With the introduction of Agile, DevOps and Rapid Application Development (RAD), we’ve seen how software development practices have evolved to support shorter turnaround times for the delivery of new software and features.
As development practices are becoming leaner and more responsive, software testing processes have also needed to adjust. Test automation is no longer a nice-to-have, it has become a critical factor in supporting the shortest software development cycle possible.
Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of investment into this area, with many new and exciting automation techniques coming to the fore, but as the world of test automation keeps evolving, the following key trends seem to have emerged:
- A move toward codeless test automation
Test automation tools usually require the user to able to write test scripts which require some level of programming knowledge. This makes it hard for the average tester out there who doesn’t typically have any programming experience. This has led to a strong move toward codeless test automation tools which use features like record and playback to automate the creation of test cases.
- Using machine learning to improve testing processes
Machine learning technologies are allowing test tools to become smarter by being able to collect tons of data which is then used to teach the tool how to distinguish between normal software behaviour and unexpected or unwanted behaviour. The best part is of course that machines don’t need to take a break or rest. This means you can have various background checks running 24/7 without the need for any human intervention.
- Increased adoption of DevOps
DevOps is all about continuous software improvement, makes sense then that testing within this context would also focus on continuous testing and monitoring rather than it being the usual end of the development line activity. It fosters a much closer relationship with the development team, requiring your test team to be involved in the development process from day one.
- The emergence of IoT-tailored testing
With the growing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT), more and more business are investing a lot of time and energy into developing IoT apps and devices. These types of apps and devices introduce unique requirements from a testing perspective. Testing is tailored to proving not only usability, but also scalability, security, data integrity and performance within the IoT context.
- Robotics will start to take centre stage
Let’s face it, when it comes to menial, time-consuming tasks like sifting through reams of log files to find error messages, a piece of software geared to this type of task is always going to outperform a human. Enter Robotic Process Automation (RPA), an automation technology based on the concept that software robots can be configured to execute repeatable, human tasks. As with machine learning, this type of AI technology reduces your dependency on human resources, allowing your testing team to focus on areas where they can add more value, like continuous improvement strategies as well as test management and planning.
Need to streamline and modernise your testing capacity, but don’t know where to start? Analyze can help. Call us on 021 447 5696 or get in touch by using the contact form on our contact page or visit our LinkedIn page for a no obligation consultation, and who knows, you could end up leveraging our extensive experience with test process improvement to your advantage.
