Continuous Testing at the Speed of Agile and DevOps

Continuous Testing in DevOps: How to Ensure it at the Speed of Agile and DevOps?

As development becomes more complicated with changing business requirements, software teams rely on modern delivery practices from Agile to DevOps to Continuous Delivery.



To accomplish the overall objectives and goals of an organization while delivering quality software at speed, a combined collaboration of different teams with diverse skills is important.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-roles-and-responsibilities-in-agile-and-devops">Roles and Responsibilities in Agile and DevOps</h2>



In Agile and DevOps, every IT function must be engaged earlier on, and everyone involved needs to have a broader and deeper understanding of what they&#8217;re required to achieve.



It is important to embrace new or redefined roles for a successful DevOps transformation. Organizations assign members to their new DevOps teams before they have fully understood the requirements and goals of the project.



Subject Matter Experts and QA Analysts are responsible for establishing and implementing quality testing and compliance processes for organizations. Subject Matter Experts(SME) and QA Analysts can provide strategic and technical advice from their experience to the team members.



They provide guidance and subject matter expertise to programming teams on testing methodologies and approach, guide the testing teams and are expected to closely interact with&nbsp;IT leaders; Development, Testing and production teams to develop and implement a well-planned road map, adopt the right tools and approach and implement them.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-significance-of-continuous-testing-in-agile-and-devops">Significance of Continuous Testing in Agile and DevOps</h2>



Along with the change of roles, processes, and tools, the testing approach also needs to change. Continuous testing has evolved to meet the continuous delivery needs in Agile and DevOps and has become a must to release quality software faster.



Refer to the below article to know the importance of continuous testing. <a class="brand-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/extend-test-automation-continuous-delivery/" target="_blank">Extend Test Automation to enable Continuous Delivery</a>



Software Testing is one among the many fields in the Development Life Cycle which a lot of stakeholders get involved to deliver an unmatched quality software.&nbsp;



Testers are not only expected to check that if a functionality works as expected but also to validate that the user experience is as expected, across real devices and environments.



Continuous testing is achieved through test automation which involves complex programming and a deep technical understanding.&nbsp;



Continuous testing can only be effective if test automation starts during the initial phases of software development, in parallel with the documentation and planning by Functional Testers, SMEs and QA Analysts.



&nbsp;Hence the participation is often limited to developers and automation testers. Novice stakeholders and manual testers, SMEs and QA Analysts cannot take part in the process and wait until development is complete.



Often Automation testers will not have sufficient time to understand the application exhaustively and learn the functionalities as they test.



Subject Matter Experts and QA Analysts should help the automation testers to identify and document the right test cases for automation.



Often, these demands are not met and test automation is pushed towards the end of the development cycle. This limits the early participation of Automation Testers and Subject Matter Experts causing a delay to start.



 This becomes one of the main reasons for Automation Testing becoming a bottleneck for Continuous Delivery in DevOps practice.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-importance-of-smes-and-qa-analysts-in-agile-and-devops">Importance of SMEs and QA Analysts in Agile and DevOps</h2>



While the automation team focuses on delivering quality software faster, your functional team, SMEs and QA Analysts focus on the quality of your software from a customer’s perspective.



With both the efforts combined it will have a great impact on releasing quality products faster continuously.&nbsp;But, there needs to be a platform where functional team, SMEs and QA Analysts can collaboratively work to discuss on the ambiguities in users stories, automate them without any technical barrier. 



This way SMEs/QA Analysts can participate in automated testing along with their regular work starting from the initial phases of design and planning or when the team needs a hand in automation.



To ensure the participation of Developers, SMEs and QA Analysts throughout the continuous testing process, the platform should not require any complex tool setup or demand technical expertise.



 Anyone should be able to contribute to an autonomous continuous automated testing process.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-why-is-it-important-to-involve-smes-and-qa-analysts-in-the-process-of-automated-testing">Why is it important to involve SMEs and QA Analysts in the process of automated testing?</h2>



Let us discuss some of the reasons in detail:



<ol class="list_style_disc"><li>They understand the application functionality customer requirements better than the Automation Testing team. If SMEs and QA analysts are involved in automation testing, it would be a great value addition to release your great quality software faster continuously.</li><li>Agile development practices will thrive in an organization that fosters a collaborative culture and servant leadership with the leader serving the team. When SMEs and QA Analysts serve their team, actively analysing and contributing, they unlock the purpose and creativity of the team, resulting in effective automation.</li><li>Also, if the automation testing process is not implemented properly there would be lots of redundant efforts across functional and automation teams. With one team being in charge of quality, lots of effort can be optimized and its huge time saver considering the time and efforts needed to communicate the information across teams.</li><li>Timely involvement and effective feedback from the experts.</li><li>The collaborative approach keeps the team aware of quality standards and procedures and offers necessary suggestions and scope for improvement.&nbsp;</li></ol>



<h2 id="h-what-restraints-the-subject-matter-experts-and-qa-analysts-from-actively-participating-in-the-automation-testing-process">&nbsp;What restraints the Subject Matter Experts and QA Analysts from actively participating in the automation testing process?</h2>



1. Becoming a productive juggler Subject matter Experts work on multiple projects and projects/issues of high complexity across multiple technical areas and business segments. 



Managing between creating test plans on new implementations and upgrades, communicating test progress, test results, and other relevant information to project stakeholders and QA Manager and participating in automation is not easy.


As we know, Automated testing As we know, Automated testing As we know, Automated testing requires scripting skills and knowledge in a particular programming language and may not be the same for the next project. If the SMEs/QA Analysts do not have not to sound understanding of this programming language, they may not be able to readily contribute to the project.
The need for expertise in multiple programming languages and tools is also a limitation as to the team and the subject matter experts need to be adept in these.


 2. Expertise in multiple tools Since most of the modern applications are built on <a href="https://middleware.io/blog/microservices-architecture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microservices architecture</a>, and with more than one application type in a single workflow, multiple tools need to be set up. The SMEs and QA Analysts may not have enough time to familiarize with these tools in a short time.


3. Complex setups With the growing number of end-userWith the growing number of end-user devices, it is required to have enough realistic test environments for application testing. It takes significant time and effort to set the automation testing framework, tools and test beds. 


SMEs and QA Experts may not have sufficient time to set up the Test Automation ecosystem and maximize or minimize the essential elements as per the changing business needs.



 4. Complex ecosystem Automation testing is not as straightforward as manual testing, it demands high technical expertise, time, and resource. Automation testing ecosystem is a combination of multiple tools, integrations, frameworks. 



One has to spend a significant amount of time to get started with automation testing because of the multiple elements involved in automation testing. &nbsp; <a class="brand-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/essential-elements-of-test-automation/" target="_blank">Check out the blog that discusses on the Essential Elements of Test Automation</a> &nbsp; By now, we understand the importance of involving SMEs and QA Analysts in Test Automation.



