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Enterprises are going through decisive digital transformation to achieve speed and accuracy to stay ahead of the market. With the evolution of digital technologies at a rapid pace, Quality Assurance (QA) teams are leveraging mature test automation practices to reduce the time taken for manual testing efforts and provide faster feedback. The reason being manual testing is a specification-based test plan which does not match the speed of fast-paced digital transformation.
Software testing and QA have become even more critical for enterprises because even a small glitch can become a headline or go viral on social media impacting brand image and bottom line. Hence, test automation has become an essential facet of digital transformation initiatives.
While enabling test automation for a digital transformation initiative, testing needs to be elevated from just being a line item on profit and loss to something which is ongoing parallelly with strategically critical motives. Automated testing helps in bridging the gaps and helps in accelerating the slower pace of SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) and reducing time to market.
The essential aspects of successful test automation:
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Continuous Testing
Continuous testing is a wider process than test automation that is leveraged for performance optimization and shift the focus towards DevOps implementation and mature application development. It enables the broadening of test automation through test-driven service virtualization, test data management, risk-based test case design, and seamless integration into the DevOps toolchain.
In a bid to enhance the performance of applications, enterprises are prioritizing mature application development practices and efficient implementation of DevOps. However, to support development at such a rapid pace, it is essential to expedite text execution turnaround time and identify the issues as soon as possible.
Automated software testing functions as a strategic business enabler. Gartner states by 2020, 75 percent of enterprises will implement test automation to support DevOps and agile initiatives. In a recent survey, it is stated that businesses are expecting consistent delivery value along with compromising the quality to mature their DevOps processes efficiently.
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Reduced Risk
Digital transformation projects always carry a massive risk of failure in the absence of a well chalked out test automation strategy. The reason being, manual testing is not capable to meet fast-paced requirements of diverse devices, web browsers, screen resolutions, operating systems, and dynamic systems. Automated software testing helps in eliminating human errors which can occur due to repetitive testing of complex workflows.
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Early Issue Identification
As per the 2017-18 World Quality Report, ‘not having the right automation testing process or method’ and a ‘lack of skilled and experienced test automation resources’ have emerged as the most significant deterrents in achieving the right level of automation testing.
Lack of well chalked out digital QA and test automation strategy can cripple the speed of digital transformation initiatives. Amid Agile and DevOps, it has become crucial for QA teams to identify and resolve glitches at the earliest to save time and resources. This helps enterprises in adding value at an initial stage.
Benefits of implementing test automation:
- Enhanced efficiency and reduced time-to-market
- Agility to respond to business demands instantly
- Early identification and fix of defects with greater accuracy
- Flawless customer experience
Software development for digital transformation involves a rapid launch of products with quality and speed. This requires the adoption of test automation from the very start to help QA teams achieve a real shift left approach while executing test tasks from the starting. However, it requires a lot of diligence complemented with the right skill set to achieve efficient ROI.
Conclusion
Digital transformation, Agile, and DevOps are together spearheading innovation and enhancing efficiency in tech space. However, this needs continuous testing to become truly efficient, complete and deliver as per the expectations.
Hello Erna,
Completely agreed. From 2020, automation testing really helps us to boost our business…