Software testing plays a critical role in ensuring system safety and functionality. When zooming out on the effect testing processes have, developers and testers recognize the impact of accurate software tests. These include satisfied consumers and high-quality application interfaces for their respective use.
For a very long time, software testers relied on manual processes to get their work done. Unfortunately, manual processes pose a lot of inefficiencies and bottlenecks for demanding enterprise infrastructures today. To migrate from manual processes that are sluggish when compared to automated testing, there are plenty of automation options to choose from. Unlike manual testing, test automation improves accuracy and report reliability while using scripts for testing process. How does automated testing improve software delivery speed? Let’s take a close look at it.
Improving new feature releases delivery time
Every time a new feature has to be released on software already deployed for use, there are a series of tests that need to be conducted. One of them is regression testing which is often tedious and consumes a lot of time. Additionally, regression tests also expend human resources, which could be redirected to other critical aspects of the feature release.
Automating regression tests improves delivery time by going through this process autonomously. As a result, regression testing can be reduced to work completed in only a few minutes. New feature releases are part of the life cycle for progressive software programs and applications. Expediting this process could do wonders for improving the overall lifecycle of software programs and mobile applications.
Promoting CI/CD test processes
Automated testing primarily promotes Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). This is a process most common amongst DevOps engineers that can be adopted by software development teams. To speed up product delivery without losing report quality, developers can conduct CI/CD test processes. These involve running unit tests and conducting integration testing as each software component is being developed.
With automated test scripts, this process reduces the work done by a QA analyst. CI/CD processes simplify testing processes during other phases of the software development project. Therefore, implementing this automation process has a widespread impact relevant to more than just one workgroup or developer. Instead, it has an impact on all teams and individuals involved in the workflow of each project.
Around the clock testing
One of the major disadvantages of manual test processes is that they primarily make use of human resources. Although skilled and experienced software testers can conduct a series of tests as quickly as humanly possible, this might not be enough for some projects. Software testing is a process that could take days or weeks depending on the project’s scope and size.
Relying on human resources only slows the process down since testers and QA analysts can only work a certain number of hours each day. Automating testing processes allows tools to conduct tests even after hours around the clock. Around-the-clock testing significantly expedites software tests which contribute to a quick project turnaround time. This translates to fast software delivery for both new projects and existing programs that need updates or new features.
Conducting repetitive testing processes
Several types of tests can be repetitive and tedious. For example, regression tests conducted on new projects and existing software are repetitive. Integration testing, as well as unit tests, can also be repetitive and tedious when done manually. There are other repetitive test processes that would take significantly less time when automated.
Automating repetitive tests is quite easy and does not require fancy testing tools. You can write a script to test the relevant aspects of software units or the app’s functionality as a whole after integrating each unit. If you want to use testing tools available in the market, there are AI-powered solutions that conduct repetitive test processes to speed up software delivery.
Handling system tests
System tests are not as repetitive as regression and unit testing, but it takes very long. The tedious nature of system tests increases the service delivery time for software projects. Automating system tests will speed up the time it takes to deliver a software product to end-users. One of the most tedious types of system test processes is end-to-end system tests. This testing process is a run-through of all software elements and functionalities.
QA engineers can take weeks to complete a system test. On the other hand, automating this test process can generate a report within a matter of a few days or even hours. You can implement advanced system testing tools that leverage the power of AI and ML to run end-to-end tests on software projects.
High-quality testing results
Despite speed being the primary concern for fast software delivery, the results are also critical. It is of no use to release a system in record time if it has major functionality flaws. Fortunately, automated testing does not only focus on expediting the process of software tests. Instead, automating software tests yields better results in terms of the quality of that development project.
When conducting tests manually, there is a lot of room for error since it is imperfect people doing the testing. Whereas, if a script is well-written, it will produce high-quality results without fail. Therefore, automating testing processes is superior to manual tests by providing speedy delivery and also high-quality testing results at the same time.
