Automated testing and manual test processes have always been compared with one another. Since test automation became a tangible concept, testers have compared these methods to find the best techniques.
The truth is that there are stark differences between these two testing methods. Their processes bring varying benefits for testers and QA analysts. Manual testing is not accurate as it requires human participation, which may cause bugs and errors. Meanwhile, automated testing is more reliable as it is run by prewritten codes and tools. However, some testers wonder if test automation is completely replacing manual testing. Currently, testers can run some tests manually, but test automation seems to have more benefits than running manual tests. What are the benefits of automated testing over manual test processes?
Quicker software tests
One of the most notable differences between manual testing and test automation is the speed of delivery. Manual test processes take significantly longer than automated tests because they rely heavily on human resources. Conversely, test automation is much quicker because technology takes over instead of relying heavily on human resources.
Instead of running tedious and repetitive tests, prebuilt test cases or tools can do these tasks. Also, testing processes like end-to-end system tests can take up to months with manual test techniques. On the contrary, test automation allows testing teams to reach conclusive results in hours or days.
More comprehensive results
Test automation is quicker but does this mean it is not comprehensive? Unlike manual test processes, automation focuses on comprehensive results and speed. Although these concepts do not generally go hand-in-hand, it is possible with automated software testing. Test automation covers more ground than manual processes would ever, even with more human resources.
The main benefit is that more is accomplished with fewer resources through automation. Therefore, those comprehensive test results are more profitable to the development team and fixing any reported errors can improve the product’s quality. The increased test coverage also plays a vital role in the Quality Assurance phase.
Increased reliability
In addition to running tests with maximum coverage, the quality of those tests is also of high quality when conducted using test automation. Manual testing is subject to human error since testers have to do it manually. At times, software testing is very demanding with tight deadlines. It gets harder to manage software tests manually during those times because testers can overlook some critical elements.
Many errors can be missed or purposefully overlooked by software testers to avoid deployment delays. Automated testing eliminates this because test cases and tools use a clinical approach. However, there is no way that some tests can be avoided or missed due to human error or workload pressure.
Versatility and flexibility
Although manual processes provide more customizability, testers can often reuse automated scripts. For example, even if an application’s UI has changed, you can still use the same test case scripts. Likewise, projects that use similar or the exact same codebases can also reuse those scripts for their testing processes.
The versatility and flexibility of test automation help improve future testing processes by building libraries of reusable scripts. As time goes on, software testing becomes even more autonomous since the scripts already exist and they do not have to be programmed from scratch. Furthermore, if any changes are due, testers can change those lines of code to customize the test case scripts.
Cost reductions
Initially, test automation seems very expensive because of the upfront costs. Getting a functional test suite or investing time into ensuring that scripts are comprehensive enough costs money. However, when compared with the long-term expenses of manual processes, development teams can save a lot of money.
Teams utilizing test automation do not require many human resources. They fare well with testers and analysts doing the most critical parts of this job. As a result, development teams can minimize their human resources. At the same time, with the boosted productivity, you can generate more revenue. This combination leads to higher profitability and promotes expansion whenever possible.
Organizing testing efforts
Software testing has to be sequenced correctly for the best results. It is the tester’s responsibility to develop a test sequence that is most profitable for that specific project. That includes prioritizing some test processes and planning the testing pipeline efficiently.
Unfortunately, doing this task manually is not easy and can yield poor test results. You can organize testing efforts more conveniently with automated test processes. Test suites come with optimized testing workflows that have the best results. All that you have to do is create test case scripts and implement the already outlined workflow.
Empowering software testers
Test automation does not aim to replace all human resources from the testing process completely. Instead, automation aims at empowering software testers and QA analysts to do more with less. The software development field is plagued with a lack of equilibrium between supply and demand.
There is a high demand for skilled developers and testers. However, there is a shortage in supply which makes the workload for experienced and skilled experts unmanageable. Using test automation can help reduce the workload and empower testers and QA analysts to accomplish more with fewer resources. These professionals can have manageable workloads without compromising their work quality in the long run.
