The benefits of using automation testing in the cloud, including increased efficiency and cost savings

Organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to manage the quality of their web applications due to the rapid advancement of technology. Due to the shorter timeframe and cost constraints associated with agile development, testing often falls short of the attention it deserves. When testing is inadequate, quality products are less likely to be delivered on time, customization services are not as satisfying, and costs may increase. In such cases, test management strategies can be unplanned, development can be delayed, and test case creation is underestimated. That is precisely when automation testing is needed.

Before releasing the product, the test engineers probably try to catch bugs or errors. Nevertheless, there will be bugs you will never be able to catch! Immediately following your migration to production, a quick fix is deployed, and regression testing begins.

It takes a lot of time to carry out regression testing, but it plays a vital role in maintaining the stability of a product. When this happens, you will be stuck in a vicious cycle where your deployment window will narrow ever narrower. What are our options in such cases? In this case, test automation would be the answer. There will be no turning back for automation testing in the future! According to a report, from 2021 to 2027, the industry of automated testing is expected to grow by around 16%.

So, before we start to magnify some of the benefits of automated testing, let’s dive into some fundamentals first.

Automation Testing: What is it?

During automation testing, a test case suite, predefined actions, and a set of test cases are executed by an automated tool. There are a number of benefits associated with automation testing. Reports are generated by comparing the actual results with the expected results using the automation testing tool.

You can test your websites and web applications live and automatically using LambdaTest, a cloud-based platform for cross-browser testing that operates over 3000 devices and operating systems.

Additionally, LambdaTest supports top test automation frameworks such as Selenium with framework-driven support for test automation. In this manner, automation testing becomes even more beneficial. In order to make the most effective use of automation, we should analyze when to automate, what are the benefits of automation tests, and what are the best tools for automating them. Furthermore, best practices for test automation can help us save money.

The Benefits of Automated Testing in the Cloud

In our discussion, we emphasized the definition of cloud based automation testing, which makes it possible for automated tests to run without manually setting up each and every device and testing environment. It can save you a great deal of time and effort by automating the tests without limiting the scope to a few devices without compromising on setting up some devices.

There is no need to wait for one test to finish before running another one, as you can run as many tests as you want. By doing this, you can get actionable results quickly. Pay-per-use pricing and a shorter time-to-market are some of the advantages of cloud testing over traditional on-premises environments.

1. Automated testing enhances the efficiency of testing. Testing occupies a significant amount of time in the development lifecycle of an application. Taking this into account, even a small improvement to the overall efficiency can have a significant impact on the project’s duration. Although setting up automated tests initially takes longer, they take up considerably less time in the long run. As the process ends, the results can be monitored as they are generated. They can be run virtually unattended.
2. It is no surprise that automated testing saves companies a great deal of money, despite the initial investment being on the higher side. Test execution time has decreased sharply as a result of the sharp drop in test complexity. Consequently, there is reduced need to fix glitches after release, which reduces project costs. It contributes to a higher quality of work, thereby decreasing the need for fixing errors after release. Automation testing can be expensive at first, but organizations save a lot of money by effectively utilizing resources.
3. A software project can be validated more quickly through automated testing throughout its various phases. As a result, coders, designers, and product owners are able to communicate more effectively, and any potential glitches can be addressed promptly. By facilitating quick feedback cycles, automated testing helps the development team perform more efficiently.
4. Ensure accelerated results by implementing automated testing quickly. This allows even massive and intricate systems to be tested in a short amount of time. Testing can be repeated repeatedly with less effort and time, resulting in faster results every time.
5. You only need minimal hands to supervise the execution of automation test scripts and troubleshoot script failures once you write automation test scripts. Due to test automation, products are released with fewer glitches, which reduces the need to fix them after release. Thus, automation testing offers the benefit of reducing business expenses.
6. Automated testing is a better way to do shift-left testing! It offers offers Shift-left testing as a major benefit. Testing should be incorporated into the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), right from the requirement gathering phase in order to find bugs as early as possible. In shift-left testing, this is done by incorporating the testing phase into the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle). Your product quality can be improved by shift-left testing as it allows you to:

• Bugs should be resolved as quickly as possible
• Enhance the coverage of tests
• Get all the information you need on the go
• Make repetitive tasks easier by automating them
• Relationship between testers and developers needs to be improved

Automated testing has the advantage of being able to be performed early in the development process, enabling you to detect bugs early and shift-left more efficiently. Verify user stories using automation tests to see if they are straightforward and to identify validations and constraints every tester should be aware of. It may be possible to detect and eliminate early bugs from your website by implementing this test automation approach.