 To involve them in testing, the automation testing process should be as simple as writing manual tests.



A unified automation testing mechanism that suits every complex testing requirement and allows for collaboration of cross-functional teams will ease out the existing complexity to actively participate in test automation.



<h2 id="h-testsigma-s-approach">Testsigma’s Approach</h2>



Testsigma is a cloud-based <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/continuous-testing-at-the-speed-of-agile-and-devops/"> continuous testing platform for Agile and DevOps</a> that lets your SMEs, QA Analysts, Developers, Automation Testers, Manual Testers, Managers, stakeholders of the software and anyone contribute to automation testing using simple natural language.


It requires no technical expertise or complex tool setup. Testsigma provides a platform for all your team members(SMEs, QA Analysts, Developers etc.) to collaborate to deliver quality software.


 You can share updates and reports on both Manual and Automation Testing instantly and plan and track the test execution status easily with all those who can contribute to the project.



<a class="brand-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank">Testsigma</a> allows Subject Matter Experts and Quality Analysts for easy “changing of hats” to contribute to Continuous Testing in DevOps and to guide the team with their functional expertise.



Testsigma requires no complicated setup and does not require any programming skills but <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/natural-language-processing-nlp-based-test-automation/"> simple natural language</a> to automate complex tests. Authoring automated test cases are as simple as manual tests with Testsigma.



Testsigma is <a class="brand-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank">a SaaS unified continuous testing platform</a> with support for Web/Mobile applications and RESTful services and uses a Shift-Left approach to automate testing in parallel with the development.


Testsigma supports automated testing for multiple application types and executes numerous complex tests on multiple device/OS/browser combinations both local and on the cloud with different configurations providing a good test coverage. All in one tool!


Testsigma supports collaboration efforts to keep the team informed about execution updates, test progress, etc. Your business analysts, SME’s, stakeholders who can contribute can be a part of the automation testing process working in and out of the office anytime anywhere!



 Prioritize your tests, track progress and share valuable feedback among a cross-functional collaboration team irrespective of where you are!&nbsp;



<blockquote><h2 style="text-align: left;">Try <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Testsigma</a> now. Start your free trial today!</h2></blockquote>

Test Automation by SMEs & QA Analysts for Continuous Delivery and DevOps

Test Automation by SMEs & QA Analysts for Continuous Delivery & DevOps

In the article, &#8220;<a class="brand-color" style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/why-is-record-and-playback-not-suitable-for-enterprise-class-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Why is Record and Playback not suitable for enterprise-class Test Automation?</a>&#8221;&nbsp;we examined some of the reasons why Record and Playback tools are not suitable for enterprise-class Test Automation like the complexity in handling dynamic objects/elements of an application, authoring and maintaining test scripts, the amount of manual effort needed, etc. Record and Playback automated testing tools have been around for some time yet do not match the enterprise-class test automation requirements. Record and Playback tools can let you get started without much delay, by adding an extension to the browser or by installing a piece of software on the device. However, the initial time saved is compromised by the time spent in editing and re-recording every other feature of the application that is affected when a change is made. The Record and Playback method cannot be considered an appropriate solution for Test Automation. It can only be considered a variant of Manual Testing. These tools can be used to make your Manual Testing effort easier for small but stable applications that require less or no change. With AI and ML to maintain these tests, the tools are getting better yet far from the current test automation requirements.



<h2 id="what-is-a-better-alternative-to-record-and-playback-tools-for-enterprise-class-test-automation">What is a better alternative to Record and Playback tools for enterprise-class test automation?</h2>



Testsigma is an<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/ai-driven-test-automation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> AI-driven Test Automation tool</a> on the cloud which lets you get started almost instantly to build reliable tests effortlessly. It is rather easy to get started with Testsigma with the flexibility of an enterprise-class test automation framework with no installation/setup hassle. Read here about <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/guides/enterprise-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enterprise Test Automation</a>. Let’s see how <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Testsigma</a> lets you create stable automated tests using simple natural language. 



<h3 id="create-stable-and-reliable-tests-easily">Create stable and reliable tests easily</h3>



Test script development in Testsigma is as simple as writing a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/natural-language-processing-nlp-based-test-automation/" target="_blank">manual test using natural language.</a> Testsigma takes less time to build stable and reliable tests compared to record &amp; playback and other autonomous script development tools.



 Unlike record and playback tools, you know what you are doing exactly when hand-coding the test, you have full control over the tests that you create without the need of programming skills.



All your <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/test-automation-by-smes-qa-analysts-for-continuous-delivery-and-devops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Functional/SMEs/Test Developers and just anyone can contribute</a> by writing clean, reusable, understandable tests that align with your business documents/process in simple natural language.



Testsigma provides the simplicity that you would get with any record and playback tool along with the flexibility of an<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/why-is-record-and-playback-not-suitable-for-enterprise-class-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> enterprise-class test automation framework.</a><a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/why-is-record-and-playback-not-suitable-for-enterprise-class-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <script> 
function OpenSignup() { 
 window.open("https://website.testsigma.com/signup"); 
} 
</script></a>



<div class="bg-light" style="text-align: center; width: inherit; height: 160px; padding: 15px;">No edit. No rework required! <input style="display: inline-block; margin-top: %; margin-bottom: %;" type="button" value="Try for Free"></div>



Testsigma has a well-managed Element Repository and uses a methodical<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/test-development">Test Development approach</a> Test Development approach using Element Repository. More importantly, AI &amp; ML is applied to auto-heal the steps through Dynamic Locator Strategy.



With features like Dynamic Locators, organized Element Repository, Test Data Management, Reusable Step Groups and other step level settings, Test Development and Test Maintenance using Testsigma is constructive and well organized right from the beginning and does not need any rework with time.



<h3 id="shared-element-repository-to-reduce-maintenance-efforts">Shared Element Repository to reduce maintenance efforts</h3>



Maintaining numerous dynamic elements on a web page will be critical to ensure proper maintenance of tests.



Record and playback tools generate duplicate copies of elements and are not reused if already available. This only increases the need to maintain multiple instances of the same element.



<a class="brand-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank">Testsigma</a> provides enterprise-class test automation with a shared element repository to avoid all these complications. With AI and other intuitive features, test maintenance is much better than ever.



<h3 id="handle-dynamic-objects-elements-with-ease">Handle dynamic Objects/Elements with ease</h3>



Modern applications are rendered with lots of dynamic data, rarely with unique attributes to identify elements. In such cases, record and playback tools rely on HTML element hierarchy/absolute paths which is the most unstable and unreliable approach to build automated tests. These steps fail even for a small change in the application page(not just the element).



 Testsigma&#8217;s ability to define dynamic element paths as part of element repository enables you with the most reliable approach to automate these scenarios.



