Exploring the Nuances of Automated Regression Testing

While automated testing is becoming a priority for more and more organizations today, the speed of adoption of this technology is not as high as it may appear. For instance, a mobile testing platform Kobiton found in its 2023 survey that only 24% of respondents had managed to achieve over 50% automation. Indeed, despite its powerful potential, automated testing poses certain challenges, which can hinder the transition to a modern way of software testing and, in certain cases, even cause its failure. Read this article to learn about these nuances and prepare to deal with them beforehand, particularly in the context of automated regression testing.

Choice of a tool for automated regression testing

As per the same report from Kobiton, 26% of surveyed companies admitted that the biggest challenge they faced during the adoption of automated regression testing was the choice of a tool.

The assortment of automated regression testing tools can be rather overwhelming, but it is possible to make the selection much easier. For this purpose, it is helpful to start with a detailed analysis of the testing needs of your organization, including the following requirements:

– Tested software

Ensure the selected tool is suitable for testing your software. If you are planning to use a testing framework or application with one specific product, it may be sensible to invest in a dedicated solution, which often comes optimized for this particular software, for example, Executive Automats for Microsoft Dynamics 365. At the same time, if you would like to test numerous applications, it will be sensible to choose a more universal option that can cover the needs of all these products.

– Types of tests

Although there are many tools focused specifically on regression testing, the market also offers solutions that can cover other testing needs of your company. For instance, Executive Automats is also an efficient solution for performance testing.

Additionally, consider the different scopes of regression testing and ensure you choose a tool with the required features. Tools for functional regression testing are particularly popular; however, your company may also need to conduct other types of automated regression testing, including unit regression testing, integration regression testing, or non-functional regression testing.

– Level of automation

Pay attention to the different levels of automation provided by regression testing tools and ensure the product you choose can satisfy them. For example, if the testing product primarily automates test case execution, whereas the team has to put manual effort into the creation of test scripts and their maintenance, as well as analyzing test results, the regression testing tool can be considered as one offering a low level of automation.

Meanwhile, the highest level of test automation in regression testing may also support the ability of the tool to adapt test scripts to some of the software changes automatically, intelligent test generation, and analysis of test results.

– Ease of use

Misunderstanding the user-friendliness of your regression testing tool can have serious implications for the costs of testing as it can significantly hinder the efficiency of work with this application or framework and increase reliance on costly support provided by professional testers. Less user-friendly tools often require a high level of technical knowledge from testers, whereas the most easy-to-use options like Executive Automats are equipped with no-code interfaces.

– Resources and budget

Budget assessment for a test automation project should be completed carefully, with in-depth ROI assessment, as some expenses, such as the overall costs of using a regression testing tool, may not be straightforward. This is particularly true in the case of complex testing products offered for free, like Selenium. The use of such tools requires continuous assistance from professional testers, which can generate significant expenses.

Test selection

The choice of test cases for execution is another aspect of automated testing that can easily turn into a challenge and make the test automation project ineffective. To avoid such a scenario, it is necessary to understand that achieving complete test automation is highly unlikely, and companies have to prioritize some test cases over others.

To do so, organizations need to identify critical functionalities and features and analyze the risk and impact of these areas on the performance and usability of the tested software and its core workflows in particular. At the same time, it is recommended to build a foundation for automated regression testing based on stable and reusable test cases. However, even once you develop an effective suite of test cases, it is crucial to conduct regular revisions and evaluate the effectiveness of your test cases.

Test maintenance

Maintaining your test scripts is one of the most significant challenges of automated regression testing often overlooked by companies, subsequently leading to excessive expenses. Scripts require regular maintenance to ensure they are accurate and reliable, especially when the tested software has undergone modifications. Test maintenance also aims to minimize the fragility and flakiness of test scripts caused by numerous factors, including dynamic UI elements and intermittent network connectivity.

Modular test design, data-driven testing, and parameterization are some of the techniques that make test scripts easier to reuse and adjust to changes in the software while implementing version control systems for managing test scripts facilitates tracking changes.

The complexity of automated regression testing

An efficient transition to automated regression testing requires a deep understanding of the complexity involved in creating, executing, and maintaining test scripts and addressing the various challenges that arise during the process. Proactive strategies, continuous refinement of testing practices, and investment in appropriate tools and resources are essential for overcoming these issues and ensuring the success of automated regression testing initiatives.