Test automation platforms with the right balance of features are perfect for allowing for innovation and experimentation.
While some view quality assurance as no more than a means to the end goal of bug-free software, a smooth user experience, and a faster time to release, proper software testing helps support innovation and the development of new features and products. Continuous Testing that pairs neatly with your CI/CD will enable agile experimentation and rapid prototyping, especially if you can test earlier in your SDLC.
When it comes to experimentation in software, sometimes the process can be pretty grueling. This is especially true when spending all day coding something and then getting an error thrown back because you left off a bracket in line 394 (we’ve all been there). Once your experiment (a feature, new interface, or whatever it may be) is ready to be tested, you get pretty excited to get to the testing part. With test automation that tests like a user, you don’t have to worry about developer bias. But more importantly, you can test your application at pretty much any stage, including from a clickable wireframe, which means you can skip the UX part and go straight to testing.
For organizations that are adopting test automation for the first time, it can be a game-changer for their SDLC. Traditionally, testing has been seen as a bottleneck - a last-minute step to muddle through before pushing out your new feature or update. Luckily in more recent years, the importance of testing has been pulled to the forefront of the minds of the development world, but it's still not enough. QA Ops is how testing becomes fully integrated into your CI/CD.
Continuous Testing is the practice of setting up your testing to automatically trigger during your SDLC whenever they're needed, not just during the designated testing phase. This way, you're getting immediate feedback about any potential risks, and you're always ready to release.
DevOps and QA must work together closer than ever to increase the efficiency of testing and iterating. But don't fall into the common trap of thinking that devs can start doing their own testing! Because the developers already know how their application works, they can't objectively test it for user experience, which is a vital part of testing as a whole. However, test automation can bring the QA and DevOps teams closer together as they work to identify bugs and patch them before the new software or update is released.
A platform like Virtuoso makes it easier than ever to foster this cooperation, especially since testing teams can simply send a link to devs so they can see the bug in action instead of struggling to replicate it. They can also tag team members, write notes, and keep a log of what's been changed all within the same platform. To see Virtuoso in action, book a demo with us!
