing solution fusing manual and automated methodologies for test design, creation, and execution, resulting in condensed testing durations.

#2. The BPT strategy comprises:

• Reusable business modules
• Business process evaluations

#3. BPT adheres to a role-based model that allows business analysts and non-technical Subject Matter Experts (SME) to interact with business components in a user-friendly environment and develop business process tests.

BC1: Initial Business Component that activates the browser and inputs login details
BC2: Secondary Business Component that steers to the accounts screen and locates the account
BC3: Tertiary Business Component that validates field values

#4. The core principles of BPT encompass:

• Business Process: An interconnected cluster of activities conducted to accomplish a predetermined objective.
• Business Components: Small, reusable fragments of test cases.
• Business Process Tests: Test scenarios comprising business components.
• Application Area: A logical entity embodying a warehouse that accommodates testing resources like a shared object repository and function library.

#5. BPT aids in managing projects with a variety of test environments and tools such as UFT, Micro Focus ALM, amongst others.

How does BPT operate?

1. BPT capacitates Subject Matter Experts to generate tests.
2. It merges with Quality Center via a license.
3. For integrating BPT with QuickTest Professional (QTP), you need to link Quality Center with BPT support.
4. Subject Matter Experts lay out business process documents, business components, and business process tests.
5. Automation Engineers enact and record the individual stages of business components.
6. QA Testers execute and debug individual components.

Roles within BPT:

The principal user roles contributing to BPT consist of the following:

Role #1) Subject Matter Expert (SME): Subject Matter Experts are recognized experts in specific domains. There are two kinds of SMEs:

• Business Component Expert: Individuals equipped with in-depth knowledge of individual units.
• Business Process Expert: Individuals carrying ample and pertinent knowledge of the logic instituted in an application.

Role #2) Automation Engineer: Automation Engineers specialize in automation testing instruments.

Role #3) QA Tester: QA Testers are Quality Center users who outline values for business process tests, execute them, and review the outcomes.

Why opt for BPT Methodology?

BPT methodology resolves conventional automation testing challenges, such as:

• Inadequate synchronization between manual testers/SMEs and automation engineers
• Absence of standards in automation development
• Limited application knowledge of automation engineers leading to inefficient scripts
• Intensive maintenance endeavors

How is BPT executed?

The BPT methodology incorporates the following stages:

Step #1: Obtain The Tool: Buy the BPT license and set up the tool.

Step #2: Develop Application Areas: Establish, stock, and maintain a logical repository for testing resources.

Step #3: Develop Test Components: SMEs can formulate novel components and define them in the business component module in Quality Center. This Business Component module comprises:

• Details: General outline of purpose/goals, prerequisites, and subsequent conditions
• Snapshots: Illustrations that aid in visualizing the component (if necessary)
• Parameters: Outlines the input and output component parameters values that permit the component to obtain data from external sources and transmit it to other components
• Design Steps: Craft, view, and automate the manual procedures of the business components
• Used by: Enumerates the currently selected business components
• Component Request Pane: Manages new component requests generated in the test plan module. If a missing component is pinpointed while formulating a test, a request can be initiated here.

Step #4: Formulate Actual Business Process Tests: SMEs formulate a business process test by selecting a component that can be utilized for the business process. Each component can be applied distinctively for different business processes.

Step #5: Automate Business Components: Once SMEs have constructed a business process template, the components are primed for coding and can be forwarded to QA testers.

Components are classified into two types:

• Component shell: The external layer of a component, where the information is available at the test level
• Component Execution: The internal layer of a component, where the information is available only at the component level

Step #6: Performing Business Process Tests: Execute business process tests like conventional tests.

Predominant Differences between Components and Test:

Tests and components are unique notions within BPT.

The subsequent guidelines aid in distinguishing between them:

• A component is a standalone entity that can’t encompass multiple actions
• While dealing with components, store all collateral files in the Quality Center project with which you are connected
• Each component does not possess a unique repository. All components should utilize a shared repository.
• The nomenclature of the component node cannot be amended; it should coincide with the saved component’s title.
• Resources can be appended through the application repository and not directly to the component.

Micro Focus Business Process Testing Solution (Micro Focus BPT)

Micro Focus Business Process Testing is the industry’s pioneering unified role-based test automation tool that allows SMEs to construct, drive with data, implement, and document tests using any programming language.

You can learn more about Micro Focus Business Process Testing Software here.

Potential Benefits of the Micro Focus BPT tool:

1. Simplifies and accelerates the test design process by leveraging components
2. Permits QA and testing teams to commence the test design process earlier, even during system design
3. Develops automated tests and test case documentation in a single stride
4. Facilitates QA teams to utilize a consolidated package of test assets fabricated as per best practices, enhancing test automation
5. Surges the productivity of SMEs and QA Engineers

Proponents of BPT

1. Negates the necessity for creating an independent automation framework
2. Structures automation testing with the aid of business components
3. Minimizes efforts required for crafting and retaining test automation scripts
4. BPT operates independently of in-depth testing scripts
5. Elevated reusability with data-driven modules
6. Testers are not required to possess technical acumen in automation
7. Manual testers can eliminate unnecessary components without inflicting an effect on the code

Drawbacks of BPT

1. Supplementary license prerequisite for the BPT Framework for test scripts
2. BPT Framework necessitates Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) access

Final Thoughts

Business Process Testing is an evolved testing method that merges the elements of manual and automation testing.

It facilitates the detailing of intricate business processes and makes automation apt for high-level processes.

The primary strengths of BPT, including quickness, effectiveness, exploitation of expertise, and straightforward execution of standards, render it an influential testing approach.

If you have any queries about BPT, please feel free to drop them in the comments section underneath.