Why Automated Application Testing Is the Key to Digital Transformation
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Tue, 10/12/2021 - 05:51
Why Automated Application Testing Is the Key to Digital Transformation
October 12, 2021
by Prasanna Lakshmi Narasimha, Head of Delivery, Applications & Data Services EMEA, Rackspace Technology
The global pandemic accelerated the digital transformation journey of organisations as the focus on delivering an enhanced digital customer experience (CX) became a priority. According to a BCG study, nearly 90% of digital transformations aimed to improve CX, which included digital marketing, personalisation, and streamlining customer journeys.
Customer-oriented application modernisation
We found in our own research that two of the biggest drivers of application modernisation are customer-oriented: 54% of participants are looking to improve customer satisfaction and 40% wish to leverage data-driven insights to improve customer engagement.
At the centre of digital transformation lies application modernisation, with organisations migrating applications to the cloud, building net new cloud native applications or incorporating AI and machine learning into applications. Application development has moved from being process-driven to now focusing on outcomes, so organisations look to retain a competitive edge by continually improving CX, among other things.
The pace of innovation in CX demands frequent application releases, since organizations require applications to be both easy-to-use and available anywhere. Before those applications are released, they must be tested to ensure that they are functional, secure, usable and safeguard user privacy. Continuous testing provides a feedback cycle that helps ensure the new features of an application will meet expectations.
Automated application testing
Automated testing provides end-to-end quality assurance and is efficient and cost-effective. An InfoWorld survey reported that organisations with automated testing at levels of 50% automation or more experienced 88% faster testing cycles and 68% caught bugs earlier. The result is an improvement in the quality and speed of applications going to market while using fewer resources.
Without automation, the story is very different. According to an IDC report, critical application failure can cost on average $1 million an hour. The same report also found that the average total cost of unplanned application downtime per year is $1.25 - $2.5 billion.
Traditional application testing vs automated application testing
But how does traditional application testing differ from automated application testing?
At the simplest level, traditional application testing focuses on finding bugs in code, while automated application testing aims to prevent bugs from occurring in the first place.
Traditional application testing methodology involves testing the code at a component level using unit tests. At the next level, integration tests ensure components interact with each other and then UI testing validates the code from the end user's perspective. It's a manual process that can be error-prone and difficult to scale.
Using the agile approach, automated application testing leverages AI and machine learning technology for each testing stage. As the application evolves, testing scripts are kept in sync using automation. Automation enables an increased number of unit and integration tests improving application quality through continuous testing.
The comprehensive nature of automated testing ensures that new features are added safely, without breaking the existing application features.
Another contrast: automated application testing requires tools and expertise in automation that differ from the manual approach. Some tools offer codeless AI-driven features while other tools require scripting. Whether using a commercial or an open-source tool, automation provides consistent results and data points.
How can you take an agile approach to software testing?
Rackspace Application Testing Services offers automated testing that accelerates software delivery by reducing cycle times by 80%.
Automation brings benefits including ease-of-maintenance, the ability to use resources during off-peak hours and auto-generated reports based on executed tests.
Automation also allows video recording of the testing process. The errors of manual testing are eliminated with an AI-driven codeless platform.
Additionally, you can reduce costs with end-to-end test automation rates greater than 90%. Using the service raises confidence in application releases as the business risk coverage is greater than 85%.
Rackspace Application Testing Services also provides the requisite cloud expertise to test both cloud native applications, as well as applications migrated to the cloud.
Because of the complexity of cloud infrastructure, thorough investigation of many points is essential in finding and fixing even a single application error.
Whether your application is in the cloud or in a hybrid environment, Rackspace Application Testing Services can help you deliver high-performing, quality applications.
Want to know more about the Rackspace Application Testing Service? We are standing by to answer your questions.
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