Software automation is the key to faster testing, more predictable releases, and a more stable product. It makes manual testing redundant and eliminates repetitive manual tasks. It reduces the time to test and enables the test process to be repeated without human intervention.
Test automation is not cheap or easy but can pay back within a couple of months if you are testing manually for a long time during each build. The ROI will be even quicker if you need to run manual tests frequently, as they take up a lot of your team's time and resources.
Many companies are still hesitant to invest in software testing automation because they have misconceptions about its cost, benefits, risks, and implementation in their teams. In this article, we will explore six common misconceptions about automating software and mobile testing processes that may influence your decision on whether or not you should invest in it.
Why do Organizations Get It Wrong From The Start?
There are several reasons why organizations get wrong conceptions about automating software and mobile testing process from the start. These reasons include the following:
One is a lack of understanding of the automation test process. For example, many organizations believe that test automation is just about writing scripts to automate tests. However, many other aspects are involved in test automation, such as planning, scoping, creating test cases, executing tests, and monitoring results. Understanding these aspects of the process is essential before starting to automate tests.
Another reason Organizations often have wrong conceptions about automated software testing and mobile testing is due to multiple stakeholders. This can be challenging if there are different points of view.
And lastly, there are often challenges in budgeting and scheduling time for automated test. This can lead to missed deadlines or delays in delivering new features to users.
Common Misconception About Automating Software and Mobile Testing Process
There are several misconceptions about automating software and mobile testing processes. Here are six of the most common:
Automation is expensive and requires a lot of upfront investment.
The biggest misconception about automation is that it's expensive and requires a lot of upfront investment. Automation does take time and money upfront, but the payback comes quickly. It saves time by automating the most common manual tasks and reducing the need for manual testing. Automation can also lower costs by reducing repetitive tasks like data entry or cleansing. There are many free automated testing tools for desktop and web, including web crawling tools like Selenium Web.
Automation is only suitable for large organizations with deep pockets
The common misconception about automation is that it only benefits large organizations with deep pockets. This isn't the case. Automation can be effective for any organization, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. And while automated testing process may initially cost more than manual testing, the ROI will far outweigh the initial investment in time and money.
Software testing can be automated to free up resources for other parts of your project or business. The key to success with automation is choosing the right tools and setting up the right processes. A good start is with test frameworks such as Selenium Web driver and Appium, which offer various features suited to different applications and tasks.
Automation is only suitable for a specific type of testing.
One of the most common false beliefs is that automation is only suitable for repetitive tasks. While automated software testing can certainly help alleviate some repetitive tasks, such as running automated tests against a piece of legacy code every day, it can also help uncover new problems that may not have been apparent otherwise. Manual tests can also be performed by automation if they are time-consuming or complex for a human tester to handle.
Automating the testing process is difficult and time-consuming.
Automating the software testing process is a misconception. Automation can be done, but it's not easy. First, you need to know what the automated test is trying to do and why it needs to be automated. If you don't know what you are trying to automate, you won't know how to write your automation script. You also must ensure that your automation script runs on the right machines and environments. Lastly, you need to understand how other non-automated tests interact with automated tests and how they affect the test pipeline.
Automating the testing process requires special skills and training.
This is not the case – First and foremost, automation requires special skills and training. This means that you'll have to choose automation partners carefully, as they need the proper knowledge and skill set to work with automation tools effectively. Second, automation is not an all-or-nothing proposition. You can't just blindly start coding away on your automated tests without first doing a bit of planning, situating yourself for success, and setting goals for what you want to achieve. Mastering automated testing takes years. If you don't have these skills, hire a mobile tester or developer.
Automating the testing process is risky and can lead to unexpected results.
There is a common misconception that automating software and mobile testing is risky and can lead to unexpected results. This is not true. Automating the testing process can help avoid unexpected results and improve the overall quality of your software and mobile applications. In addition, automating the testing process can also help improve your test results' overall accuracy.
Conclusion
Some misconceptions exist despite the many benefits of automating software and mobile testing processes. We hope this article has helped to clear up some of those misconceptions and shown you how automation can help improve the quality of your software and mobile products. If you're still not convinced, we recommend trying out a few automation tools to see for yourself how they can help streamline your testing process.