Let’s answer here the most frequently asked questions on automated testing.

Automated testing saves your time, as it able to sort out millions of values in just a couple of milliseconds. It sends a warning message when there is a regression, it may be started and restarted as many times as you need, be it even at every local launch of a new version, but alongside with all the above automated testing is time and energy-consuming. It requires a high quality expert support, a deep analysis to perform before proceeding with test automation, and if you apply an incorrect approach, it will influence negatively the final result.

Why automated testing is time-consuming?

Answering this question, don’t forget that testing is an endless process. There is an infinite variety of test scenarios. There are new errors inevitably occurring here and there and requiring new regression tests. You increase the test code coverage and take more time for test development and debugging. Therefore, you have to take more time to run the whole test set and ensure further support. That’s why automated testing is a time eater: no matter how much time you are ready to dedicate to cope with the issue, it takes it all.

What kind of analysis is it necessary to perform before proceeding with test automation and why is it necessary?

Think it over before doing something. ALWAYS. First of all, automation implies the development of an application for testing. It follows that you are expected to have some experience in programming, to know necessary patterns, frameworks, tools and many other things. What is the most important, you must be able to apply it all together. Secondly, even if you know how to do it, bear in mind you should meet the provided requirements and perform a respective OBLIGATORY analysis. It is especially important when performing automated load testing.

Where is the problem with quality expert support?

To answer this question, let’s consider below two real-life practical examples.

Example 1. A large company took on testing a business cycle. They split the whole process into parts, having properly analyzed each of them, and started writing the tests. Having tested each part separately, they started performing the automated testing of the integral cycle. Unfortunately, it turned out that the cycle failed because the applications had been modified before the tests were finished. The company started rewriting the tests and wasted more time than expected. Automated testing of the business cycle has never been completed. Their chain of actions was way too long. Their team of automated testing experts was way too small.

Example 2. A company with a large and strong team of testers and automation experts developed a solid automated testing system. Everything was perfect until they decided to reduce the team. Within a year there was no one left able to support the system. Therefore, when the company decided to update it, they realized there actually was nobody to do the job. They started looking for new experts to rebuild the team, and since it was not always easy and required important investments, the company just stopped supporting the system.

What are the advantages of the automated testing?

The main advantage is that the testing is performed by a system, not by yourself. A good number of data can be checked in a couple of minutes, while manual testing would take hours, months and days. Where there is no human factor, the test is always uniform. Whatever the version, you will always be sure that the automatically tested functionality works properly.

Track your balance: no matter what you do, there should be more advantages than disadvantages. Think it all over before starting the testing and be always ahead of the events.