Automation testing is a must in today’s DevOps, Agile, and Continuous Integration world. Automation testing can increase productivity and improve the system’s quality over time. The most challenging part of testing automation is ensuring it’s used correctly. Test automation is a challenging task. Those who have tried it will tell you that.
This article will address the challenges of automation testing. It will cover the top 5 challenges developers and organizations face in testing automation and the best ways to overcome them.
Contents
Importance Of Automation Testing
Automated testing can produce a product of exceptional quality with many benefits. Automation testing results in significant cost savings and improved software performance, with a faster Time to Market (TTM) time. Automation testing is essential in terms of budget because it reduces the need for human intervention to maintain the test. Automated testing is a way to simplify testing with scripts.
This article will show you how to move from manual to automated testing if you’re new to automation or want to learn more about automation testing.
According to the following stats, 42.5% of organizations cited test automation as an essential part of their quality control process.
Top 5 Challenges Of Automation Testing And How To Overcome Them In 2023
A solid continuous testing strategy is essential for a software development company. Continuous testing requires the use of automated end-to-end testing. This allows for a better understanding of the application’s quality early in development.
It sounds amazing, and it is. As with all development processes, it is not easy to move to automated testing. Many common errors can make this difficult.
What obstacles will a DevOps team face in executing a successful automated test strategy? Let’s take a look at them.
1. Searching For The Right Framework & Tools
Automation testing is complex and requires the use of the right tool. It is challenging to pick from various tools, both open-source and licensed. The type of application and the amount of automation testing will determine the tool best suited for you.
Before choosing a tool, the tester should consider the pros and cons and make a decision based on these points:
- Use it quickly
- Scalability
- Maintainability
- Integration with third-party tools such as Jira and Jenkins, etc.
Automation will fail regardless of the testing method we use. There are many reasons test automation fails.
It is difficult to find the right tool for you. It is also a challenge to find the best tool for your task. However, the responses to the above stats show that Selenium is the most preferred and popular test automation framework.
The grid of devices used is a key component of the automation testing stack. It is costly, time-consuming, and expensive. It is only possible to test the system comprehensively on real devices. A real device cloud might be a good option.
The cloud-based infrastructure platforms such as LambdaTest give you access to over 3000+ devices that run on real operating systems. This allows you to automate testing. This cross-browser testing platform also enables users to test web apps locally or publicly hosted web or mobile applications using automation tools like Appium, Playwright, or Cypress on different browsers, operating systems, and devices.
LambdaTest offers developers and testers a single ecosystem that allows them to execute all of their tests securely. This will enable you to achieve greater efficiency and better coverage while reducing costs associated with maintaining and setting up test environments.
2. Having Good Communication & Collaboration With Team Members
Automation testing is complex because of the lack of collaboration and communication. Automation testing is a costly investment that provides long-term ROI (Return on Investment) rather than instant gratification. Therefore, it is crucial to have effective communication between all parties.
Are you wondering how to calculate your ROI? This article, How to Calculate Your ROI With Test Automation, will assist you in making smart decisions.
Developers, project managers, and business analysts should discuss the need for automation and functionality. It is difficult to plan a strategy that aligns with all stakeholders. It is also challenging to get approval from management for the strategic timeline.
This can be overcome by the automation team trying to make everything transparent and communicating all risks identified at the beginning as soon as possible.
3. Identifying The Right Test Automation Strategy
Technology’s efficiency will suffer if no proper strategy for automating tests exists. This is similar to a body without its brain. Automation testing is not complete without the right strategy. This is crucial for both the success and the display of business values. What is a test automation strategy?
A test automation strategy can be a microcosm of the larger strategy. Automation is an important part of testing and should be carefully considered. Automation testing has its challenges. Test engineers may find it hard to create a plan that includes many aspects.
First, it is essential to understand the purpose of strategy to develop an effective strategy. The following should be addressed in a strategy:
- How can stakeholders be informed about the risks, capabilities, and functionalities?
- Set our goals and plan.
- Describe the entire thought process and provide proof.
- An auditing tool that allows you to go back and review your schedule and see what was done.
The following are the best things to consider when starting a test automation strategy:
- Define and identify high-value business value tests
- Know your technology, tools, & resources.
- Identify your risks.
- Define your DevSecOps.
- Take into account your testing environment.
- Consider your test data management.
- Use agile tools
4. Struggling With Data Reliance
Data management is one of the most difficult aspects of automated test execution. Data management is critical for test automation. If data is not in a certain state before the script can be executed, it can lead to severe problems in many scenarios. What happens, for instance, if multiple test environments or configurations are used to execute the test script simultaneously?
It will fail if the same data is used in multiple instances. A change in the data can result in another test execution failing. What happens if data in a script is modified by another script being executed?
This is the best way to address data management problems. Test scripts must be written to create and clean all data necessary for successful execution. This will eliminate any chance of failure due to data-related issues.
5. Search In For The Right Skills
You will need to be able to code and problem-solve, whether designing a test automation system or writing test scripts. Test automation tools can only be effective if managed by people who can build and maintain automation solutions and test scripts. They should also be able to handle unexpected technical issues.
Automation frameworks are different in terms of their operability and features. Therefore, manual testers must be familiarized with each framework’s design and implementation procedures. It would be wrong to assume manual testers can work on automation tools and building solutions without adequate training. It takes work to invest in training or hire new skills. Organizations that are looking to increase will need help to afford this investment.
Conclusion
Continuous development and enhancement is the key to test automation. This article focuses on the key challenges of automation testing. We have shown how focusing on quick value rather than speed tests can help ensure the correct approach to automation. If tests are too slow, they will not find the bugs. To reduce costs and increase productivity, it is essential to eliminate bugs from the production line.
Automation can be both expensive and challenging. However, the result can be a higher quality product and a shorter release cycle.
