How Scripted Testing or Automation Testing Help Testers

After working for so many years in Software Testing, I often get this question in most of the clients and projects I worked on that how Scripted Testing or Automation Testing Help Testers or Dev team. I specifically wrote Scripted Testing Term. I defiantly believe that Testing can cannot be automated. It is a myth that we can automate software Testing and replace Skilled Manual Testers who focus on performing lot of exploratory testing to find defects as early in the cycle. Often in our testing industry we have assumption that scripted testing will replace skilled manually testing. So, through wanted to write my viewpoint on this topic. ?

What Is Scripted Testing:

As I already highlighted that we cannot script/ automate the testing phase or activity. But Tester can write scripts and automate the repetitive task and already identified test scenarios. So, we need not to execute the same scenario again and again manually. And team can relay on scripted testing for Regression and sanity checks. But we defiantly need skilled testers who do lot of exploratory testing also find out hidden and untested path and also explore critical/ major defects in the product.???

?Can Scripted Testing Replace Skilled Manual Tester?

?So based on my experience and knowledge we cannot simply replace Skilled Manual Tester, although I hate to specify term like manual or automation. We are testers first who perform testing and try to uncover the defects as early in the cycle.

?Ever think pilot who fly’s airplane is identified as Pilot. They are not identified as auto pilot or manual pilot. Although they also fly airplane in auto pilot mode mostly. They do not use auto pilot in landing and take-off other than that they also reply on auto pilot mode mostly. Same should be the case for Testing too we are tester first.

?Tester should take help of scripted testing when needed and perform manual exploratory testing and focus on exploring critical/major/minor untested path of the Product. Skill Manual Tester are equally imported in all phases of development cycle. And as testers it is our job to educate product owners about scripted and manual skilled Tester’s role in product

?Can we fully rely on Scripted Testing for Sanity or Regression Checks?

?As I mentioned earlier, we can defiantly rely on Scripted testing for Sanity and Regression Checks. But mind you that is not an actual testing. Here we are just validating the repetitive task with the help of scripts regularly and try to save time and effort, if we need to do the same repetitive task manually that can be time causing and it will also be quite expensive too. Another point is we need skill Tester who go through the execution report and try to find out if the failure was due to actual defect in the application or it failed due to script locator etc. issues.

?Do we need any special Skills to Create and Maintain the scripted Testing?

?Answer to this is yes, a tester should have knowledge on various types of testing tools like UFT, Selenium, Test Complete, Tosca, UiPath, API Testing tools etc. Also, tester should have knowledge and experience with development language like Java, C# etc. We need these special skills to create and maintain the scripted test for any product.

?It is not required to have experience and knowledge on all these tools, but any tester can get knowledge on one tool and try to enhance based on the requirement in their product.

?Which Is Better Scripted Test or tester who perform testing with his intuitive and Mind?

?As per me both has their own benefits. Scripted Test saves time & effort to do the repetitive task or scenarios. Whereas skill manual tester is equally important as they focus on performing lot of exploratory testing with their intuitive and mind which we can never be able to automate, and it also uncovers untested defects as early in the cycle. So, both are equally important. And as testers we should be able to do both and take their benefits.

?What is the role of Cloud and CI/ CD in Scripted Testing?

After we have scripted the repetitive task and scenarios. We need an environment in which we should be able to execute them regularly and publish results. For that we have cloud platforms like Sauce labs, Browser Stack, Perfecto, Lambda Test , AWS Device Farm. In these testers can execute scripts regularly.

?To do continue integration and delivery we can use CI/ CD tools can integrate in jobs so every time a new build is created. It will automatically execute the scripts in above mention cloud platforms and publish results. Most of the companies now a days rely on this process for testing and deployment phase of their cycle.

?How To Project ROI Gained by Running Scripts regularly?

?Definitely it is good to show some benefits achieved on the investments made by product stake holders for Scripted Testing. We as Tester can compare the Manual time taken to do the regression check with automation time taken to perform the same checks per cycle and try to project the benefits achieved in a year based on the release planned in a year. We can also show this as a process improvement step integrated in the product whereby, scripts can get quick and early regression check results with every new build released.

?Conclusion

?To conclude it is a myth in the industry that scripted, or automation testing can replace skilled Manual Testing. Both are different kind of testing and have equally important role that needs to be followed in software cycle. And as an expert Tester it is our duty to educate and follow both of them in their product also it is our duty to communicate the benefits of both to product owners and our Peers.?