Shift Left Approach | How Does Testsigma Streamline Software Testing?

The shift Left approach is a methodology that enables organizations to test earlier in the development process. By doing so, organizations can detect and fix issues much earlier in the development process, resulting in higher-quality software at a lower cost. Not all test automation tools are designed to facilitate shift left testing, so choosing the right one is crucial. This blog will explore how Testsigma supports the shift-left approach to testing. But before we delve into that, let’s first clarify what shift left testing means.

What is Shift left Approach?

Shift left testing is a practice that is implemented to find and resolve the key issues and bugs early in the software development process. The main objective behind the approach is to improve the overall quality of the software by starting the testing process as early as possible.

As more companies adopt the agile methodology, including testing as an integral part of the development cycle is crucial. Being a developer or tester doesn’t just mean coding or testing – it also means getting involved in other activities important for product development. This can include attending regular standup meetings, code reviews, and more. Doing this helps developers improve their job and allows testers to get involved too.

Let’s take a peek into why Testsigma is considered an ideal testing tool for implementing the Shift Left testing approach.

Benefits of Shift Left Approach

Testing early can help you avoid costly and time-consuming fixes later! With the shift left approach, you don’t have to worry about expensive rework during development. Here are some of the benefits of this method.

1. Early defect detection: Shift left testing is a way of finding problems in the software development process sooner. Instead of waiting until the end to test, testers look for issues earlier on. This helps them spot and fix problems before they become too expensive or take too long.
2. Faster feedback loops: Shift left testing helps detect and fix problems faster. It creates shorter and more frequent feedback loops, so any issues are spotted quickly and don’t take much time or energy to fix.
3. Reduced costs: Finding problems early on saves money in fixing, checking, and making the product. Doing tests earlier also means you don’t have to spend as much money fixing things later.
4. Improved collaboration: Shift left testing involves getting everyone involved early in the development process. That means developers, testers, and others interested in the project come together to work on it from the beginning. This makes it easier to spot problems and fix them before the product is finished, so you have a better result.
5. Improved quality: Shift left testing can help ensure the final product is high quality. It does this by spotting and fixing problems early in the development process. This makes customers happier with what they get, with fewer mistakes and less money spent on repairs.
6. Agile development support: Shift left testing is helpful for businesses that use the agile development process. It helps them spot and fix problems quickly to deliver high-quality software quickly.

Why Adopt a Shift Left Strategy?

Shift left software development and testing are becoming more popular because of their advantages. This approach means testing happens earlier, so issues are spotted and solved faster, reducing costs and improving quality. Fixing things early also helps organizations deliver their software quicker and better while keeping high standards. Working with developers, testers, and others makes for a smoother final product.

• Earlier bug detection and fixing
• Better teamwork between developers, testers, and other people involved
• Faster and easier software production and delivery
• Better quality of the final product
• Saving money and time on testing, fixing mistakes, and maintenance
• Allows for more efficient development processes
• Quicker responses to problems, which leads to quicker bug solving
• Makes customers happier by giving them high-quality software.

How to Implement Shift Left Testing Approach?

To implement Shift Left methodology in testing, there are a few thing that you should consider and acquire upon in your software testing approach

Identify the scope and goals of shift left testing:

To implement left shift testing, the team must determine which tests they should move earlier in the process and what results they want. For example, doing unit tests sooner can help you find mistakes faster and stop them from getting to later stages of testing. Everyone involved must be on the same page about what shift left testing is and how it will help the project so there are no misunderstandings or problems down the line.

Implement appropriate testing tools and methodologies:

The correct tools and procedures are required for shift left testing to be successful.

Shift left testing necessitates test automation, continuous integration, and continuous testing. The team should also consider implementing exploratory and risk-based testing to detect and address possible concerns early.

The correct tools and procedures are required for shift left testing to be successful. Test automation, for example, can aid in increasing the speed and accuracy of testing. Continuous integration and testing, on the other hand, can assist in ensuring that issues are spotted and resolved as soon as possible. Exploratory and risk-based testing can also assist in identifying concerns that might otherwise go undetected. The team should examine their present testing tools and procedures to identify gaps and implement relevant solutions.

Collaborate and communicate effectively:

Shift-left testing throughout the software development lifecycle necessitates strong coordination between developers, testers, and other stakeholders. Clear communication channels and practices must be established to guarantee that all team members work towards the same goals. Good communication can help identify and handle difficulties early in development, preventing delays.

Shift-left testing throughout the software development lifecycle necessitates strong coordination between developers, testers, and other stakeholders. Good communication is essential for ensuring that all team members work towards the same goals and that problems are discovered and handled as soon as possible. To avoid delays and assure success, clear communication routes, and processes must be established, as well as open communication. Daily standup meetings, for example, can help keep the team on track and identify any issues or blockers early on.

Best Practices for Shift Left Testing in Agile

Here are some best practices for shift left testing in agile:

Emphasize collaboration and communication:

Shift-left testing means that developers, testers, and other people involved in making software have to work together closely and talk a lot. Make sure everyone has an easy way to communicate with each other and set up times for regular check-ins so that everyone is on the same page.

Automate testing wherever possible:

Test automation is really important for testing early on. Automating tests can help save time and energy when it comes to testing, plus you get more accurate results. You can use tools like Selenium, Appium, or JUnit to make the process easier.

