Businesses save time and money with Automation

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, businesses are under constant pressure to deliver high-quality, high-functioning technology faster than ever before. Now, more than ever, competition is fierce, and margins are tight. Despite this, everyone is striving to drive time and cost efficiencies, whilst protecting market share and brand reputation. So how can companies deliver more, without sacrificing quality?

This is where automated testing comes into play. Investing in automated testing is a strategic move that can revolutionise your software development process and ensure you remain competitive. Where automation is applicable, it can increase efficiency, provide cost savings, improve software quality, and speed up time-to-market.

What is automation?

Automation is the process of using software tools to execute tests on a website, application, system or software. These tests can be functional, performance-related, or even security-focused. Instead of manually running tests, automated testing relies on pre-scripted test cases that are executed by automation tools.

It’s a powerful tool in the Quality Assurance arsenal, enabling faster and more efficient testing processes. However, not everything can be automated. Manual testing is still relevant in instances where human intuition, creativity, and exploration are required. A blended approach leverages the strengths of both manual and automated testing, allowing businesses to identify defects quickly and accurately whilst optimising resources to drive cost and time saving efficiencies.

How can automation benefit your organisation?

Speed: one of the most significant advantages of automated testing is speed. Automated tests can be run substantially faster than manual tests, and they can be executed simultaneously on multiple configurations. This means you can thoroughly and accurately test your software in a fraction of the time it would take to do so manually. As a result, you can release software updates faster to stay ahead of your competitors, without compromising on quality.

Consistency: human error is a common issue in manual testing. Testers may overlook certain scenarios or make mistakes while performing long winded, repetitive tasks. Automated tests, on the other hand, are consistent and precise. Automation will execute the same test cases with the same data and parameters every time, reducing the chances of errors slipping through the cracks and costing precious time and money to correct.

Cost savings: while there is an initial investment in setting up automated testing frameworks and creating test scripts, the long-term cost savings are substantial. Automated tests can be reused for regression testing, reducing the need for extensive manual testing with each release. This leads to a significant reduction in labour costs and allows your team to focus on more creative and complex testing tasks.

24/7 testing: automated tests can be scheduled to run at any time, including outside regular working hours. This means your software can be continuously tested, even when your team is not actively working. This ensures that issues are identified and addressed quickly, much earlier in the lifecycle, therefore preventing costly downtime or emergency fixes later.

Improved test coverage: automation allows you to increase test coverage by executing a wide range of test cases, including edge cases and scenarios that might be impractical to test manually. This comprehensive “left shift” testing helps identify issues earlier in the software development lifecycle.

Better quality assurance: automated tests provide a higher level of confidence in the quality of your software. Releasing more reliable software to your customers can lead to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately benefiting your bottom line.

Summary: in a world where innovation and speed are paramount, automated testing isn't just an option; it's a necessity.

It’s a powerful tool that can help organisations achieve significant time and monetary savings, by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, and freeing up resource for more strategic testing efforts. This empowers your development team to deliver software that meets and exceeds customer expectations, ensuring your business remains at the forefront of your industry.

It significantly enhances efficiency and reduces costs through decreased manual effort and ensures consistent, reliable testing outcomes. Not everything can be automated, some testing manual testing will still be required, but where you can automate, you can drive efficiency!

If your organisation would like to know more about automation, or assess whether your existing tools are giving you the most return, please reach out to us for a no obligation conversation. One of our Quality Engineering experts will be happy to discuss your business requirements and how automation can help your business remain competitive and streamline development pipelines.