<h3 id="dynamic-locator-strategy-to-reduce-maintenance-time-and-effort-for-ui-changes">Dynamic locator strategy to reduce maintenance time and effort for UI changes</h3>



The approach Record and Playback tools adopt to identify an element isn’t always reliable as the slightest change in the recorded element or any element on the page can break them easily.



 An effective approach would be to use more than just one attribute to identify a particular element. This way, whenever there is a change in these attributes, any of the remaining attributes can be used to identify the element.



 This has become a standard practice in many test automation tools. This approach addresses maintenance issues with element attribute changes. Test Automation tools like Testsigma uses AI to create paths dynamically using recorded attributes.



 Testsigma not only uses Dynamic Locator Strategy on element attributes but also takes into account the attributes of sibling and parent elements to solve this maintenance issue better!



 Many a time, there would be more than just element attribute change. Hence it becomes necessary to consider all the parent and siblings of a particular element to ensure that the tests do not break easily.



<h3 id="shift-left-testing-for-agile-and-continuous-delivery-practices">Shift-Left Testing for Agile and Continuous Delivery practices</h3>



With these tools, you cannot start your automation testing until you have a stable UI to automate.



 Because of this either automation testing will be pushed out of the delivery pipeline or the time to release the product continuously is delayed. Both these are not acceptable for the current fast-paced Agile and Continuous Delivery practices.



 Testsigma is ready for Shift-Left Testing right from the planning phase. With Testsigma your automated tests would be 90% complete along with your development and lets you start automating the application even before you have the user interface to automate!



 More on Shift-Left Testing:&nbsp;<a class="brand-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/test-automation-tool-ready-for-shift-left/" target="_blank">Is your test automation tool ready for Shift Left testing?</a>



 Listed below are some of the most important features that match the current test automation requirements.



<h3 id="applying-ai-where-it-is-most-important">Applying AI where it is most important</h3>



Legacy automation testing tools and approaches like Record and Playback are not sufficient today with the advent of development methodologies like Agile and DevOps that demands faster frequent product releases.



 With the need for better and smart automation testing tools, there is a lot of scope for AI in Test Automation. Apart from<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/self-healing-tests-maintenance-testsigma/"> self-healing</a> tests, Testsigma applies AI to a wider part of Test Automation. 



 This article on&nbsp;<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/ai-driven-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI-driven Test Automation</a> discusses the areas in which AI can be applied in Test Automation.



<h3 id="reusable-step-groups">Reusable Step Groups</h3>



Reusable Test Groups allows grouping of Test Steps that might be used multiple times in the same or different Test cases. This way, the test steps need not be repeated every time and reduces test development keeping the scripts readable and concise.



<h3 id="unified-platform-for-web-mobile-web-android-ios-apps-and-apis">Unified platform for Web, Mobile Web, Android, iOS apps and APIs</h3>



Every team has more than one application types to automate. <a class="brand-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank">Testsigma</a> is one of the first cloud-based automated testing tools to support Web, Mobile Web, Android, iOS apps and API applications on a single platform.



 A unified, extendable and secure testing solution is essential to help testers connect thousands of web, mobile devices with different device configurations, in one go. And, does not require multiple teams to automate different application types.



<h3 id="test-data-management">Test Data Management</h3>



Test Data is vital to test coverage in test automation. It is important to test every page of the application interface with all possible test data sets to ensure error-free navigations for your customers. It is important to test applications with different data sets and the data can have different scope and can come from different test data sources.



 Testsigma provides you with multiple test data types and inbuilt test data repositories to organize and manage all data in one place.&nbsp;By default, Testsigma supports Parameter type test data, Runtime test data, Global test data, Random test data and Function type test data to generate test data using corporate address login.



 Testsigma uses a simple and intuitive UI to generate test data to run tests with different data sets to maximize coverage and to cover all the boundary conditions.



<h3 id="custom-functions">Custom Functions</h3>



How much ever the tools try and cover possible requirements, there might be instances when you’d like to add a couple of tests which cannot be generalized.



 You can attune your Test Automation needs with custom functions in such situations. You can extend Testsigma to match custom requirements using one of the widely implemented Java/Selenium approaches.



<h3 id="local-test-executions">Local Test Executions</h3>



While we are trying to move everything to the cloud, there may be instances which cannot be tested on cloud infrastructure.



 Unlike other tools Testsigma enables you with executions on your local environments, to see the executions real-time.



<h3 id="screenshots-and-video-logs">Screenshots and video logs</h3>



When your tests execute remotely, it is important to capture all the evidence to debug any failure easily.



 Testsigma enables you with not just screenshots but also videos and text logs of your executions to understand the failures faster.



<h3 id="better-test-management">Better Test Management</h3>



There may be multiple applications to automate and multiple versions of one application like Web, Android Web, Android Native, iOS Web, iOS Native and Web Services.



 Testsigma reduces the operational time and effort involved in managing multiple application types.



 Inbuilt Test Management helps you manage all your tests better for better test coverage and productivity.



<h3 id="activity-and-history-of-your-tests">Activity and History of your tests</h3>



It is important to know how your tests have been performing over time, what changed and what has not. Unlike other tools, Testsigma gives all the information on the activity and history of tests.



<h3 id="a-few-features-missing-in-other-tools">A few features missing in other tools</h3>



Comprehensive Reports, Result Trends, and History, Team Collaboration, Parallel Testing, Cross Browser Testing, Data-Driven Testing, Enterprise-class test automation features.



 Testsigma is a test automation tool with the same simplicity of record and playback tools but with enterprise-class flexibility and stability. Testsigma is built to address issues of existing Test Automation tools. <a href="https://calendly.com/testsigma/demo">Schedule a demo</a>&nbsp;for a quick walkthrough.



Reach out to us at for any queries. Our team is ready to help when you need it.

