Why Automate?
The mobile testing process is not suited to a one-size-fits-all approach. You have different goals that require different types and levels of testing at different stages in the process. These needs dictate whether it makes sense to test manually or to automate your testing; or whether to use private or public devices. The key variables that need to be considered are:
- the number and types of test cases
- the frequency of testing required
- the methodology needed to conduct proper testing
- the number of different devices you need to test on
The table below compares these variables and the optimal test strategy for each:
Automated testing may not be right in every mobile testing scenario, but in most cases it can save significant amounts of time and money and improve the effectiveness of your QA testing process. In the two charts below, you can see the incremental savings using automated testing vs. manual testing over a three year period. While the costs for manual testing continue to rise, the costs for automated testing level off, and the ROI increases significantly.
Big Benefits
Automated testing can deliver a number of significant benefits for your testing organization including:
Saving Money - Automate smoke tests and regression tests to reduce costs vs. manual testing
- Find bugs earlier in the process when it is cheaper to fix them
Execute More Tests in Less Time, Speed Time to Market, Expand Your Test Coverage - Execute 2.5 – 3X faster than manual tests
- Schedule tests to run offline; utilize up to 24 hours of each day
Improve App Quality - Find more bugs, increase test case coverage, reduce tester fatigue, and offload testers from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on quality
Expand Device Coverage - Address quality in an increasingly fragmented device market
- The more models you test against, the more efficiency you gain
When Should You Automate?
Once you understand the benefits of automation, the question becomes when? Early in the development process it usually makes sense to conduct your testing manually while you refine your test strategy. Then, once you start to standardize your testing processes, automated testing starts to deliver significant benefits.
Are you Ready to Automate?
To leverage the benefits of automated testing, there are a few questions you will want to consider:
- Are testing resources available?
- Do these resources have test automation experience?
- Are your Smoke and Regression test cases defined?
- Is your team familiar with the variety of popular device platforms you are targeting?
If not, Keynote DeviceAnywhere™ Professional Services can help get you there quickly and easily. We can provide highly skilled resources and services including:
- Script writing - to offload overloaded internal teams and get you up and running faster
- A scripting framework that internal resources can easily build on
- Additional training for your specific use cases – to help you get the most ROI out of the system
- Ongoing script maintenance and management services
To get started with a free trial of Test Center Enterprise Automation, click here or contact sales at KDA-Sales@keynote.com or 1-877-338-4230. |