Conduct continuous testing:

Continuous testing is an important part of shift left testing. That means running tests through creating software, from when it’s first started to when it’s ready to use. Doing this helps spot and fix problems quickly, saving you time and energy.

Incorporate exploratory testing:

Exploratory testing can help uncover problems that might not be noticed otherwise. It’s a good idea to get testers to do exploratory testing throughout the whole process of making the software so that any potential issues can be spotted quickly.

Use risk-based testing:

Risk-based testing involves focusing testing efforts on the most critical areas of the software. Identify the highest-risk areas of the software and focus testing efforts on those areas first. This can help identify and address the most critical defects early on.

Monitor metrics and adapt as needed:

Please track how well tests are working, like how many mistakes they find, how much of the program they cover, and how long it takes to run them. Use these numbers to see what could be done better and change how tests are done so that the quality of the product is improved.

These are just a few best practices for shift left testing in agile. Organizations can implement effective shift left testing processes by emphasizing collaboration, automation, continuous testing, exploratory testing, risk-based testing, and monitoring metrics and deliver high-quality software more efficiently.

How does Testsigma Support the Shift Left Approach?

1. Assists you in testing early

An ideal testing tool for shift left testing should be able to start the testing process right from the design phase before the product is developed.

Behavior Driven Development (BDD) and Test-Driven Development (TDD) approaches are two approaches that support this.

Testsigma, with an approach similar to BDD that lets you create test cases in simple English, allows you to initiate test development while planning and coding are in progress.

It is well-suited in Agile software development, where delivery cycles are shorter, and is beneficial when development and testing start together.

2. Requires Minimal Time and Resources to get started

In this Agile world, companies are looking for ways to fasten their time of delivery without compromising on the quality of each release. At the same time, they are also faced with the pressure to reduce testing costs.

With Testsigma being a codeless test automation tool – even the non-coders can participate in the test creation and execution processes which helps you save your time and resources to a significant extent.

Also, it being completely cloud-based means, you don’t have to worry about setting it up and the infrastructure costs. And you really can get your first test case automated in minutes.

3. Plan, Collaborate and Execute 100x faster with Testsigma

You might have experienced a software project running out of budget or time.

The software testing that is done too late or without proper planning is the root cause behind it.

Thoughtful project planning and management is key to effectively implementing a shift-left approach in your software development life cycle.

The level of clarity it brings among the team members helps them in interpreting the goals to be achieved and enhances the overall quality of the product under development.

Testsigma not only comes with in-built test management but also empowers you with effective test planning and project management to help track the requirements in real-time.

4. It Makes Testing Possible For Everyone Regardless of The Skill Set

There is a misconception that developers are only concerned with code development. In order to improve the quality of the code and the product, developers should get into the ‘development + test’ mindset that facilitates the discoverability and fixing of the code as the development process moves forward.

The implementation of the Shift Left approach makes the developers more responsible and focused towards the developing and testing simultaneously, thereby improving their overall soft skills as well.

The implementation of the shift-left approach becomes easier when different people with different skillsets can be involved in the testing process at different stages.

Because Testsigma lets the test cases be created in simple English – the test cases can be created during the requirement gathering phase by product managers, during the development phase by developers, and after development is complete – by testers.

5. Quickly Uplift your product’s Quality with Testing to Detail

Component testing or also unit testing or module testing is a software testing type in which the testing is performed on individual components separately without integration with other components.

An ideal automation tool should be able to test application components individually as and when they are ready, which includes the Rest APIs and the UI Components, and Testsigma helps you do that.

Read all about Test implementation.

6. Testsigma helps provide quick and continuous feedback

A perfect scenario would be where the developers and the testers get feedback across the software lifecycle. It not only eliminates the critical loopholes or gaps by addressing them immediately but also gives a better perspective to everyone involved on all the significant trends coming across during the testing process.

Via its review feature, Testsigma provides an ideal platform to collaborate and share feedback and results immediately, facilitating the shift-left approach.

Investing in Testsigma helps you enjoy seamless integration with the Shift Left supportive tool to get continuous feedback. With developers getting timely feedback on their code and information on critical bugs, they can clean the code sooner than later to enhance the code’s quality and achieve faster time-to-market.

Also, because Testsigma is entirely cloud-based, you can upgrade your test environment according to your needs.

Bottom Line

As we have seen above, involving test automation in the initial stages of the software development life cycle improves both the quality and time to deliver the software significantly. 

With Shift Left testing becoming the new norm in the industry, investing in an automation tool such as Testsigma helps you get test automation through continuous testing with a Shift Left approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is shift left approach in Agile?

The shift left approach in Agile is a way of testing your software before it’s finished. It means starting to test earlier in the process so that you can find and fix any problems sooner. That way, you don’t have to spend as much time or money on testing and end up with better-quality software.

What is an example of a shift left?

An example of a shift-left would be doing unit testing earlier in the software development process. Usually, unit testing is done after all the coding is finished. But with shift-left testing, you’d do it as soon as possible so that any problems can be found and fixed quickly.

What is shift left and shift right approach?

Shift left, and shift right are two software development approaches to ensure everything works properly. Shift left means testing earlier in the process, while shift right means testing closer to when the software is ready. Shift-left testing helps find any issues early on so they can be fixed quickly. On the other hand, shift right testing ensures the software works as it should when used in real-life situations. Both approaches should be combined for the best results and the highest quality software!

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