There is no doubt that automated software testing is critical for maintaining agility and establishing continuous improvement. As more teams adopt both automated testing and Agile development, it becomes clear they are best practiced together.
Any testing that is being performed for more than two or three times in a short span of time can be automated with paid and/or open source tools. Execution of unit tests, functional tests, continuous integration, and continuous deployment are common ways of utilizing automation for the greatest benefit.
Automating software testing is especially preferred in an Agile environment because it accomplishes the following tasks:
- Identifies test productivity problems
- Swiftly responds to the testers
- Helps testers discuss and examine solutions
- Implements technology to improve test processes
- Assess automation possibilities for upcoming projects
Benefits of Automated Testing in an Agile Environment
Automation technology accounts for repeated testing and delivers extensive functionality and coverage through the software testing life cycle. If automation software is correctly executed, it provides the following benefits:
- Improved Software Quality – Consistent, repetitive and extensive automation tests helps to deliver high-quality software
- Improved Documentation – Automated tests produces instant documented quality proofs, comprises extensive flop/pass consequences, brings down testing manpower and time
- Bring down testing manpower and time – As automated testing is quicker than manual testing, as these are labor-intensive, and can do verification of thousands to millions of test permutations from minutes to hours.
- Cheaper – It also helps bring a remarkable reduction in the expenses related to the production of best-in-class software.
Automated Testing Trends
Organizations have largely merged automated testing and Agile development due to major trends that have arisen in the last few years.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the trends as follows:
1. Mobile Testing
Mobile testing will continue to remain at the top of the list for automation trends, owing to the remarkable shift in the adoption of mobile technology. Mobile application testing will indisputably have a major impact on the software testing industry with functionality, compatibility, performance, usability and security testing as major areas of focus.
In the next few years, mobile test automation will match web test automation if the market for mobile continues to rise at the same pace. There’s a great possibility in the open-source framework, mobile development, cross-browser testing, and app markets to expand for the mobile test automation landscape.
2. Big Data Testing
With an increase in Big Data analytics, quality management for Big Data implementations will emerge. Applications, networks, and devices will generate a huge source of unstructured data, ultimately leading to faulty and costly decisions.
Testing quality ahead of product release will continue to remain critical. With this type of testing, businesses will aim to get hard numbers and statistical indicators on whether the application behavior will meet the demand of customers or not.
3. Testing with TDD & BDD
Enterprises are likely to adopt TDD and BDD to deliver applications as per the customer needs, without any defects or delay. By engaging in this technology, teams can get an actual idea of what is required.
As a result, enterprises are better off in terms of cost and time since the longer it takes to identify bugs, the more it costs to fix them.
4. DevOps
Alliance among IT professionals, developers and operation engineers has increased since the emergence of DevOps. More and more organizations are merging the role of testers with operational engineers and developers due to overlapping competencies in the continuous Agile cycles.
Experts predict that testers, developers, and operation engineers will similarly need to utilize the same tools to increase the collaboration. This technique will promote better communication and feedback among teams to achieve Agile development, testing, and delivery.
6. Micro Testing
Enterprises financing in Micro Services make it easier to test an independent piece of functionality without altering other applications.
This trend will inevitably rise in the coming years, as it certifies testing complex applications which comprise small, independent processes and architectures.
The Verdict
Automated Testing is considered by many software testers as one of the most forthcoming trends practiced in the overall software development life cycle today. With the help of automated testing, one can get more effective and efficient testing results in an Agile environment.
About the author: Claire Mackerras is a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer & Editor at BugRaptors. BugRaptors is a CMMi5 certified company with extensive experience as a third party testing vendor for tools in Software Testing & QA. Claire enjoys creating, uncovering, and disseminating new and interesting perspectives on technology and software testing.