Achieving high-quality products while meeting tight deadlines is a constant challenge: companies often find themselves at the crossroads of quality assurance, where manual testing can be time-consuming, and regression testing becomes a bottleneck, hindering their ability to deliver on time. This is where Jalasoft, with over two decades of invaluable expertise, steps in to transform the landscape. With a focus on best practices in test automation, Jalasoft has been at the forefront of improving software quality and streamlining test automation processes.
Jalasoft Test Automation Expertise
At Jalasoft we approach automation projects as development projects, and we apply test automation code strategies at several levels:
Code (unit testing)
Service layers
and UI
We follow the automation pyramid where the number of Unit Tests are higher than Service Tests, and Service Tests are higher than UI Tests.
Plus, we are technical to the point of earning the influence and technical buy-in from development teams that will contribute to the framework and strategy as well. We can design and implement a test solution that offers a comprehensive view and understanding of the quality of deliverables on a short feedback loop to the engineering and product teams. The higher value outcome is fewer issues in the field, reduced costs to refactor later and a more satisfied user base.
Test Automation Strategy and Framework
Jalasoft's approach to test automation is comprehensive, covering multiple pivotal phases:
1. Analysis: Reducing Manual Testing Dependency
In this initial phase, the project's foundation is laid. Jalasoft invests time in comprehending the project's unique requirements, grand mission, and automation goals. Potential frameworks, architectures, and tech stacks (POC) that align with the mission are explored.
2. Design: Test Automation Capabilities
The second phase translates these concepts into the actual automation framework. The structure of the tests earmarked for automation also takes shape.
2. Plan: Efficient Software Quality Assurance
In the final phase, Jalasoft articulates a tailor-made plan, charting an efficient course to accomplish the mission at hand.
This strategic approach equips Jalasoft with an unparalleled 360-degree view of deliverable quality. It ensures the establishment of swift feedback loops, offering comprehensive insights to both engineering and product teams. This approach, ultimately, leads to fewer complications in the field, lower refactoring costs, and a more satisfied user base.
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A Successful Case Study: Test Automation at Jalasoft
Optimizing Testing Processes
Our partner was heavily if not fully dependent upon manual testing. So much so that their process of validating build quality proved to be time-consuming, often resulting in the discovery of defects during the later stages. Additionally, as new features were introduced, the regression testing time increased, leading to difficulties in meeting release timelines.
Our partner encountered these challenges with their four distinct web applications, each utilizing different tech stack and architecture. The driver behind the pursuit of greater test automation, in addition to the issues mentioned earlier, was articulated as a "need to scale quickly on multiple products from a development perspective to meet market opportunities."
Automation Strategy and Framework
After an exhaustive analysis over the different products and projects it was proposed to create two different automation sub-teams; one to work on the core structure, libraries, components and other that would be learning their products domain, execute exploratory testing (to enforce learning) and in a collaborative work along with POs, QAs identify the priorities of the features that have to be validated by test automation, guaranteeing the return of investment in test automation.
To proactively assess the proposal's effectiveness, our automation team initiated Proof of Concept (PoC) exercises, validating various components across both the UI and API. This deliberate approach aimed to uncover any limitations and challenges, thereby guiding us in making informed decisions on our next steps.
Once the most suitable course of action was determined, we proceeded to implement the core of our automation strategy. Automation testers promptly incorporated this framework into their workflow to automate tests specific to each product. We also established standardized testing scenarios to ensure clear comprehension among all team members regarding the scope and outcomes of each test.
We then carefully selected and executed test cases, categorizing them based on whether they required nightly or weekly execution, aligning with our partner's specific needs and contextual considerations.
The Results: Efficient Software Quality Assurance
We devised an Automation Approach and Strategy to address the pain points our partner faced while testing their various applications. This strategy was primarily centered on the Service Layer API and UI, which had proven to be challenging areas for our partner. We adopted a Test Pyramid approach, where the majority of our tests were crafted at the API level, followed by End-to-End (E2E) tests in the UI.
This comprehensive test automation strategy and framework laid the foundation for creating initial tests for each product. This initiative clearly demonstrated the feasibility of automated testing and showcased its substantial short, mid, and long-term advantages.
In line with best practices in test automation, we implemented this framework with a set of key attributes in mind: maintainability, robustness, efficiency, readability, usability, flexibility, extensibility, and test case standardization.
The standardization of test cases offered several significant benefits. It ensured that different teams within the organization could speak a common domain language for both Quality Assurance and Automation. All tests adhered to the same predictable structure, allowing for consistency and streamlined collaboration among teams. Furthermore, automation testers could transition to other teams with ease, provided they received proper training on the product. The tool that played a pivotal role in achieving this standardization was Cucumber with the Gherkin language.
The impact of Jalasoft's strategic approach was profound:
Comprehensive test automation strategy and framework adoption significantly reduced test execution times.
Successfully added tests across all products, seamlessly integrating them into their respective delivery pipelines.
Automated BVT (Build Verification Tests) that validates the critical functionality of the product, and it is executed every single night.
Automated Regression that are executed every single weekend.
Saved time in reducing the test execution from 180hrs to 20hrs with automated tests.
Reduced infrastructure costs by 60 – 70% when finding performance bugs in the production environment.
Catch bugs before releasing the new features to the production.
This comprehensive approach has proven to be highly beneficial for Our Partner, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding continuous integration and further enhancing their overall efficiency and effectiveness.
Gradually and consistently minimized Our Partner's dependency on manual testing as the sole method of validating product quality.
Implemented industry best practices, a development process and a full integration of automation testers and testing into Scrum Teams. This integration facilitates active participation in sprint-to-sprint.
Empowered Our Partner to achieve incremental acceleration in test cycles and rapid scaling of multiple products, all while maintaining high quality control.
This holistic approach fortified Jalasoft's partner, enabling them to make informed decisions about continuous integration and boost overall efficiency and effectiveness. The reliance on manual testing dwindled, with automation seamlessly integrated into the testing process.
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Hire Jalasoft for Effective Quality Control in Software
Jalasoft has over 20 years of invaluable expertise in commercial software development and testing, serving a diverse range of international clients while also developing our own innovative intellectual property.
Our team of 400 highly skilled engineers specializing in Quality Assurance are currently engaged in more than 60 active projects in test automation, following the best practices in test automation. This extensive experience enables us to excel across multiple tech stacks, various product configurations (including web, mobile, and cloud), and adapt to numerous engineering processes or methodologies.
Not only do we possess a deep understanding of industry best practices in test automation, but we also actively contribute to shaping and refining them. By partnering with Jalasoft, organizations gain immediate access to our expertise, seamless team integration, a strong sense of ownership, and the consistent delivery of software at the highest standards.
Ready to enhance your software's quality and efficiency? Partner with Jalasoft today for top-notch test automation services. Streamline your development process, minimize manual testing dependencies, and ensure high-quality software delivery. Contact us now to get started.
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