Most modern Quality Assurance (QA) teams have adopted automation testing as their default. No organization, small or large, should have to spend hours manually filling out forms, triple-checking for bugs, or clicking buttons. Writing one test script should be enough to make the machine take over such tasks. And, you can implement this with automation.
But what is automation testing, and why exactly should you use this technique?
For years now, businesses have dealt with the aftermath of poor-quality software. A CISQ report estimated a $2.41 trillion cost due to poor software standards in the US alone. Even AI-assisted code generation has been found to have a 30.5% error rate. The only way out is to adopt automation in testing.
In this blog, we dig into a few crucial aspects, which include understanding automation testing, how it differs from manual testing, its benefits, types, and top frameworks.
Let’s get started!
What is Automation Testing?
Automation testing is an approach to automatically review and validate the software/product to meet set quality standards. The process involves using special testing frameworks and tools to minimize human intervention. The test scripts manage the flow of test execution, which draws comparison with the intended application reliability and quality.
Most small businesses have a restricted budget and can benefit from its cost-efficiency in improving the application’s consistency and accuracy. The reason behind the popularity is the adoption of DevOps and Agile. This can be attributed to the numerous benefits of test automation in Agile and DevOps environments.
Before learning the phases and types of testing, let’s understand the difference between manual and automated testing.
Manual Testing vs Automation Testing
Automation testing in software development overpowers manual testing in numerous ways for reasons like faster speed, improved accuracy, etc. That said, the advent of AI and machine learning (ML) has pushed manual testing even farther from consideration.
AI-powered testing improves the efficiency of QA automation, and when combined with ML, these technologies prove to be useful through the testing phases.
Here is a line of difference between manual testing and automation testing.
| BASIS | MANUAL TESTING | AUTOMATION TESTING |
| Scope | Limited. Requires human involvement, time, and effort | Much wider for full test coverage |
| Speed | Slower because of human efforts. May lead to errors, increasing time | Much faster. Automation tools simultaneously execute various test cases |
| Scalability | No. Time-consuming and error-prone | Yes. Requires proper design and implementation |
| Accuracy | Prone to human errors. Might negatively affect the accuracy level | Good accuracy level. Low chances of errors |
| Test Cycle Time | Initially longer (due to complex setup and script writing). Quicker turnaround time after establishment | Less time-consuming with faster execution |
| Skillset | Hands-on experience required | Good programming knowledge in languages (like Python, JavaScript) is required |
| Cost Efficiency | Less initial cost. Adds up quickly over time due to labor costs | Higher upfront cost. Cost-effective in the long run |
| Ideal For | Evolving features, ad-hoc, and one-off tests | Business-critical, determinant, tedious, and repetitive tasks |
Automation and manual testing are interlinked deeply, with organizations of all sizes and industries using them simultaneously. Despite the former seeing steady adoption, the latter excels in areas requiring manual intervention.
One brings efficiency and speed, while the other is essential for creativity, human insights, and experience. The best you can do for your business is to strive for an equilibrium.
Benefits of Automated Testing
Automation helps in the early detection of bugs to save organizations from unnecessarily spending human and monetary resources. To fully understand what automation in testing is, you must also learn about its benefits.
| Fixing a bug during implementation is 6x more expensive than the design phase. It is 15x and 100x costlier to fix a bug in the testing and production phases, respectively. |
1. Streamlined Releases
The traditional approach states that the product should be tested upon completion. Automation testing, however, continually re-tests the app during production to streamline and systemize the release process. You can use smoke tests to test the features for stability.
2. Quality Assurance
Automated testing takes away the human factor to refine the process, eliminate the lack of judgment, and the chance of human errors.
3. Frequent Feedback
Frameworks like Cypress and Selenium are known to accelerate test case execution. A swift and uninterrupted test results in frequent feedback, which can be incorporated into the product to produce a better outcome. It is rapid and accurate, and helps agile teams through error-free and intricate feedback.
