The pursuit of shorter release timetables has driven the need for automated test script skills in the quality assurance industry.
Many QA managers have felt the pressure to reduce the amount of time their teams spend testing software. It’s a competitive market out there, and executives want to see their latest products in the hands of consumers as soon as possible. Satisfying the corporate desire for quick development and quality assurance turnaround times while still releasing a great piece of software requires testers to strike a delicate balance between speed and performance. In a perfect world, QA management could take all the time in the world to make sure that every flaw and user experience issue has been addressed before the big roll out. As it is, team leaders need to make the best use of the resources they have and structure their processes for optimal quickness.
Automated test tools can be extremely helpful when QA teams find themselves under the gun. Instead of having to manually check lines of code, testers can launch a pre-built test script to make sure the system is running as expected. This will reduce the amount of time QA members spend poring over the nuts and bolts of a program. Also, it can allow professionals to place more focus on checking out more complex modules and taking a holistic view of the product, making sure it will run as expected once a consumer gets in front of it.
Stretching the value of automated testing over time
The resource- and time-saving value of automated testing isn’t just limited to a one-time offer, either. If an organization has a sophisticated test management system in place, its QA members can go back and reuse old test scripts that have proven useful in the past. Quality assurance expert Kerry Zallar explained on her blog that although organizations might chafe at the idea of investing in their test automation capabilities – including bringing on skilled test script writers – the long-term value of these tools should drastically outweigh those costs over the years.
“The benefit comes from running these automated tests every subsequent release,” she wrote. “Therefore, ensuring that the scripts can be easily maintained becomes very important.”
Zallar argued that current testers may not have the skills necessary to create effective test scripts. As much as it may pain managers, they might find themselves needing to hire new QA employees to fill in the skills gap. The problem is writing a quality test script is a far different beast than running said test or manually checking code.
“Since test automation really is another software development effort, it’s important that those performing the work have the correct skill sets,” Zallar stated. “A good tester does not necessarily make a good test automator. … From what I’ve seen, the best test automation efforts have been lead by developers who have put their energies into test automation.”
TechTarget contributor Jennifer Lent recently urged QA pros to brush up on their test script writing skills. She noted that companies are unlikely to pay for additional training, and such classes are usually aimed at developers. Many testers may find that they will have to independently teach themselves about some of the tools of the trade. Of course, with the variety of programming languages in use today, learning them all can be a tall order. Lent recommended that software testers interested in expanding their skill sets and establishing themselves as a flexible member of the QA department begin by learning the basics of easier languages such as Ruby or Python before moving on to more complex offerings.
About The Author
Sanjay Zalavadia is a VP of Client Service for Zephyr, Sanjay brings over 15 years of leadership experience in IT and Technical Support Services. His areas of interest include test Management, Agile, and Performance Testing. Recently he was Associate Vice President at Patni Computers (NYSE: PTI) responsible for the Telecoms IT Managed Services Practice where he established IT Operations teams supporting Virgin Mobile, ESPN Mobile, Disney Mobile and Carphone Warehouse.