An alternative to record and playback tools for enterprise-class Test Automation

An Alternative to Record and Playback Tools for Test Automation

Test Automation has become an immediate requirement for every engineering team to match the pace of continuous delivery. On the other hand, it can also become a waste of time, money and resources if the test automation strategy and your Test Automation tool is not a fit for your requirements.
Generally, when teams <a class="brand-color" href="https://www.utest.com/articles/why-shift-from-manual-to-automation-testing-for-continuous-delivery" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shift from Manual Testing to Test Automation</a>, they tend to look for the simplest and easiest solutions to get started. Record and playback tools are one of the options a lot of managers consider.
Near zero initial time and programming knowledge are some presumed advantages of choosing record and playback tools. The general perception is that initial investment of time and effort using these tools. But time and again it is being proved that such tools do not work well to meet enterprise-class test automation requirements.
However, it is agreed that these tools are not suitable for test automation if you have a user interface that constantly undergo changes. 
Tests created using Record and Playback tools are often outdated for even a small change in the application. You need to re-record all of the tests or you end up spending a lot of time editing tests.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
Many teams shifting from manual to automation might look at Record and Playback tools as the test scripts are created automatically for every action that a functional tester performs manually.
These scripts can be easily re-run to test the same functionality provided the application does not change.
It may seem easy and compelling but requires a lot of rework and changes. The system generated scripts or tests are hard to understand and maintain. 
We will look more into this in detail.
<h2>Why is it difficult to generate stable tests easily with Record and Playback tools?</h2>
It&#8217;s been proved that these tools would fail to generate stable and reliable tests for enterprise-class applications that has complex scenarios with dynamic data.
A lot of manual revisions are required to make the script generated by Record and Playback tools to be stable and production-ready like editing test data and element information, adding assertions, conditional statements, handling dynamic data etc.
Also, you cannot record all the steps for dynamic enterprise-class applications. You may need to add custom actions, assertions and, dynamic steps manually.
Record and Playback tools would record both necessary and unwanted steps automatically. The recorded steps would not be as per your business documents.
Quite often, for the same action, more than one copy of the same script is generated multiple times and the tester has to identify which copy of the script requires editing. It’s difficult to understand what part of the code belongs to the test steps, what is the exact data the tool collects that needs change.
A lot of time is spent cleaning unnecessary data to make the tests reusable and readable and in-line with your business documents/process.
Maintaining test scripts would be a complex task with a lot of duplicate and disorganized elements making your tests very difficult to understand and maintain.
AI &amp; ML can be helpful to maintain these tests for basic element attribute changes. But in reality, there can be more than just element attribute changes. 
There may be layout changes, design changes etc. in which case these duplicate elements requires a lot of maintenance work from developers.
The alternate approach would be to re-record all the steps from the beginning. However, this demands huge effort having to go through the entire process over and again. And, you may lose the test history.
Identifying the problem area first from the huge script that is auto-generated, making edits to the code and fixing them is a tough task. 
The time required to manually test an application vs the time to repair the recorded steps or re-record is relatively less.
The time saved getting started with the application testing is wasted editing and re-recording every time there is change. 

<h2>Why does it fail to handle Dynamic Objects/Elements?</h2>
Most of the modern applications are built with dynamic elements with no unique attributes. In such cases, record and playback tools rely on HTML element hierarchy/absolute paths which is the most unstable and unreliable approach to build automated tests.
These tests fail during subsequent re-runs, as the attributes of these dynamic elements change every time.
The ability to define dynamic element paths as part of element repository is required to handle these cases, which is missing in record and playback tools.
Also, these steps fail even for the slightest change in the application (not just the element attributes) and are not always dependable.
<h2>Why can&#8217;t Record and Playback tools avoid maintenance for small UI changes?</h2>
The slightest change in the recorded element or any element on the page can break the recorded tests easily.
Many of today&#8217;s testing tools capture more than just the required attributes to identify a particular element. This way, whenever there is a change in any one of these attributes, any of the remaining attributes can be used to identify those elements.
This has become a standard practice in many Test Automation tools. The approach is required to address some of the maintenance issues with element attribute changes. Some of the Test Automation tools like <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Testsigma</a> use AI to create paths dynamically using the recorded attributes.
<a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Testsigma</a> not just uses the Dynamic Locator Strategy on element attributes but also takes into account the attributes of siblings and parent elements to solve this maintenance issue better!
Many a time, there would be more than just element attributes changes. These tools should consider the parent and sibling attributes of a particular element to ensure that the tests won’t break easily.
<h2>Why do these tools not support Shift-Left Testing?</h2>
It is essential to start the test automation process, early on, with the Agile and DevOps methodologies demanding faster, frequent software product releases. If testing cannot keep up with these modern approaches to ensure continuous software development and delivery, the goal is not fully achieved.
With these tools, you cannot start your Test Automation until you have a stable UI to automate.
Because of this either Test Automation will be pushed out of delivery pipeline or takes more time to release your quality products. Both these options are not acceptable for current fast-paced Agile and Continuous Delivery practices. 
<a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/test-automation-tool-ready-for-shift-left/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Is your test automation tool ready for Shift Left testing?</a>
<h2>How Record and Playback tools fail to maintain a shared Element Repository to reduce maintenance?</h2>
Whatever may be the approach, test maintenance is a continuous effort and plays a major role in automation success. Maintaining elements is highly important for test maintenance.
Record and playback tools generates a lot of duplicate elements as explained earlier and do not reuse the elements that are already available. This increases the need for test maintenance with the need to manage multiple instances of the same element.
The tools are expected to be smart enough to reuse the element if it is already recorded. None of the record and playback tools address this.
<h2>Why record and then edit doesn&#8217;t work?</h2>
Recorded test steps are not always stable and are not reusable by default and can break as the application code changes.
The recommended approach is to either edit these steps manually or re-record the entire test again.
To edit a recorded test you need to first understand the system generated test completely, then decide on what to change and how to change. This requires programming knowledge and constant reviewing. Without this, for every change in the application, these tests will continue to fail.
But the fact is that editing an automatically generated script is more difficult and time consuming compared to many programming based tools. 
Manually testing the same feature end to end takes less time and effort compared to editing these tests every time.
The purpose of Test Automation is to allow the automated tests to run unattended. On the contrary, testers are expected to sit through the whole of the execution process and find problem areas by looking them up manually and make changes to the generated code/test steps continuously. 
The test automation efforts go in vain as testers eventually shift back to Manual Testing.
<h2>Why isn&#8217;t Re-record an option?</h2>
An alternative to maintaining these tests is re-recording. 
 Re-recording the whole of the application for minor changes is not very convenient especially for large applications. 
The QA team has to go through the entire process of re-recording and editing the tests to make them stable and reliable.
Considering all the effort needed after recording, like editing, clean-up, etc., Re-recording is not an affordable solution for bigger teams who practice Agile and Continuous Delivery methodologies.
<h2>So, where do Record and Playback tools fit?</h2>
Record and playback tools can be considered for small static applications whose application code and UI does not change frequently.
 It would be appealing to the management to introduce the concept of Test Automation, what and how can be automated and how much time can be saved through Test Automation once the automated tests are in place.&nbsp;
The better approach would be test automation with the same simplicity of record and playback tools along with enterprise-class flexibility and stability.
Check out <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/alternative-to-record-and-playback-tools-for-enterprise-class-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an alternative to record and playback tools for enterprise-class Test Automation</a>

Why is Record and Playback not suitable for enterprise-class Test Automation?

There’s been a shift from Manual Testing to Automated Testing in recent years.&nbsp;As compared to Manual Test practices, Test Automation offers improved test coverage and quality and allows for a speedy delivery of software into the market. 



