Do you Really Understand the Role of Agile in Automation Projects?

Perfection is one of the most critical factors that is driving the modern generation. We want to be perfect in everything we do and achieve. This rule is also applicable when it comes to the web developing industry. The developing companies try everything in their power to create a perfect application for their customers. In reality, it is not always possible to keep everything perfect as there are certain unforeseen circumstances. For instance, during the testing process developers might encounter a critical bug that they have not anticipated before. In situations like this, the wisest decision is to sort the bug as soon as possible. This process will help the developers to find a solution before rolling the application to the production phase. The timely delivery of a web application also plays a critical role in maintaining end-user satisfaction.

In this modern web Development Industry, various integrations like Agile and DevOps have taken over the automation test project. The primary aim of this integration is to sort out the development process and remove various obstacles. However, there are certain issues that the developer might face with this process. With this article, we will try to create a guide to solve all the common Agile-related issues in a test automation framework.

Test Automation and Its Importance

During the early years of software development, apps didn’t have much variety or characteristics to them. Therefore, the developers could test their functioning single-handedly before releasing it to the end-users. However, with the advancement of technology, the demands of the end-users began rising dramatically. They wanted a smooth and connectable experience from these apps. So, the developers had to keep up with these demands to maintain their market dominance. The most appropriate measures were the inclusion of interactive elements, user interactions and the release of frequent feature updates. With the addition of new features, the complexity of the testing process began rising. So, the developers needed an alternative that can help to complete the test cases efficiently and quickly. These were the primary reasons that gave rise to automation testing.

Automation Testing is the process of automatically conducting test cases. In this process, the developers have to use automated test cases for the test execution process. One of the major benefits of Automation Testing is the easy maintenance and development of test cases. This feature allows the developers to reuse a massive portion of the codebase in further development projects. Automation Testing has helped web development companies to bring down the application testing phase to only 2 days. It has also removed various forms of human involvement in repetitive test cases. The developers can use this extra time to innovate various new features for the web application. They can add these features to the Future updates of the app to improve user satisfaction. Thus, Automation Testing also plays a vital role in improving the quality of an application.

Relationship of Automation Testing and Test Automation Tools

Although Automation Testing removes human intervention from test cases, there are various factors that the developers must keep track of. Sometimes the new automation testers might find themselves in a complex situation while performing the test cases. To solve this problem, they can integrate various test automation tools and frameworks in the development environment. These tools help the developers to simplify the test automation execution process. The developers must choose the perfect tool according to their requirements. This will help them to use the full potential of the test bench. They can use various considerations to improve the effectiveness of the tool selection process. For instance, they can consider some common factors like the trustworthiness of the tool, project requirements, knowledge of programming languages and the allotted time.

We can gain more knowledge on this topic by using Lambda Test as an example:

Lambda Test is a platform that developers can use to verify the browser compatibility of their web applications. Using this platform, the developers can ensure the smooth functioning of both mobile and desktop applications. Lambda Test also allows the automation testers to execute parallel testing on their web application. Using parallel testing the developers can initiate multiple instances at the same time. Currently, Lambda Test supports compatibility testing on more than 3000 different browsers, browser versions and operating system. It also allows the developers to verify the smooth functioning of all the local web applications. With Lambda Test, you can perform Selenium automation, Cypress test automation, and Appium mobile testing.

Lambda Test can analyze the effect of various physical features like device resolution and screen size on the web application. It has a unique way to store all the final test results. This process allows the developers to use them for future references. Various well-known web developing companies use Lambda Test to perform browser compatibility testing.

One thing that the developer must remember is that they must verify the reliability of an Automation Testing tool. Reliability testing ensures the automation tool will not have any adverse effect on the test bench. An effective way of performing reliability testing is to check for user reviews on multiple online forums.  On these forums, the developers can find the daily life experiences of all the developers who are currently engaged with this automation tool.

Most Common Agile-Related Issues

1. Failing to Keep Up with the Changing Market Requirements

One of the major things that various developers fail to analyze is the evolution in the end-user market. These factors are very essential to maintain customer satisfaction, proper user retention and Low bounce rates. It will be pointless to create a good web application if it fails to meet the end-user demands. The best way to understand the market requirements is to run a user survey and collect various data. The developers can analyze this data to get an idea about all the features that they need to incorporate in the web application. This survey will also help the web developing companies to customize the web application specific to their audience.

2. Not Having a Proper Plan for Cross-Browser testing

It is a sad reality that various web developing companies have still not realized the importance of cross-browser compatibility testing.  This is because according to modern standards, cross-browser testing is highly essential to maintain optimal end-user satisfaction. The primary goal of this testing process is to ensure that the web application retains its visuals irrespective of the browser or browser version. It also ensures that the device and OS combination does not have any negative effect on the smoothness of the application. Developers can use various test automation tools to implement cross-browser compatibility testing on their web applications.

3. Failing to Incorporate Test Automation

Test automation is very critical to achieving various goals in the web application development life cycle. It not only helps developing companies to quickly deliver their web applications but also helps them to enhance the quality of the application. So, all web development companies must integrate test automation in the web application development environment. Currently, more than 30% of web development companies are still using all manual test cases. However, the developers must remember that the initial charges for test automation it is quite high. So, the web developing companies must allot a proper budget to meet this goal.

4. Putting Unwanted Focus on Scrum Velocity

Currently, most web development companies are focused on completing their goals instead of enhancing the smooth workflow. Factors like these have a massive negative impact on the overall quality of the development project. Companies must remember that it is pointless to release multiple applications in a year if none of them is up to the mark. As we all know, quality will always triumph over quantity in every segment of the industry. So, the developing companies must have a proper plan to distribute their focus on all of these factors. This process will help them to maintain market dominance and optimal end-user satisfaction

5. Failing to Consider Agile as a Framework

One of the major mistakes in test automation is considering Agile as another process for the execution of automation testing. Another shocking fact is even experienced developers make this mistake. In reality, Agile is a Framework that can command the entire application development and testing process. This mindset is highly essential to utilize the full potential of this framework. The developing companies can use Agile to complete various goals with the help of preset guidelines. This Framework will also increase the integration between different teams involved in the development project.

6. Not Having a Proper testing Plan

The primary aim of this article is to tackle all the unforeseen circumstances that might arise during the web application development process. So, the developers must have a proper testing plan before executing the test cases. This process will help them to create a backup plan to ensure the smooth delivery of the web application. During the planning phase, it is a good idea to involve all the teams in the web development company. This means that the testing, quality assessment, production and development teams must have equal opinions in this process. This process also helps to maintain transparency in the developing process.

7. Micromanaging All the Agile Teams for Testing

The management has a crucial role in maintaining the smoothness of the development process. This means that it is responsible for creating the schedule and peace for all the respective teams in the development project. However, due to the age of this custom, management teams are still following the old habits. This is because in the Agile Framework if the management tries to follow every movement of the employee, then, a failure is inevitable. All the Agile teams are self-organizing and work together to achieve various goals in the company. So, it is completely pointless to take ownership of the teams and command them.

The Final Verdict

In this article, the primary aim was to address the developers to always be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. This process will help them to prevent the application from being delayed by a huge margin. In this competitive market, web developing companies cannot expect their users to stick to the company just because of brand loyalty. So, developers must try everything in their power to maintain the market dominance and keep expanding it. Various experts believe that Automation Testing with increase its market dominance in the future years. So, all the web developing companies must integrate it into the test bench before it is too late. It is also a good idea for automation testers to consider these factors as the stepping stones for career improvement.