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If you’re experiencing bottlenecks in your software development life cycle, it’s most likely that an over reliance on manual testing is a big factor. Manual testing is inefficient and time-consuming, not to mention that it’s prone to human error. But what are the top benefits of test automation?
This article will provide a short introduction to these benefits.
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Cost saving
Fast development and delivery
Increased productivity
More accurate tests
A lower failure rate of software released to market
In Leapwork’s 2022 Risk Radar Report, an over reliance on manual testing was said by CEOs and testers to be a significant reason why software goes to market without proper testing. They also said that a lack of investment in test automation is a problem.
Also, in Capgemini's 2021-22 World Quality Report, they stated that only between 15 and 20% of tests in QA are being automated.
Test automation can require a hefty initial investment, but it also gives you the ability to reduce test costs.
Because tests are automated, your company spends less resources on testing your product. Automating the repetitive and boring elements of your testing means that a tester no longer has to perform them.
According to Capgemini’s World Quality Report:
"The enthusiasm in the sector for test automation is corroborated in this year’s survey data. Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents said they get a return on investment from their automation efforts".
Read more: Why Codeless Automation Has the Best ROI.
If you want to adopt an agile methodology and CI/CD, automating testing is essential.
Instead of waiting until a new product or upgrade is released and then performing testing, you want to integrate testing continuously throughout your software development lifecycle.
Automating testing processes also helps with faster development and delivery. As well as reducing test cycle times having automated testing, your team has to spend less time testing newly developed features. You can also get faster test feedback with test automation.
Continuous testing achieved by test automation helps you to bring your product to market faster.
Read more: How to Achieve Agile Testing with Test Automation.
Automating testing helps increase productivity. Fundamentally, it makes testing more scalable and reusable. Plus, your apps will perform more efficiently and be of a higher quality.
When a team doesn’t have to spend their time engaging in less repetitive work, instead focusing on innovation, it means they’re going to be more motivated. More motivation equals more productivity.
This is backed up by the Risk Radar Report’s finding that CEOs in the US thought that a more motivated team is the biggest benefit of test automation.
Another main benefit of test automation is more accurate tests. While manual testing puts limits on how many tests you can verify, automation allows you to increase test coverage.
With manual testing, there’s always a chance that something can go wrong. On the other hand, if you’re dealing with automated tests, you can execute tests with 100% certainty, knowing you’ll get the same result every time.
You’ll also be able to eliminate more human error, although manual testing will always be involved to a certain extent.
Releasing broken software reduces both customer satisfaction and brand reputation. So, the fact that test automation helps reduce the failure rate of software released to market is a big win.
Automating testing helps you identify problems or bugs early on in the development phase, rather than them popping up after release.
You can also reduce overall security risk and security-related issues in code…
Despite the clear benefits of test automation, it also presents a paradox: it has become synonymous with programming.
As a result, testers are spending more time setting up automation than is necessary, which presents new challenges. In other words, this is a resource that isn’t being used to its full potential.
That’s why a codeless automation tool like Leapwork’s can help eliminate risk, while reducing the need for developer resources. Without a codeless approach to testing, you need to invest either in hiring developers or in teaching testing personnel how to code.