4. Higher Delivery Speed
Your application must constantly release new features to stay ahead in the game, but a buggy one can do more harm than good. Automated testing accelerates regression testing to minimize the time between integrating and releasing a new feature. Churning out meaningful features at the right time will get you the maximum gain from the process.
5. Scalable Testing
Even a noteworthy team, in size and experience, lacks the agility and accuracy of automation frameworks for parallel testing, cross-browser testing, load testing, and much more.
Phases of Automation Testing
There are several types of automation testing. But to completely understand them, you should first solidify your knowledge of the phases of testing.
1. Unit Tests
These tests individual software units for early identification of issues by verifying the code’s authenticity, proper functioning, and defects.
2. API Tests
It works like a middleman for the systems that the software is using. They validate the application programming interface’s reliability, security, and functionality.
3. User Interface
The end-users see and interact with the UI. It is the last test conducted after drafting the application’s interface to be as similar as the intended user experience.
Types of Automation Testing
The next few years are expected to be great for the automation testing market size. It is expected to soar from USD 25.4 billion in 2024 to USD 59.91 billion in 2029 at a CAGR of over 19.6%.
How can you make the most of this rising demand as an organization? It begins by knowing all the underlying aspects of this approach.
1. Functional
This is where the software’s functionality is tested against the desired app outcomes to evaluate whether or not it meets them. Testers compare real-world use cases and the current app to see the current status. It puts the customers at the center of the growth strategy and molds the app in the right direction.
2. Non-Functional
The focus here is scalability, reliability, usability, and other factors that make or break the application. These aspects usually help improve customer satisfaction and retention.
Types of Tests Under Functional & Non-Functional
Functional and non-functional testing types use different tests to evaluate the software app. Some common ones are:
1. Regression Tests
Regression testing is a part of both functional and non-functional testing. It detects application regression (introduced bugs or caused malfunctions) due to the changes, since changes commonly bring unwanted effects.
| Top Tools: Selenium, TestGrid, and Appium. |
2. Security Tests
Every system is at risk of certain potential threats and vulnerabilities. Securing tests ensures the app can defend against malicious attacks by identifying and mending exposure. These tests have different tests, like penetration testing, application security testing, ethical hacking, network security testing, and vulnerability scanning for various issues.
| Top Tools: Burp Suite and Nessus |
3. Smoke Tests
These preliminary tests assess the application’s functionalities according to end goal desires. Once the stability is confirmed, more rigorous testing is carried out. This is usually done after every build or any important changes.
| Top Tools: Selenium, Cypress, and Postman |
4. Performance Tests
These tests are conducted to check your system’s ability to perform and work under varying circumstances. It’s done by introducing various situations, such as network environments, load conditions, and data volume. They check the application’s performance scalability, reliability, bottlenecks, and responsiveness.
| Top Tools: Grafana, LoadNinja, and HP LoadRunner |
5. Compatibility Tests
An app must function smoothly across different browsers, operating systems, hardware, software, and network environments. These tests check the desired functioning.
| Top Tools: Sauce Labs and Selenium |
Choosing the right types of QA testing can help you check your application’s working condition and functionalities.
Types of Test Automation Frameworks
Test automation frameworks are highly valuable developer tools. They are important in testing the software’s reliability and functionality. Many types of such frameworks automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks to highlight issues.
Organizations with tight deadlines, high-volume testing needs, multiple platforms/devices, and complex software benefit the most by adopting automation testing. Early detection can save resources and significantly improve product quality.
Here are the top types of test automation frameworks to learn about:
1. Keyword-Driven Framework
Different keywords or action words interpret and showcase an application’s common actions. Testers do not have to heavily rely on coding details because they get these keywords in the test scripts. There is minimal need for coding to improve readability, maintainability, and reusability.
2. Data-Driven Framework
Testers can work on different data sets in a single test because the data set is stored in another test script. It is beneficial when you need to test multiple input variations or have high test coverage requirements.
