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Let’s talk about optimization and codeless test automation
Many decades ago, a co-worker handed me an intriguing paper written by a Quality Engineer that changed my perception of process optimization (Confession: I love optimizing processes, even my trips to the supermarket!). The paper stated that the most efficient organizations are not those whose intra-departmental processes are the most efficient but those whose inter-departmental requests are serviced in an optimal manner.
One area where inter-departmental processes must be taken into consideration is the world of test automation, and let’s be honest, many organizations struggle with this aspect. They have very few automated business processes set up. And this is where the inter-departmental issue comes into play.
Business process testing is all about (or mostly about) the collaboration between business and IT. Involving the business users, the people who are experts in their own domains, will improve the results and validate changed functionality. These same people are, however, not masters when it comes to testing tools. This is why codeless test automation is such a game-changing development!
But back to that paper I read. Companies tend to look inwards when it comes to optimizing their processes and, yes, we all know that most business processes can be improved. But when Department A needs data from Department B, A’s process goes on hold until they receive B’s response. And that’s where the longest waiting times occur within complex business processes.
The author showed how the benefits of large, earth-shattering ‘intra-optimizations’ do not come close to small, atomic ‘inter-optimizations’. I found this to be a revolutionary concept and I then vowed to try to respond to all email requests within a business day. From that moment on, my OCD goal in business life became to have an empty Outlook inbox by close-of-business each day. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
The intersection of football and optimization
Speaking of dreams and hand-offs, the American Football season has kicked-off and my sons, rabid NY Jets fans watched their Super Bowl dreams fade away, thanks to Aaron Rodgers’ injury early in Game 1.
I was thinking that the value of a quarterback in football is similar to inter-departmental process optimization. It’s rare to find a quarterback that can effectively hand-off the football to his running backs, pass the ball to his receivers, knowing when to improvise on the fly by changing plays and routes to adjust to specific defensive alignments. I have seen quarterbacks who can throw the ball a country mile but cannot lead a team to victory because they cannot get the ball to the right people in the right situation.
Be it business processes or football, the optimal ‘hand-offs’ and ‘receptions’ separate the good from the great.
But what about Testing Platforms?
When it comes to Enterprise Testing platforms, this characteristic of optimized hand-offs is also what separates the good from the great. A competent business stakeholder can quickly test any business process they are familiar with, but it’s the communications around that atomic testing activity that makes the testing process efficient.
Some of the questions that should be asked are:
- How long did it take for the tester to find out that it’s time for them to run their test?
- How long did it take for them to receive the details, regarding the previous steps’ activities, so they have the correct context?
- Do they know that a defect or an open technical risk is impacting their test step and therefore things need to be put on hold until the issue is resolved?
- How long did it take for the next tester to be notified that it’s time for them to run their test?
- And once UAT is complete and the new, innovative business process is running smoothly in production, how easy is it to hand-off the manual test for conversion to automated regression?
There are just a few examples of how inter-test optimization can make or break a test cycle, especially when it comes to managing major innovation initiatives like application rationalizations, conversions, and rollouts.
The ideal world of testing
Imagine if you used a testing tool that notified you, the next tester in line, when it’s time for you to run your test and auto-documents your activities so the next tester in line (and any compliance review) knows exactly what happened during your test run.
Imagine if your testing platform prevented you from wasting your time and stopped your tests from running when a related defect is logged and then automatically notified you once it gets resolved.
Imagine if your test automation team could take high quality UAT assets and convert them into the foundations of regression test assets without having to re-record or script the tests from scratch?
Well, dreams can come true. Well, at least when it comes to testing, as I doubt the Jets will win the championship this year. With codeless test automation, we can help your non-coders and business users get more involved in the test automation process. Not only that, but you will be able to capture business process documentation for automating applications. And here’s the kicker, you can then save time and testing resources.
Just go to G2.com and see how hundreds of happy customers are accelerating and de-risking their business transformations with Panaya’s optimal testing capabilities. Panaya has been ranked as the top Test management Tool for 10 straight quarters – that’s 2.5 American football games!