This year’s World Quality Report (WQR) is clear, you need to start test automation in 2021. You need to release software faster than ever – and that’s just to keep up with the competition.
If you want to get ahead of the game, you need to release monthly, weekly, daily, or even faster. Test automation is the only way you can reach this level of release frequency.
Maybe You’ve Had Bad Experiences in the Past?
I know what you’re thinking, “Test automation, yeah tried that – too much hassle, too much time, too much investment”. I get it, so many have been burned by automation in the past. You’ve spent time and money, and it’s fallen over within months of implementation.
Thankfully, Test Automation Has Moved on Since the Dark Days.
Don’t get me wrong, test automation is not a trivial exercise, it takes planning and expertise. But test automation is now proven and robust. In fact, it’s essential for modern software demands and your customers’ expectations. Without automation, you will fall behind your competitors.
The WQR puts it like this: “We need to accept that for various reasons, the testing phase will continue to be squeezed. Introducing more automation – and pursuing it vigorously – is the only way out of this evergreen challenge”, World Quality Report 2020-21, Test Automation Call to Action
Testing Automation Now Gives Increased Return on Investment
With its increased stability, automation now gives a far greater return-on-investment. Test automation typically pays back within 3-6 test cycles. This means if you’re going to run a test 4 times or more, automating it will probably save you budget (and time). Conversely, I’d recommend against automating a test you’re only going to run a couple of times.
3 Reasons Why You Need Test Automation in 2021
No longer an outlier, automation is being done everywhere, by all sorts of companies. From manufactures to financial institutions, from software houses to logistics. No matter who you are, here are 3 reasons why 2021 is the right time for you to give test automation another look…
1. In 2021, Occasional Software Release Aren’t Good Enough
Software solutions are changing faster than ever before. If you’re not adapting, you can bet your competitors are. You need to be dynamic to keep up, and to stay relevant to your customers.
No matter what your solution – whether websites, ERP, or anything in between – it needs to be evergreen. You can’t release annually, even quarterly is too slow. Whether its features, fixes, updates, security – you need to implement faster than ever before.
The more you want to release, the fast you’ll need to test. Execution windows will be reduced, its unavoidable. As time moves on, you will need to get through more and more tests, in less and less time.
Without automation, you won’t even have time to run your BAU regression packs, let alone system or integration tests. You’ll be unable to keep up, never mind get ahead.
Without automation, your competition will leave you behind.
2. In 2021, Test Automation provides a Mature Solution
Automation has been with us for decades and If you’ve not seen it for a while, you might have reservations. You might have been burned by Test Automation in the past, a lot of us were.
Test Automation had its teething problems, then a few difficult teenage years, but is now a mature solution.
Gone are the days of flaky object recognition, of constant maintenance, of endlessly restarting failed tests. Advancements like AI bring the stability you always hoped for and shortcut your development time.
Tools such as Micro Focus UFT One are proven, robust and easy to deploy – you can get a test pack running with very low time/monetary investment. Your tests run remotely, give predictable results, provide in-depth defect reports, and will accelerate releases.
3. In 2021, Term Licensing Lets Test Automation Work Around You
Testing works in fluctuating waves of demand, depending on the projects you’re supporting. Software as a Service provides the flexibility you need to get the most from your test team.
You’re probably using short term licensing models elsewhere in your business, and test automation is just the same. Tools like UFT allow term licenses of 3, 6 or 12 months. This means you can start automating quickly with less commitment, and you can easily ramp up and ramp back down.
Term licenses let test automation work for your business – You’re not committing to huge license costs and unable to flex, and you’re not locked into perpetual maintenance charges.
Don’t Fall Behind Your Competition – Start Test Automation in 2021
In 2021, you need to release code faster than ever before. It is the only way you can stay relevant. Without test automation you just won’t be able to test software quick enough, your release frequency will be too slow, and you’ll fall behind your competition.
Test Automation is now a mature and rock-solid solution – like all technology, it has improved massively over the past decades. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have improved stability and allow rapid test pack creation. If you’re not automating yet, 2021 is absolutely the right time to start.
Nowadays, proven and robust Test Automation Solutions like Micro Focus UFT One mean it is easier than ever to automate, and there’s less commitment – you can ramp your licenses up and down as required.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now”