However, with huge scripting and several other integrations, the automated testing process is not an easy one. It takes huge initial setup and ramp-up time that require huge investments and a long wait to see the outcome.



Thus, there is a need for a smart test automation framework or a tool that can bring all the resources together for better test management and increased test coverage at low cost in less time.



With development becoming Agile and Continuous, Testing needs to keep up and this is best possible with the help of a<a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/best-cloud-based-test-automation-tool-continuous-delivery-demands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Cloud based Test Automation</a> process.



Such is our approach on cloud to test any software product easily anytime, anywhere!



A SaaS <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/ai-driven-test-automation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI-driven test automation</a> software for Web and Mobile applications to achieve continuous testing with a Shift-left approach, Testsigma addresses the shortcomings of existing automated testing tools that demand huge initial time and cost, high execution time, high maintenance, slow test script development process and require a longer payback time.



<h2 id="how-testsigma-is-a-smart-test-automation-tool">How Testsigma is a Smart Test Automation Tool?</h2>



Let us see how Testsigma makes it to being among the top test automation tools on the cloud to make Test Automation Simpler, Better and Affordable.



<h3 id="h-zero-ramp-up-time-and-cost">Zero ramp-up time and cost</h3>



Test Automation requires heavy scripting which is rather time-consuming.&nbsp;The time to ramp up the test automation process, the cost involved in selecting the right automated testing tools, setting them up and training the team, all of it is indispensable.



Setting up close to real execution environments for every tester also adds to the delay. But, today with cloud based Test Automation with over thousands of real devices and the systematic Behavior Driven Development(BDD) type script development using natural language makes it easier for just anyone to write complex tests easily.



With <a href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Testsigma</a>, you can get started with automated testing right away! There’s no setup or installation required. You can start testing your application with just any browser on your preferred devices.



<h3 id="h-test-development-made-faster-using-simple-english-grammar">Test Development made faster using simple English grammar</h3>



Choose your preferred test step(grammar) from a list of available natural language statements or create your own personalized grammar to perform a particular test activity.



Testsigma uses simple natural language to write automated tests.&nbsp;<a href="https://dzone.com/articles/web-application-automated-testing-with-testingma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Here&#8217;s how</a>.



Developers, Testers, SMEs, or just anyone can create and execute automated tests easily, without knowing any complex programming!



Let your manual testers take charge of automation testing with no additional programming knowledge.



Achieve better quality faster than ever with the help of functional testers for automation testing.



<h3 id="h-ai-to-reduce-test-execution-time-and-cost">AI to Reduce Test Execution Time and Cost</h3>



Testsigma uses Artificial Intelligence to build stable and reliable tests faster and to speed up the execution and maintenance of automated tests.



The AI suggest improvements in test runs to include relevant or affected <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/guides/what-is-test-case/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test cases</a> to avoid failures due to dependencies and saves execution time and cost.



Testsigma uses ‘dynamic locator strategy’ that can identify and fix failed objects and ui identifiers and save maintenance time and effort by 70%.



<h3 id="h-increased-automation-coverage">Increased Automation Coverage</h3>



Testsigma allows both manual and automated testing to avoid duplicate efforts and speed up the test process for increased <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/test-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test coverage</a>.



Scalable, distributed execution options and <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/testware/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">testware</a> management is a must to reduce feedback time and increase the test coverage across different platforms, operating system and browsers.



Testsigma supports automated testing for multiple application types and executes numerous complex tests on multiple devices both local and on cloud with different configurations providing a good test coverage.



<h3 id="h-actionable-results">Actionable Results</h3>



Cryptic test results will not help analyze and debug failures. Testsigma provides detailed failure reports with cross-links to rectify the errors. There is no technical effort required to identify and fix a failure.



Actionable results will help the team fix all issues immediately without much technical effort. The AI identifies other tests which may as well be affected and tries auto-correcting these automated tests to some extent.



Identify potential failures upfront and save execution time and cost with Testsigma.



<h3 id="h-team-collaboration">Team Collaboration</h3>



There should be a proper communication between Manual and Automation testers and within the Automation&nbsp;Testing team to increase the reusability and avoid duplicate efforts.



Testsigma provides a single corporate account and multiple logins for all your team members. You can share updates, reports, plan, etc easily with all those who can contribute to the project.



Prioritize your tests, track progress and share valuable feedback irrespective of where you are!



<h3 id="h-test-management-within-the-automated-testing-tool">Test Management within the automated testing tool</h3>



For effective automated testing, there should be a proper plan for test coverage and a complete record of your test progress.



Testsigma provides Test Management within your automated testing tool for Agile and Continuous Delivery teams.



All your resources can be managed within Testsigma with unique settings for every Project.



<h3 id="h-test-data-management">Test Data Management</h3>



Test data are a major part of Test designing. Many different inputs might be necessary to analyze the tests, positive or negative.



Testsigma supports multiple test data types that may be used across versions of the same application, across multiple execution environments, to invoke data returned from custom functions and so on.



Some test data types that Testsigma supports include: Parameter Test Data(scope is limited to a single application version), Global Parameter Test Data(scope throughout a Project), Run-time Test Data(at the time of Test case execution), Function Parameter Test Data(returned from custom function) and Random Test Data(random data for test case executions).



Testsigma also provides Enterprise-class test data management with support for import from multiple test data sources.



<h3 id="h-parallel-test-executions-on-cloud-and-local-devices">Parallel Test executions on cloud and local devices</h3>



Testsigma provides a unique platform for parallel execution of tests which otherwise require multiple platforms and environments.



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/parallel-test-runs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Run your tests in parallel</a>, sequential and remotely across different browsers, operating systems and devices to increase test coverage and to reduce feedback time.



Distributing the tests across multiple <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/test-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test environments</a> can reduce the feedback time considerably and help analyze the build quality faster.



You can also execute your tests on local devices if you do not wish to execute them on the cloud. With any device, it would be easy to test an application in very less time!



<h3 id="h-cross-browser-os-device-testing">Cross Browser/OS/Device Testing</h3>



Choose test environments to execute tests from thousands of devices available on cloud!



With the wide range of devices, OS and browser versions of web and mobile phones with different screen sizes and orientations available, it is a complex task to test the working of an application in all of these device/browser combinations.



There is a need for developers to optimize their applications for each of these devices for every version.



Testsigma can easily set up and manage all of these device/OS combinations and is highly cost-effective having to only pay for the desired devices in use. <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/test-lab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Testsigma Lab’</a> makes it possible to run your tests on thousands of devices with different operating systems, browsers, and devices available on the cloud.



<h3 id="h-less-maintenance-effort">Less Maintenance effort</h3>



Automated tests should take very less upgrade and maintenance efforts for your application changes. As changes in the application increases, maintenance efforts further increases.



