Automated testing is a powerful technique that can significantly increase the effectiveness of your organization’s testing routine. Although manual testing is still preferable in certain cases, there are many situations where test automation proves to be a better choice than manual testing. In this article, you will learn more about the reasons to choose test automation over manual testing. However, also pay attention to the scenarios where manual testing can still be a better choice.
Automation Accelerates Testing
The main reason many organizations choose test automation is, of course, its ability to save time in the testing process, which in turn can lead to significant financial savings. Although some automation tools require time-consuming and labor-intensive test infrastructure setup, automated test execution and reporting that can be scheduled for any time of the day or week effectively accelerate the testing process. At the same time, using no-code solutions such as Executive Automats, designed for testing Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM systems, helps save even more time, as such tools are fast to implement and they come with a user-friendly interface for quick and easy test creation.
Automation Can Save Money
A properly selected test automation tool can help companies to get returns on investment quite fast. Besides the speed of testing, which itself makes it possible to save money on testing, many other benefits reduce expenses.
One of them is limited human supervision. As a rule, even the tools with the highest requirements for support from professional developers still require less human assistance than manual testing techniques. This, in turn, makes it possible to reduce testing costs.
Another crucial point where a test automation tool helps to save money is shortening the time-to-market. For instance, ERP and CRM suites as complex as Microsoft Dynamics 365 come with frequent updates that require regression testing to ensure that the system can be rolled out after the changes. In such a scenario, testing time determines downtime, as companies must ensure they can use the updated software without encountering unexpected issues that affect critical business processes. Given the scope of Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications, their advanced features, and extensive integrations, it is easy to estimate the reduction in costs caused by downtime after implementing an automated testing tool.
Needless to say, the ability of test automation to reduce the likelihood of releasing faulty software is itself a great opportunity to save money.
Find more benefits of automated testing at: https://www.executiveautomats.com/resources/articles/automated-vs-manual-testing-differences
Improved Accuracy
While automated testing itself is not completely bug-free, it does help to significantly reduce the number of errors that are inevitable with manual testing. It happens because manual testing procedures are prone to errors, as manual testing of software is usually a repetitive and strenuous process that can easily affect testers’ concentration due to fatigue. As a result, developers may overlook steps and make other mistakes.
Manual analysis of results and report generation is also quite a demanding process where mistakes can happen.
In automated testing, problems with the tests usually occur when they are created while well-functioning test software executes the tests according to the script and should not overlook any steps or make any mistakes unless the script is poorly designed.
Increased Test Coverage and Scalability
One of the main problems with manual testing is the limited number of test cases executed simultaneously. This problem is successfully solved by test automation, which allows testing a large number of test cases, system configurations, and data inputs simultaneously.
Moreover, it is easier to extend the test coverage for automated testing to cover all changes to the software. Some automated testing tools even come with automatic updates.
Increased test coverage leads to more thorough testing, which is critical to maintaining the robustness and reliability of the software. In addition, the ability to increase test coverage makes test automation a more scalable approach compared to manual testing, which not only struggles to keep up with a growing volume of testing but is also not suitable for performing particularly demanding types of tests such as regression and performance testing of large applications.
When Can You Still Benefit from Manual Testing?
Despite all the reasons to choose automated testing over manual testing, companies should be aware that this approach does not work as desired in all scenarios.
First of all, if your software project has a rather limited lifespan, it may not make sense to invest in test automation, which always comes at some cost, even if you use an open-source solution like Selenium.
Second, you should also consider the frequency of updates to your software. For example, although the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM system is updated frequently, it is a mature and stable product. Test automation for this system is a great choice, especially considering its complexity and large scope.
However, some applications are changed more frequently and more extensively, for example, undergoing a restructuring. In such a situation, companies risk losing more money on constant customization and maintenance of their test scripts if they opt for automation.
In addition, not all types of tests can be automated. Ad hoc testing, exploratory testing, and UX are some examples of tests that require human creativity, intuition, and decision-making, which cannot be effectively simulated by automated testing software so far.
Finally, it does not make sense to invest in automated testing if the evaluation shows a limited return on investment. It is essential to make a thorough ROI estimate before you decide to pay for a full test automation solution. A proof of concept (POC) is also highly recommended to understand the practical value of the selected tool before its full implementation.
