Building an Effective Automation Test Planning Strategy for Quality Apps

In the fast-paced world of DevOps, a robust automation test planning strategy is essential to ensure continuous testing and deliver high-quality applications. While automation may require an upfront investment of time and resources, the long-term benefits are significant. As test coverage increases and testing time decreases, overall application quality improves.

To optimize the automation process and achieve testing efficiency, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive software testing strategy.

This blog will guide you through the fundamentals of creating an automation test planning strategy and provide actionable insights to enhance your app quality today.

What Is an Automated Test Strategy?

An automated test strategy encompasses the utilization of automation frameworks throughout the testing process. It encompasses manual and automated test planning, diverse test case types, automation scripts, test environments, test data, test results, execution logs, and reporting output.

A successful automated test strategy entails:

• Integrating automation into the entire development pipeline.
• Treating test code as valuable product code.
• Aligning with DevOps practices to ensure a smooth transition.

Creating a Successful Software Testing Strategy:

To establish a successful software testing strategy for automation, it is important to define your overall objectives. Consider the following questions:

• What goals do the C-suite executives aim to achieve?
• What is the technical skill set of the team working on the application?
• How can the current approach be modified in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?
• Which frameworks and tools can be leveraged for automation?
• What is the current testing environment, and how can it be streamlined or improved?
• How can automation be made more reliable and trustworthy, gaining upfront confidence from future teams?

Standardizing your approach is paramount in developing a software testing strategy. Start by identifying suitable candidates for automation, focusing on tests that provide the most value to foster trust in the automation process.

Additionally, consider the following categories:

• Technical Skillset: Audit the team’s technical skills to determine what can be tested and what should be automated.
• Scope: Understand the project’s scope to align your automation testing plan accordingly.
• Objectives: Clearly outline the objectives of your automation testing plan.
• Framework & Tools: Identify the most suitable framework and tools for your organization’s needs.
• Environment: Assess the current testing environment and seek ways to streamline and improve it.
• Schedule: Determine the frequency of test executions and quantify the time-saving proposition.

By reviewing these factors and evaluating your current status, you can develop a comprehensive automation test planning strategy.

Creating an Automation Test Planning Strategy:

Your automation test strategy is a critical component of successful testing and should be integrated throughout the software delivery lifecycle. Follow these steps to create an effective automation test planning strategy:

Create a Pipeline Blueprint:

Start by assessing your existing DevOps pipeline and identify areas where improvements can be made. Consider cyclical segments, such as those defined in the SAFe methodology, and aim for a continuous delivery pipeline that fosters iterative and repeatable software delivery.

Leverage the Cloud:

Utilizing cloud infrastructure for test automation offers several advantages. Explore compatibility testing, load testing, and user acceptance testing scenarios that can benefit from the scalability and flexibility of cloud resources.

Embrace Automation:

Automation plays a pivotal role in achieving a successful test automation strategy. Prioritize automating regression tests and leverage stable recording technologies for functional tests. Incorporate mobile testing into your strategy to address the increasing demand for mobile app testing.

Start Small, Scale Up:

Building trust between development and testing practitioners is crucial. Begin with a small, proven smoke or sanity test suite that runs automatically within your Continuous Integration (CI) environment. Gradually expand test coverage to include more essential scenarios and platforms while maintaining coding practices and test certification processes.

Also Read: Playwright, Cypress, And Selenium: Unveiling The Best Cross-Browser Testing Solution

Conclusion:

Building an effective automation test planning strategy is vital for achieving testing efficiency and delivering high-quality applications. By blueprinting your pipeline, leveraging cloud resources, embracing automation, and scaling up gradually, you can establish a robust strategy that streamlines testing processes, improves application quality, and enables successful DevOps implementation.

When it comes to QA, nothing is better than having the correct people in charge. That’s why we make sure that everyone on our team is qualified and accredited on some of the industry’s best practices. 

At TestUnity we have an expert team of QA Engineers. This enables us to give our clients the support they require to make sure that their software hits the market in the right circumstances. Contact us for a free consultation and see why TestUnity’s QA approach is the best choice for your software.

TestUnity

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