13 things that you need to know about Test Automation

Do not worry, you do not have to memorize the following points. The Qualysoft automation experts are always there for you and have many years of experience in the field of automated testing. Rely on our know-how and let us accompany you through your entire testing project. Regardless of whether your organization is implementing test automation or facing challenges, Qualysoft can help you get the most from your test automation. But if you also want to learn more about this topic yourself, we have summarized the most important points for you here:

1. Testing Maturity Matrix

Enterprise companies need to deal with a heterogeneous application landscape, from mainframe to web applications to mobile apps. Based on the technology used and the business criticality of the application, different testing approaches are efficient. Qualysoft has created a Testing Maturity Matrix where applications can be categorized and evaluated in order to pick the right approach.

2. Risk Based Testing

In risk-based testing, the coverage of tests is measured based on the business risk covered. Qualysoft creates a risk mapping for your application within hours, regardless of the tools you use – Tricentis Tosca, Jira or even in Excel. All tests are assigned to that structure in order to measure the risk coverage and to decide where to invest in test automation next.

3. Quality Reporting

Enterprise-wide quality reporting is essential for making decisions. With Tricentis qTest, all information (from Jira, Tosca, Cucumber,…) can be aggregated in one place. Based on that information, qTest Insights provides the reporting and dashboard capabilities necessary to get an overall picture of quality.

4. Test Architecture

Creating test automation for a single application is easy. The complexity increases with sets of applications and value streams. Deep understanding of software architecture, interfaces and data flow is necessary in order to get the test approach right. Qualysoft has a unique blend of test architects and software architects to support our customers.

5. Agile Testing Pyramid

Investing in integration and end-to-end test automation too early can be a costly mistake. Test Automation needs to start at the bottom of the agile testing pyramid. Having a meaningful regression test set of Unit Tests and Component/System Tests is crucial before diving into complex integration and E2E test automation.

6. Test Automation Integration

Executing test automation regularly and effortless is the key to success. Our DevOps department is supporting a wide range of different customers in setting up delivery pipelines and including test automation. Making test automation an integral part of the software delivery process is what we aim for.

7. Hands On Coaching & Team Enablement

Our trainers not only do classroom trainings, they also provide hands-on coaching at customer site with their own applications. From creating tests in pairs to joint test case reviews, our trainers will give your team the necessary coaching in order to become test automation experts. Our job is done once the customers testing team is able to create efficient, stable and enduring test automation.

8. TDM

Test data management is one of the critical capabilities that enables an organization to evolve from automated tests to continuous tests. A successful TDM strategy is required for both, end-to-end regression testing as well as load testing. Different architectures, development processes and release cadences require different approaches to acquire/create test data. The GDPR regulation that came into effect on May 25, 2018, requires that any test data extracted from production systems is masked irreversibly and deterministically. Qualysoft provides concepts and approaches to build up an efficient and compliant TDM solution.

9. Service Virtualization

In order to test value streams across many applications, dependencies need to be managed. Running tests involving dependencies to external, unstable applications or internal hard-to-manage mainframes can be a real deal breaker. Qualysoft is an expert in resolving complex dependencies in enterprise landscapes through central service virtualization with Tricentis Tosca Orchestrated Service Virtualization. If microservices and containers are already established in your landscape, Qualysoft supports you with creating container-based, reusable mocks in order for your automation to become independent.

10. Automation Boost

While we recommend creating test automation as a part of the software delivery process, for crucial applications it often makes sense to initially build up a meaningful test automation regression portfolio using external teams. Together with our customers, our automation teams build up a test automation portfolio using the #RiskBased approach and test case design. We help to integrate the portfolio into the software delivery process and to handover the responsibility to the respective teams.

11. Nearshore Test Automation

With experts all around Europe and Nearshore locations in Serbia, Slovakia and Hungary, we can provide an attractive mix of on-site experts and nearshore automation. Having 20 years of experience in nearshoring, we find the right setup to collaborate frictionless and efficient across country borders. In addition to the attractive blended rate, we can also scale-up with resources fast and easily.

12. High Performer

Based on the Puppet report, industry standards and our experience with DevOps, we defined criteria for successful and efficient DevOps implementations. The difference is astonishing: Companies that get DevOps right have a 5 times lower change failure rate, 96 times faster mean time to recover and deploy changes much faster and 45 times more often. Step by step, Qualysoft supports our customers to become DevOps high performers.

13. Center Of Excellence

When moving to decentralized teams and to an agile organizational setup, taking care of company-wide responsibilities is crucial. Topics like quality reporting, tool support and governance need to be provided centrally to the teams. By introducing Center of Excellences, Qualysoft helps our customers to build up lean organizational units that support and enable the teams while taking care of company-wide duties.