Scriptless test automation: revealing the truth via 3 misconceptions | Software Testing Company a1qa
What have we got? Automated testing speeds up QA processes, accelerates delivery time, and reduces the number of repetitive tasks. What’s the issue? The common challenge is that the ROI is still poor.
According to the World Quality Report (the WQR) 2021–22, only 50% of surveyed companies received ROI from adopting test automation. Oh yes, maintaining automated tests can be pretty much expensive.
To save effort and money on automated testing and keep it at a high level, companies go scriptless.
In the article, let’s disprove 3 misconceptions about codeless test automation to reveal its true nature and talk about the main advantages.
4 benefits of going scriptless
In 2020, the test automation market size exceeded $15 billion, and it’s going to grow over 16% by 2027. That’s clear: companies adopt test automation to reduce QA costs, provide better control and transparency of QA activities, increase test coverage, and so on.
But the recent WQR shows that these days, to obtain more benefits, some businesses introduce advanced test automation techniques, scriptless test automation being among them (48%). However, before completely switching to codeless automated testing, companies may introduce low-code tools as they are easier to deal with, especially in the early SDLC stages. Scriptless test automation is a good solution when the software is stable and doesn’t require a plethora of changes.
Is codeless test automation becoming a new trend nowadays? We’ll see, and now, let’s take a look at the major benefits that it brings to companies.
1. Speeding up test automation activities
According to the WQR 2021–22, the reduction of test cycle time reached 52% in 2021, but with codeless test automation tools, businesses achieve even better results.
Just like code-based test automation, scriptless one allows starting testing at the early SDLC stages, helping identify and fix bugs earlier while accelerating go-to-market time. When implementing no-code test automation tools, it’s possible to avoid writing numerous test scripts by using ready-made prototypes and wireframes.
2. Increasing ROI
Conventional script-based automated testing is cost-effective in the long run. However, it involves some challenges, such as investing in staff training, maintaining tests, purchasing cutting-edge test automation tools, etc. A good budget to have. By swiftly shifting to codeless test automation, expenses are getting really low.
Almost any QA expert, let’s say a manual engineer without deep knowledge of scripting, can use no-code automation to perform software testing. QA automation specialists, in their turn, focus on maintaining and updating tests, conducting other mission-critical types of testing, such as white box, unit, integration testing, etc. They also contribute to designing comprehensive test suites for further scriptless automated testing.
3. Simplifying tests maintenance
Tests maintenance is the very stage of errors occurring most often. But in most cases, tests aren’t reusable.
To address this issue, companies adopt no-code test automation, which traces every repeated script component and provides object-oriented test automation. Therefore, the process of managing and maintaining tests is much easier and budget-friendly, leading to higher ROI.
By implementing scriptless test automation, companies bring true value to their businesses while accelerating the velocity, enhancing ROI, facilitating tests maintenance. Along with the core benefits, no-code automated testing helps eliminate the gap between technical and non-technical experts, such as business analysts, stakeholders, and the client.
Moving to scriptless test automation assists non-technical specialists in diving deep into the project activities while tracking the progress of ongoing QA activities. As a result, it contributes to finding the best solutions, helping the client meet desired business objectives.
Dispelling 3 misconceptions about scriptless test automation
Before replacing script-based test automation with the codeless one, it’s necessary to understand some vital facts about it. Let’s shed light on 3 widespread delusions about it and see how it works in reality.
Misconception #1. No script
A popular belief says that automating test cases with a no-code approach doesn’t need scripting and programming skills. The reality is a bit different. To create a test automation framework, QA specialists need to possess coding and logical skills. And when the framework, the tools, and the tests are completely ready, we talk about their scriptless usage and maintenance.
Moreover, to integrate a new functionality into the existing framework, QA experts have to script it. That’s why scriptless test automation isn’t 100% codeless. In fact, it means less scripting.
Misconception #2. High expenses
Scriptless test automation is a relatively new notion in the IT world. Some organizations believe that it’s extremely expensive. However, the truth is: by implementing scriptless test automation early in the SDLC, the money and effort invested in it pays off and helps increase the ROI.
The companies don’t allocate their budget on hiring third-party specialists, possessing programming skills, being able to write test automation scripts and maintain them. Or businesses save financial resources needed to requalify manual specialists into cross-functional ones. As mentioned in the chapter above, a manual QA engineer can handle no-code tools.
Misconception #3. Unreliability and complicated maintenance
To deliver first-rate no-code test automation tools, developers do their best: analyze various components, including users’ scenarios, deployment environments, types of testing to conduct, etc. to ensure proper interaction of tools with other elements, their smooth functioning, and high reliability.
When designing conventional test automation scripts, the QA team doesn’t consider such factors as reusability and traceability, which leads to a bunch of errors during the maintenance phase. However, these elements are vital for no-code test automation, enhancing its credibility. So, scripts are easy to maintain because test automation experts focus on identifying all repeated components that help create new test cases and reuse them in the future.
In a nutshell
Compared to conventional test automation, scriptless one helps speed up QA activities, increase ROI, eliminate the gap between technical and non-technical experts, simplify test maintenance.
And now, when the misconceptions — no script, high expenses, unreliability — have been disproven, companies can implement codeless test automation with confidence.
Reach out to a1qa’s specialists to discuss how to enhance ROI by designing a smart test automation strategy.
Originally published at https://www.a1qa.com on January 31, 2022.
