Automated software testing has moved to a state where it’s practical for many companies to use at some level, whether it’s for running a few unit tests or for automating the majority of them. This shift has increased the need for automated testing vendors, which are companies that will write test cases for you.
Choosing the right vendor to automate your test cases is an important step toward not only receiving quality products, but also for producing them. As with creating an application like a website, your team wouldn’t start the project without conducting a discovery session to gather details about the project. Outside of the standard technical questions about CMS choice, integrations, migrations, etc. a good automation testing company will ask questions about the client’s goals, who the audience is and how they will use the site, what problems users often encounter with the current site, etc. This deeper level of inquiry from a vendor shows that they know the landscape, are strategic in their planning, and want to build a product that meets the needs of the customer and its constituents.
Many test automation vendors can automate test cases to meet your specific needs, but not all of them will do it in a strategic way. Top-level vendors will want to discuss the scope and goals of the project and understand how automated testing fits in. They will ask questions about your company’s testing program and how it’s managed and implemented. From that information, they will likely create a methodology framework that will define the incremental steps for the test automation project.
Performing several data variations of a test process is a luxury that manual testing rarely affords because of the time and expense involved. Automated test cases have a different structure that allows test vendors to easily create data variations to increase test coverage without significantly increasing the time to create test cases. This means that complex test cases with a great deal of variety are possible which helps build confidence that the software will function according to requirements.
A strategic approach to test automation is a sign that the vendor is willing to exert a high level of effort up front so that automated testing for each project will produce results quickly and with a high degree of accuracy. A respectable automated testing vendor wants your project to succeed, and they are willing to spend time on information-gathering tasks to make that happen. They also look for ways to improve the process of writing test cases, and they direct resources toward writing new methodologies and researching new technologies, such as artificial intelligence. Technology and the corporate culture around it change quickly, and you want a vendor that is passionate, flexible, and open minded about the future of automation. Think of it this way: A good vendor embraces the fact that digital transformation is the body and automated testing is the heart.
Automated software testing has come a long way and the affordability and efficiencies it offers make it a viable option for organizations of all sizes. Those who choose to go outside of their organization to have test cases written are faced with the question of what to look for in a vendor. Many obvious factors figure in such as recommendations and cost, but the selection process should go deeper than that. You want your automated software testing vendor to be a partner in your efforts; you want a company that is both strategic in their approach to writing test scripts and innovative in researching new technologies. Together, these characteristics enable the vendor to learn a great deal about your project and incorporate the best solutions to meet your goals.
Automators’ takes a strategic approach that helps us gain valuable insight into each project.
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