1. Automated testing can increase the overall test coverage of an application by enabling more tests to be executed. By doing this, we achieve a higher coverage, which indicates a larger team, which would have significantly less time to dedicate to testing. By increasing test coverage, more features can be tested and the quality of the application can be improved.
2. Smoke testing will also be improved through automation testing. Smoke testing should be conducted regularly to prevent outages. Nonetheless, many corporations prefer not to do so because of fears that it will take valuable tester time away from other tasks. The importance of automation testing can be attributed to this. Automation testing provides the best benefits by automating the building of smoke test scenarios based on your random data. With this new feature, you will be able to conduct smoke tests regularly in an efficient manner. Smoke testing has the following benefits:

• Easy to test
• Early detection of defects is key
• Provides a better quality of service
• Ensure that overall risk is minimized
• Gain an understanding of the progress
• Reduce the risks associated with integration

1. Reusability of automated tests is commendable. Because automated tests are repetitive, software developers can assess programs’ reactions, as well as configure them relatively easily. Different approaches can be used with automated test cases since they are reusable.
2. Detection of defects can be done earlier in automated testing. Testing teams are able to document bugs much more easily. Thus, developers are able to develop faster while ensuring that all functions are functioning correctly. Defects that are detected early are easier and less expensive to fix.
3. Test cases for ensuring the bug has been removed are repeated over the same period for every fix deployed in production. Manual regression testing is time-consuming as testers must repeat the same set of test cases over the same period every time a fix is deployed into production. Each developer has dealt with regression testing at some point in their career. It is not only time-consuming, but it is also inefficient for a tester to repeat the same tests over and over again.

• In addition to taking a lot of time, manually performing regression testing has the following drawbacks:
• It is inflexible to run the entire regression in a release cycle, because it creates congestion.
• It is not possible to perform comprehensive manual regression testing every time the software is updated due to time constraints.
• There is a sense of uncertainty about how you perform tests on a regular basis.

As a result, automation testing is a very effective way of performing regression tests. Automated tests are like robots that never sleep. Regression testing suites can, therefore, be run at any time during the period of time window. Our next significant benefit of automation testing is that it is a one-time effort to develop an automated test case.

1. Due to their exposure and expertise, testers tend to take differing approaches to testing and focus on different areas. Using automation ensures the best possible quality by focusing on all areas of testing.
2. Automation of test cases greatly improves time-to-market by reducing the number of test cases that need to be run constantly throughout the development of an application. As soon as the test library execution is automated, it runs faster and lasts longer than when it is manually executed.
3. It is important to note that the quality of the test data you use will greatly impact the effectiveness of the testing. Testing on copies of live databases is often performed due to the difficulty of manually creating quality test data. Your test database can be created, manipulated, and protected automatically, allowing you to reuse the data over and over again. There is the potential for huge savings in this area in terms of time and cost.

To sum up !

Testing automation provides value to all stakeholders involved, which is the most promising aspect. In addition to enhancing brand image, generating higher revenue, increasing brand recall, and ensuring higher customer retention, it also increases brand awareness. Due to this, the organization is able to scale new heights and establish superiority in the market through increased investments in product research and process innovation.  In this way, issues that have been affecting the organization will eventually be fixed permanently and industry standards will be raised.

In order for quality assurance to become part of a company’s core strategy, business leaders must acknowledge its importance. It is important to train employees and explain the benefits of test automation as well as the necessity of quality assurance.

The theory behind automated testing has been proven to reduce costs, save time and effort, and deliver quicker feedback, consistency, and results, which directly result in an increase in productivity and profitability. SMEs constantly seek ways to gain a sustainable competitive advantage, and these advantages can make all the difference. Those employees can have a direct impact on the success level of an enterprise.

In spite of the fact that test automation is highly recommended, not all organizations readily adopt it to the fullest extent. Initial cost associated with setting up automated testing processes is a huge reason for this. The issue is also largely overlooked and continuously put on hold by most organizational leaders. Before implementing change, they experience a certain resistance, borne out of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

You should also take into account that manual testing is always a necessity in order to create better automated test cases. In addition, we would like to emphasize that even though automation testing offers many benefits, there is still a risk of missing the deadline. In most cases, this happens due to the wrong choice of automation testing tool, which is the most critical factor.

There are a number of vendors on the market who offer automation testing tools, and these tools are highly tool-dependent. Make sure you choose the right automation testing tool if you want to maximize its benefits. LambdaTest will satisfy all your testing requirements if you need to perform cross-browser testing.