Anna Thorsen
Microsoft's Regression Suite Automation Tool (RSAT) has long been a staple in the testing toolkit of Dynamics 365 (D365) Quality Assurance professionals. But as D365 grows, propelled by Microsoft's One Version update process, the demands on testing become stronger and users are searching for RSAT alternatives.
While Dynamics 365 RSAT is an excellent tool for automating testing in Finance and Operations (F&O), you’re likely testing scenarios that go beyond these capabilities, so finding a tool that you can confidently automate end-to-end testing with is vital.
In this blog post, we’ll explore three alternatives to RSAT. Each tool has a varying level of difficulty, based on the skills required to use the solution.
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Why users search for an alternative to RSAT
Firstly, lets understand why users are searching for RSAT alternatives
With a larger focus on agility, increasing types of software, as well as more connections between these software, organizations have a larger testing requirement. Companies need to be able to test their D365 modules, the connections between them, and other applications in your IT ecosystem.
The Microsoft owned tool is capable of automating F&O test cases, and they have a recorder that removes, in part, the need to write source code. So for users only testing F&O, RSAT can be a good fit.
While RSAT offers these basic testing capabilities for Dynamics 365, its functionality is limited when compared to more comprehensive solutions, with its limitations becoming obvious:
- RSAT cannot support end-to-end testing
- The tool cannot support complex, data-driven testing scenarios
- RSAT is very technical, eliminating business users from using it
- The tool is difficult to maintain and scale
This means that for users who run end-to-end testing, regression testing, and data-driven tests across more than one D365 module or web or desktop based application, you may have to consider an alternative Dynamics 365 testing tool.
See example of RSAT in action:
Top 3 D365 RSAT alternatives
There are lots of alternatives to choose from, some of which we list in this post on the top 20 test automation tools. But for this post, we’ve narrowed down the list and highlighted three popular D365 test automation vendors.
These three tools are evaluated based on four points. These should help you identify a Microsoft RSAT alternative so you are equipped to optimize your testing efforts and enhance your software quality:
- Level of coding required
- Applications that can be automated
- The ease of use of the tool
- Whether there is comprehensive documentation
Leapwork
Coding required: No
Skill level: Easy - users can learn, build, and maintain test automation in just 30 days
Application support: Cross-application support
Documentation: Yes
Leapwork uses a visual, composable, no-code approach to test automation. It’s a solution that uses a combination of a visual language and building blocks that enables testers to automate every application type. Whether it’s the Sales, F&O, or Business Central module, the legacy Dynamics AX module, or external applications like SAP or Salesforce.
This means that those who carry out testing, including both business users and QA personnel, can learn, build, scale and maintain test automation, allowing you to achieve end-to-end test coverage beyond just your D365 technology ecosystem.
Everything is controlled from one place, processes are documented and security roles are better defined. And, each test component is completely reusable.
See what Microsoft have to say about Leapwork:
“Leapwork’s no-code experience for test creation empowers a broader percentage of our customers to effectively implement automated testing. Enhancing the quality of their Microsoft Dynamics 365 service experience and lowering the total cost of ownership through Leapwork is a win-win opportunity.” - Mike Erhenberg, Microsoft Technical Fellow & CTO of Dynamics 365 Applications.
See Leapwork in action:
Selenium
Coding required: Yes
Skill level: Hard - you will require developer support to use this tool
Application support: Web
Documentation: Yes
Selenium is an open-source test automation tool that automates web-based applications. Although it’s one of the most used testing vendors, it is very code heavy. While Selenium can be used to automate certain aspects of D365, it might not be the most reliable and efficient choice for all modules.
While it is relatively easy to create test cases such as validating a user login to D365 (the web client) or creating a new lead record in D365, the difficulty of Selenium lies in the maintenance. Because Selenium requires heavy coding, maintaining your test scripts will need a significant resource spend. This is because users will be required to comb through lines of code to identify why a test has broken. Due to this level of complexity, general business users can be shut out from using the tool.
So, if you are considering using Selenium for D365 test automation, ensure that your team is able to code. See below for an example of a user writing a test case to carry out the simple process of opening a web browser.
See Selenium in action:
Read more about Selenium alternatives.
Executive Automats
Coding required: No-code/low-code
Skill level: Medium - requires some developer support for complex test cases
Application support: Web
Documentation: No
Executive Automats specialize in performance testing in the D365 F&O module, and are recognised as a no-code/low-code solution. They are used for web-based testing, and have a recorder that can be used to automate straight forward test cases.
Conclusion
As the software development landscape continues to evolve, so does the need for efficient and effective test automation tools. While RSAT has served many organizations well, exploring alternative options can help you achieve better D365 test coverage, beyond F&O.
Whether you opt for the no-code simplicity of Leapwork, the simple recorder from Executive Automats or the open-source code-based approach of Selenium, it’s about finding the right tool that suits the skills of your team so that you can enhance your testing efforts, and ultimately deliver high-quality D365 software to your users.
Selecting the right Dynamics 365 automated testing tool can be challenging. Our comparison chart takes Microsoft’s list of top tools and compares them side by side in terms of key features and benefits.