Robot Process Automation As A Power Tool For Testing

Business automation tools called Robot Process Automation (RPA), provide a new powerful tool for testers and business users performing testing, particularly in the context of performing large scale standard systems like SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce, etc. 

While there are other power tools for web and API testing, the RPA tools are a class of their own, as RPA tools enable codeless automation macros on the desktop. RPA tools can do some very helpful things. They can be utilized for both test data and regression testing.

What is RPA?

RPA (Robotics Process Automation) which enables companies to automate task just like a human being was performing them over application and systems. The goal of RPA is to transfer the process execution from humans to bots. Robotic process automation interacts with the current IT architecture with no complex system integration needed.

RPA automation can be utilized to automate workflow, infrastructure, back-office procedures which are labor-intensive. These software bots can communicate with an in-house application, user portal,  website, etc. RPA stands for Robotic Process Automation. Robotic Process Automation is a software program that operates on an end user’s pc, laptop, or mobile device. It is a series of commands which are performed by Bots under some defined collection of business rules.

The main purpose of the Robotics process automation process to substitute repetitive and boring administrative tasks done by humans, with a virtual workforce. RPA automation does not need the development of code, nor does it need direct access to the code or database of the applications.

Benefits of RPA

Some benefits that RPA can give to your organization:

• Large numbers of the process can quickly have automated.
• Cost is decreased significantly as the RPA takes care of the repetitive jobs and saves precious time and resources.
• Programming skills are not required to configure a software robot. Thus, any non-technical team can set up a bot or even report their steps to automate the process.
• Robotic process automation support and enables all regular compliance process, with error-free auditing.
• The robotic software can quickly model and use the automation process.
• The defects are tracked for every test case story and the sprint.
• Effective, seamless Build & Release Management
• Real-time visibility into bug/defect discovery
• There is no human business which suggests there is no requirement for time for the requirement of training.
• Software robots do not get tired. It builds which helps to increase the scalability.

What do these differences mean for software testing?       

• Automation must perform in a test environment that’s typically inadequate, evolving, and restrained
• Managing stateful, reliable, and compliant test data becomes a big challenge
• An effective test case design is required for success
• Failures require to provide insight on business risk

To put it into more precise terms, let’s consider the case of testing an online travel service. Suppose you need to check the functionality that enables a user to continue his prepaid hotel reservation. First, you’d require to decide how many tests are needed to thoroughly handle the application logic, and what data combinations each would require to use.

Then, you’d want to acquire and provision all the data needed to set the application to the state where the test situation can be executed. In this case, you require (at least) an existing user account with a current prepaid reservation for some date in the future, and you could not practice actual production data, due to privacy regulations like GDPR.

Next, you require a way to request the necessary variety of responses from the connected hotel reservation system (a room is available/not available), the credit card (transaction approved/denied), etc. but without really booking a room or charging a credit card.

You would need to automate the process, of course. This includes logging in, recovering the existing reservation, showing that you want to change it, then defining the length of the extension.

Once you got the whole process automated, you’d require to configure a number of validations at various checkpoints. Were the relevant details sent to the hotel in the proper message format? Was the reservation updated in your user database? Was payment data correctly transferred to the credit card provider? Were any account credits used? Did the user get an appropriate message if the reservation could not be continued? What about if the credit card was rejected? And if the credit card was rejected, did your system revert to the original reservation period rather than append additional nights that were not actually paid for? 

Even this simple example shows some of the many software testing complexities that RPA tools just aren’t meant to address. RPA tools are developed to automate particular tasks within a series. Software test automation tools are intended to estimate the resilience of a more extensive sequence of tasks. To put it bluntly: RPA tools are architected to make a process work. But for software testing, you require tools that help you decide how a process can probably break. 

Summary Of RPA Testing

Code-less: No need to remember any syntax.

Simplicity: Easy to create a method through simple drag and drop.

Scalability: It can be performed by assigning work to multiple workstations.

Cost-saving: Large reduction in cost as a very minimal workforce is needed.

Accuracy: As the tasks are completed by the bots.

Productivity: As it is robotic, productivity will be very high.

Flexibility: The test process does not depend on the kind of software under test, whether it is web-based, desktop application, or mobile application.

RPA tools can also improve and make your testing more efficient. There is no reason to see this as a threat to your testing, but a method to skill up that is possibly less technical than normally thought.

Testunity is a SaaS-based technology platform that is operated by a wide community of tester and QA spread around the globe. We provide end to end software testing cycle and ensure the best results. Testunity helps in delivering the project on time and without any bugs or issues without the need to spend much on testing.

For more on Robot Process Automation (RPA) in QA, visit our blog or connect with our testing experts at TestUnity.

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