Testsigma adopts a simplified and automatic approach with less manual intervention. There are no Maintenance or product upgrade tailbacks.



<h3 id="h-short-wait-to-see-roi">Short wait to see ROI</h3>



There are various cost factors involved in Test Automation like the selection of the right automated testing tools, framework development, <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/why-test-data-management-is-more-important-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test data management</a>, cost to maintain test environments, integration with test management tools and other tool integrations.



With the right Test Automation method, ROI is sure but gradually. You need to build, execute and analyze your automated tests right from day one to see ROI immediately and this is exactly what Testsigma offers.



Testsigma saves time and maintenance efforts to create reliable tests with well-managed test data to see ROI right from the beginning, instead of years!



Learn more about this #SmartTestAutomation tool on cloud and join us on our journey towards Smart Testing!



<a class="brand-color" href="https://calendly.com/testsigma/demo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Schedule a demo</a> or reach out to us at <a class="brand-color" href="mailto:support@testsigma.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> support@testsigma.com</a> to know more!



<a class="brand-color" href="https://support.testsigma.com/support/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click here for Resources</a>

New Era of Smart Test Automation

Most of the organizations that follow <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/best-automation-testing-practices-agile-continuous-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">agile and continuous delivery practices</a> do so with one aim &#8211; to release software products faster and with better quality. But the major challenges that such organizations face are &#8211; Over dependence on manual test practices, an increased quality cost and increased time to market.



Though not all tests can be automated, one cannot rely completely on manual test practices anymore for fast-paced application delivery needs. Thus, an obvious solution is the shift towards Automation Testing where possible.



Not only just automation, smart test automation is what is needed to deliver quality software products faster. This can only be made possible with proper test automation strategies to increase test coverage faster at a reduced cost.



While we write scripts to test an application, <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Automated Software Testing</a> is not just about programming the test actions. It is an ecosystem of various components. Below will discuss automation framework and essential elements of test automation framework.<gwmw style="display:none;"></gwmw>



<h2 id="what-is-automation-framework">What is Automation Framework?</h2>



A test automation framework makes it easy to write, manage, and reuse test cases and test data. It brings all the necessary test automation tools together like, test case management, test data management, bug reporting tools, test labs, etc, in one place to make test automation easy and effective.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 id="key-elements-of-effective-test-automation-strategy">Key Elements of Effective Test Automation Strategy</h2>



In this article, we will discuss about these essential elements of test automation framework:



<ol><li>A well-trained test automation team</li><li>Right tool for automated software testing</li><li>A strong test automation framework</li><li>Support for integration with needed tools</li><li>Availability of realistic test environments and executions</li><li>Support for proper reporting</li></ol>



Lets discuss these elements of test automation points in detail below:



<h3 id="1-a-well-trained-test-automation-team">1. A well-trained test automation team</h3>



Automation testing is a different approach. Here, scripts are written to automate test steps. This is in contrast to manual testing where tests are run manually by a human. 



Good quality and good number of automated tests result in reduced quality costs with increased test coverage. But, achieving that result may take time because writing test script is a slow process. Thus, during the time automated tests are being written, testers may be needed to continue testing the application manually.



 To keep the automated test creation time to a minimum, a dedicated team will be required for automation testing. This team should be able to quickly adapt to various technologies needed for writing the tests for example &#8211; Selenium for web or Appium for mobile applications.



This means, the automation testing team should have expertise in multiple technologies for multiple application types. If required, the team must be trained on the application, the tools and technologies to be used in Automation Testing.&nbsp;



<h3 id="2-right-tool-for-automated-software-testing">2. Right tool for automated software testing</h3>



Choosing the right automated software testing tool might be the most crucial step for the success of your test automation process. The automation testing tool must be chosen such that:



<ol><li>It meets technical expectations of the team (related to test creation and execution)</li><li>It meets business requirements (should support automation of required workflows and needed application types)</li><li>It should be within budget</li></ol>



Today’s business requirements demand support for different application types and not just one. There may be applications that are Web-based, mobile, desktop or API based. 



Each application type would require different sets of tools and one tool that suffices every application type hardly exists.



The team should be familiar with the testing tools being used and should require only a short <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/automated-functional-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">learning</a> curve for beginners.



It would be a good idea also to consider the requirements of an upcoming project while selecting the tools to reduce extra cost inputs.



Here is also an article that might help you better: <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/10-points-to-help-you-choose-the-right-test-automation-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10 Points to Help You Choose the Right Test Automation Tool</a>



<h3 id="3-strong-test-automation-framework">3. Strong test automation framework</h3>



A strong framework improves the test structuring, reusability, and maintenance of code. It also helps reduce the time and effort required to create and maintain Automated tests.



 A framework is critical as it brings multiple tools like Test Management tools, Continuous Integration tools, Reporting tools, Collaboration tools and multiple resources together to make Test Automation effective.



 There are different framework types available according to your development process like Linear, Module-based, Data Driven, Keyword Driven, Hybrid.



It is essential to have one solid framework that supports every application of your Project. Test development, Maintenance of test scripts and Execution efficiency are heavily dependent on the Test Automation Framework that you choose and is critical to the success of the Test Automation process.



<h3 id="4-support-for-integration-with-needed-tools">4. Support for Integration with needed tools</h3>



Integrations with external tools make test automation complete. It is essential to view requirements, test results, identify and track bugs systematically.



Common integrations for automated software testing are integrations with bug tracking/reporting tools (say, Bugzilla or JIRA), test management tools like JIRA or ALM or continuous integration tools like Jenkins or TeamCity.



 These integrations will make the Test Automation process complete and enable continuous testing. Without these, only a <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/ux-testing-ux-lessons-learned-from-my-real-life-experiences-part-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part of the whole testing</a> process is merely achieved.



Some tool integrations that are important for test automation are:



<h4 id="i-test-management-tool">i. Test Management Tool</h4>



Not every test case can be automated. Some tests have to remain Manual especially, to check usability. Even though the tests are automated, it is necessary to document the functionality that the automated test is supposed to test. Your automation tool may not support this beforehand.



For this, dummy manual test cases can be written in your Test Management tool and be automatically integrated into your Test Automation Framework or Automated Software Testing tool.



 This brings together both Manual and Automation Test cases in a common platform to avoid redundant efforts and to know the test coverage across Manual and Automation Testing at any point of time.



<h4 id="ii-bug-tracking-tool">ii. Bug Tracking Tool</h4>



A bug ignored at the initial stages would be more expensive to fix at a later stage, worse, when brought back from Production. The qualified failed tests should be collected and reported automatically into the Bug Tracking tool.



<h4 id="iii-continuous-integration-ci-tool">iii. <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/configuration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Continuous Integration (CI) Tool</a></h4>



Continuous Integration help developers get actionable feedback for every change in the build by running automated tests with near zero interventions.