3. Linear Scripting Framework
A tester records the manual test steps, which are then replayed to automate the testing process. While you do not need high coding skills, it is also useless in complex scenarios. Businesses with limited test automation experience and straightforward, repeatable workflows benefit by adopting it.
4. Modular Framework
The testing process is split into smaller modules, and each module is tested separately. Separate outcomes are then put together in a single report. Organizations that develop mobile and web applications particularly adopt the Modular Automation Framework (MAF).
5. Hybrid Framework
The best aspects of different methodologies are combined for a highly adaptive and versatile testing environment. These elements are usually picked from data-driven and keyword-driven frameworks.
Essential Steps for Effective Test Automation
Technology professionals must follow certain essential steps for effective test automation for the best outcomes. Each step is important with a specific purpose that it completes. Here are a few things you should keep in mind while automating your testing:
1. Clearly Define Goals & Objectives
Your organization’s key problems should be addressed and outlined for successful test automation. Getting to the root of the problem will help you understand what needs automation. It usually works best for repetitive, time-consuming, and high-risk tasks.
2. Opt for the Right Frameworks, Tools, & Programming Language
A well-crafted automation framework can improve the code’s structure and reusability. You can pick from the long list of frameworks, including data-driven, keyword-driven, linear, modular, and hybrid, as per your test cases and covering requirements.
Automating testing tools should be picked according to factors true to a company. Basic points to consider are the technology stack of your application, licensing costs, expertise level of your team, integration capabilities, and supporting documentation.
Choose the most appropriate programming language after carefully picking the right tool and evaluating the team’s skills. JavaScript, Python, C#, and Java are among the most popular names.
3. Build a Robust Automation Suite
Your team must establish and adhere to coding standards to promote collaboration and maintainability. Test scripts and functions are designed to reduce redundancy while implementing comprehensive reporting mechanisms. Locators (like XPath and CSS Selectors) identify UI elements, and a version control system (like Git) manages and tracks changes.
4. Integrate Automation into the Development Lifecycle
Your automation team should reach the development process early to understand the ever-changing requirements. They should especially learn about CI (Continuous Integration) and CD (Continuous Development/Delivery) processes, which are automated for thorough testing.
5. Team Collaboration
The development and testing teams should have a strong relationship for delivering high-quality products. You should onboard a dedicated automation team according to the project size and complexity.
6. Measure & Analyze Automation Efforts
Testers use different metrics to measure the success of their automation implementations. Test execution time, automation ROI, coverage, defect detection rate, and flakiness are a few points of evaluation. Regularly analyzing and reporting can determine the overall success of your efforts.
7. Improving & Maintaining Continuously
Your application’s UI and base technology are always changing, and call for test maintenance. Automation scripts require timely reviewing, refactoring, and maintenance for better maintainability, readability, and adaptation.
Why Choose Aegis for Your Automation Testing?
Business operations and customer trust are two factors directly influenced by automation testing. Understanding ‘What is automation testing’ and why it is essential for your business success goes deeper is very important. It boils down to having seasoned professionals on your side.
An organization’s success today non-negotiably depends on the team it hires. Our automation testing services accelerate release cycles to improve your software quality. Consistent and comprehensive testing reduces long-term costs for businesses of all sizes. This is a strategic investment that yields better ROI than most business operations.
Connect with our experts over a free consultation call!
FAQs
Q1. What is QA automation testing?
QA (quality assurance) automation testing is the process of designing and executing tests with automated scripts and tools, instead of being done manually.
Q2. What is an example of test automation?
Using Selenium for automating web app testing is a valid example. The same test scripts are run repeatedly on various platforms and browsers to confirm consistency.
Q3. What is an automation tool?
Tools that automate different repetitive, time-consuming, and manual tasks, usually through scripts and algorithms, are called automation tools. They are used to perform tasks without any human intervention to deliver more efficient results.