Each build committed by a developer is verified by running the right set of automated test cases at the right stage automatically and continuously to analyze possible business risks at a very early stage.



Additionally, integrations with Collaboration Tools&nbsp;like Email or Slack that involves the Management, Developers, Testers, end users or anyone who can contribute to the project would make the whole development lifecycle more transparent and Agile.



 Anyone can suggest or point out changes, track progress and communicate better. A common platform would allow the sharing of execution results immediately for quick feedback.



<h3 id="5-availability-of-realistic-test-environments-and-executions">5. Availability of realistic test environments and executions</h3>



Availability of realistic test environments is important to execute tests continuously. With growing number of end user devices, it is required to have enough realistic test environments for application testing.



 Also, having multiple test environments will help run tests in parallel for faster feedback and for Cross OS, Cross Device, and Cross Browser testing.



<h3 id="6-support-for-proper-reporting">6. Support for proper reporting </h3>



Proper reporting with charts and tables that are well explaining themselves give clear ideas on the test results. A detailed failure report as to what, when and why failed and how long it took to run is highly necessary for clear understanding and quick error correction.



 If the reports are better complimented with screenshots and videos, it would be easier for people working at different levels of the project to understand better and take appropriate action.



These are just some of the basic Requirements to check before getting started with Automation Testing. Based on the process and the application types there may be multiple other things to consider.



<div class="bg-primary cta"><div>Testsigma is built with all these essential elements to start your test automation journey immediately.</div>
 
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<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



It takes significant time and effort to set the<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/features" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Test Automation ecosystem</a> but is highly essential in ensuring a successful Automated Software Testing process. The objective of automated software testing is to simplify as much of the testing effort as possible with minimum effort.



A right selection of automation tools, test processes, and the team makes automated software testing successful. Though it involves several requisites and huge initial investment to get started, automated software testing efforts would pay off as effective ROI gradually.



When all your test automation needs can be fulfilled by a single platform, it means better management opportunities with better results. 



Testsigma is a cloud based test automation platform, that lets you automation for web, mobile and web services from single place anytime, anywhere. Because it is completely cloud based, it also means near zero initial time and efforts. 



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<h2 id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



<h3 id="which-of-the-following-components-is-essential-for-successful-automation">Which of the following components is essential for successful automation?</h3>



For successful automation, we need a well-trained team who previously worked on other projects and used the right tool for test automation. Apart from this, they are using good test management and bug tracking tool to make test execution and bug life cycle management easy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 id="what-are-the-key-elements-of-a-good-automation-framework">What are the key elements of a good automation framework?</h3>



Key elements of a good automation framework are



<ul><li>It should be capable enough to manage the test case and test data of the whole project without facing any difficulties.</li><li>It should be powerful enough to target even the complicated software elements to automate the user action for test automation.</li><li>It should be flexible enough to integrate third-party tools like Jira, Mantis, and XRay to increase productivity.</li><li>A good test automation framework should not be hard to learn for you or your team members.</li></ul>



<h3 id="what-is-automation-framework-structure">What is automation framework structure?</h3>



A test automation framework combines test case management, test data management, bug reporting, collaboration tool, test labs, etc. Together. It makes it easy to write, maintain and reuse test cases and test automation easy and effective.



<h3 id="how-many-types-of-automation-frameworks-are-there">How many types of automation frameworks are there?</h3>



There are various types of test automation frameworks in the market, which can be categorized into six categories:



<ul><li>Linear testing framework</li><li>Modular testing framework</li><li>Behavior-driven</li><li>Data-driven</li><li>Keyword driven</li><li>Hybrid framework</li></ul>



<h2 id="suggested-reading">Suggested Reading</h2>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/smart-test-automation-using-nlp-what-you-should-know/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Smart Test Automation using NLP: What you should know?</a>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/scriptless-test-automation-solution-how-to-use-it-to-improve-your-testing-roi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scriptless Test automation solution: How to use it to improve your testing ROI?</a>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/why-test-automation-tools-are-important-for-new-work-style/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why Test Automation Tools Are Important For New Work Style?</a>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/software-test-automation-false-positives-how-to-avoid-them/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Software Test Automation: False Positives &amp; How to Avoid Them?</a>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/test-automation-achieve-fail-fast-fail-often/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Automation To Achieve Fail Fast, Fail Often</a>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/top-test-automation-challenges-to-look-out-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Top 7 Test Automation Challenges To Look Out For</a>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/modern-codeless-test-automation-myths-facts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Modern Codeless Test Automation: Myths And Facts</a>



<a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/software-test-automation-what-to-expect-near-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Software Test Automation : What To Expect In The Near Future</a>



Also check us out here: 



<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank">Testsigma Official</a> <a class="brand-color" style="color: #000000;"></a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://website.testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank">Getting started with Testsigma</a> <a class="brand-color" style="color: #000000;"> </a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calendly.com/testsigma/demo/12-28-2017" target="_blank">Schedule a quick online Demo</a>

Essential Components of Automation Framework

Testing is a critical and indispensable requirement in the software delivery process. However, Testing remains a bottleneck as it fails to keep up with today&#8217;s fast-paced development methodologies like the Agile and Continuous Delivery. Test Automation is the best approach to enable&nbsp; Continuous Delivery.



But, Test Automation done with legacy tools and test processes to meet the increased complexity and pace of modern application development and Continuous Delivery are unsatisfactory.



Age old test methods and tools can impact the delivery speed and quality which in turn affects the cost of software development.



Data from the World Quality Report indicate the need to increase the level of test automation. The test process and tools currently in use are not sufficient to test an application early on, repeatedly and automatically.



With the current application delivery needs, one cannot wait until the end of the <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/how-to-speed-up-your-software-release-cycles-with-testsigma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Software Release Cycle</a> to get started with testing.



There would not be months or weeks to test but merely a few hours. <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/essential-elements-of-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Setting up the Test Automation eco-system</a> itself takes up a lot of time.



It is not sufficient to run through Testing just before product delivery. It is necessary to attend to the changes being made to the software at the earliest best, in parallel, with Development.



A fully automated testing process has to be a part of the SDLC. If Testing is done beforehand, application flaws become evident as they are executed. Hence, its access to further stages of the development process can be prevented.



The sooner they appear, the better. It is easier to fix them with a less number of resources in a reduced time as opposed to its appearance at the final stages of the product delivery cycle.



<h2 id="h-hence-continuous-testing">Hence Continuous Testing.</h2>



Continuous Testing aims to cut down the testing time in the delivery pipeline and still achieve quality.



It extends the test automation process to address the complexity involved and to keep up with the pace of today&#8217;s continuous delivery needs.



Continuous Testing is the process of executing automated tests as part of the software delivery pipeline.



 Continuous Testing help decide whether the release candidate is okay or too risky to be delivered while providing fast repetitive feedback associated with each release candidate.



 This determines if the software is ready to enter the delivery pipeline. Each build committed by the developers is Continuously Integrated to find possible business risks at a very early stage.



To achieve Continuous Testing, <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automated testing</a> must be integrated at the initial stages of the development cycle and not when the product is fully developed.



<h2 id="h-key-elements-to-consider-in-test-automation-to-enable-continuous-testing">Key Elements to Consider in Test Automation to Enable Continuous Testing</h2>



Test Automation is imperative to achieving Continuous Testing along with equally important elements like the test process, team, culture change, etc. Some of the key enablers for Continuous Testing include:



<h3 id="h-1-shift-left-approach">1. Shift Left Approach</h3>



Test Automation should not wait until the product is fully developed. For this, the framework and automated testing tools should allow for writing automated tests alongside the development process.



The Shift Left approach in Test Automation ensures just this. Also, it should allow for automating various components such as back-end APIs and other micro services, testing each layer in parallel as and when they are ready for the continuous delivery pipeline.



<h3 id="h-2-faster-feedback-time">2. Faster Feedback Time</h3>



Running each test over and again is time-consuming. It is impractical to run complete regression tests on each build every time.



Test Automation tools should be capable of executing different tests simultaneously and automatically on each build across multiple test environments providing faster feedback.



As an application changes, Test Automation tools and framework should allow the right set of tests that are interrelated to be executed at the right stage in the delivery pipeline.



This allows for faster feedback with appropriate action steps to be taken in order to ensure a smooth user experience. Executing multiple tests one after the other across different environments would be laborious, otherwise.



<h3 id="h-3-traceability">3. Traceability</h3>



It is highly important to understand the requirements of stakeholders and ensure those requirements are met. Managing requirements throughout the project lifecycle is a continuous process in the lookout for changes made in each stage, automatically.



It is necessary to integrate Test Automation tools with additional ALM tools to manage requirements associated with a particular version of an application, to track changes, to communicate and handle the Requirements throughout the testing process.



<h3 id="h-4-test-prioritization">4. Test Prioritization</h3>



It enables developers to test smarter if tests are prioritized, re-executing only the affected ones based on the impact of change.



If Regression testing is done early on, there would be a delay in providing feedback, unlike Smoke Test. What tests would run best at what stage is an important factor to consider.



Test Automation tools and its underlying framework should be good enough to manage this, reducing the time and the number of tests by choosing the right tests for execution at the right stage while achieving the same risk coverage.



<h3 id="h-5-team-collaboration">5. Team Collaboration</h3>



It is necessary to make sure that we get clear requirements before development starts.



The QA team should build a close relationship with Business Analysts and Developers to communicate the ambiguity in user stories. It would be a good idea to have a common platform to discuss, debate and assess the business goals for better clarity.



Test Automation tools should have a collaboration platform or means to integrate with such tools say, Slack. It would be an added advantage if it allows all of the team members for applying these changes automatically to automated tests.



<h3 id="h-6-low-maintenance">6. Low Maintenance</h3>



Automated GUI tests undergo frequent changes and need sizeable rework every time.



With Agile and DevOps practices in place, there is need to extend Test Automation efforts which lead to heavy maintenance needs.



Through Continuous Testing, low maintenance and the need for less or no rework are aimed at. Test Automation tools and frameworks need to be good enough to maintain tests with hardly any effort, continuously.



<h3 id="h-7-test-environment">7. Test Environment</h3>



There should be access to realistic test environments to run tests concurrently in a continuous manner anytime, anywhere.



A stable <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/test-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test environment</a> with valid test data sets should be available to run tests automatically throughout the delivery pipeline.



Inaccessible dependencies, poor test data management can cause timeouts and occurrence of false positives that provide inaccurate results.



Access to real-world testing environments become necessary to allow frequent test runs and this way, cut down the time to set up the test environment.



<h3 id="h-8-risk-assessment">8. Risk Assessment</h3>



It is not just about achieving automated test results but analyzing the business risk involved.



 Continuous Testing must assess the business risk associated with an application at any point in real-time providing risk-based feedback to help make better trade-off decisions.



<h3 id="h-9-continuous-integration">9. Continuous Integration</h3>



Automation Testing should be integrated with Continuous Integration tools to run automatically once the build is ready.



All testing has to be part of the pipeline, which means that automation testers have to be familiar with tools such as Maven, Nexus, and Jenkins to name some.



 It is necessary to identify the right tests to run automatically on every build and if a test may fail, the results have to be integrated back into the pipeline triggering a failed build.



Companies embracing Continuous Testing consider Testing a continuous activity that does not begin prior to release.



A SaaS, <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/ai-driven-test-automation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI-Driven test automation</a> software, Testsigma is built to address all of these <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/continuous-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">continuous testing</a> requirements.



Testsigma aims to achieve Continuous Testing with a Shift-left approach to help web and mobile dependent businesses to reduce the cost involved in ensuring the quality of software while continuously releasing quality software products faster.



Testsigma uses AI to build stable and reliable tests faster and speed-up the execution and maintenance of automated tests and requires near-zero initial setup time, cost and ramp up time.



The AI features suggest improvements in test plans to include relevant or affected test cases, &nbsp;uses dynamic locator strategy to save maintenance time and efforts by 70%.



Its sheer simplicity enables anyone write automated tests 5X faster using natural language, run tests on thousands of devices available on the cloud.



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<h2 id="h-the-bottom-line">The Bottom Line</h2>



“&nbsp;The most powerful tool we have as developers is Automation” Test Automation is the best approach to Testing and this is an undisputed fact. But how do we ensure timely deliverance of quality software?



The need of the hour is a transformation of automated test processes to keep up with the advancements in ensuring continuous delivery of the product. It is time we stopped relying on less efficient scripts.



Test Automation indicates whether a particular requirement is met or not whereas Continuous Testing curbs business risks. Both are important and should go hand in hand.



Today, Testing is not just an afterthought. Continuous Testing has emerged to match the <a href="https://website.testsigma.com/blog/best-automation-testing-practices-agile-continuous-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Agile and Continuous Delivery standards</a>. It is a systematic approach towards improvement.



One needs to perform test automation in a way that suits today’s complex application and continuous delivery needs.



We must advance towards Continuous Testing as it has rightly become a necessity in the fast-paced application development lifecycle to deliver faster without compromising on quality.



<h2 id="h-what-next">What Next??</h2>



#ThinkSmart &amp; Join us on our journey towards #SmartTestAutomation today! <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Testsigma Website</a> <a class="brand-color" href="https://website.testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Getting started with Testsigma</a> <a class="brand-color" href="https://calendly.com/testsigma/demo/12-28-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Schedule a quick online Demo</a>

Extend Test Automation to enable continuous testing