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QA Automation: Setup Plan, Required Skills and Tools
ScienceSoft has been providing QA consultancy and software test automation services for 22 years.
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The Essence of QA Automation
Time to set up: ~ 2 weeks.
Key project steps: Feasibility study, QA automation design, technical and human resources setup or vendor selection, QA automation launch.
Cost: 15-20% lower compared to the cost of performing exclusively manual testing for the same project.
Team: Test manager, test architect, test automation engineer.
ScienceSoft relies on the decades-long testing experience in 30+ industries and helps companies set up QA automation quickly and cost-effectively.
QA Automation Setup Plan
Setting up a QA automation process may vary depending on the specifics and the scale of your software development project. Below are described the typical steps we at ScienceSoft take to perform QA automation setup.
1. Feasibility study
To decide on the feasibility of test automation for your software development project and ensure fast ROI, analyze software’s technical aspects, complexity, stability, and size. It is optimal to automate testing of stable software modules that do not frequently change.
Also, assess test scripts reusability potential and the share of test scripts to be executed across several test environments. The larger the share of test scripts that don’t depend on custom web page elements, require human intervention to verify outputs, or take much effort to be modified and updated, the more likely your test automation initiative will bring fast ROI.
2. QA automation process design
Decide on whether you will run test automation in-house or outsource it. If you opt for in-house test automation, outline the aspects of collaboration within the team and develop test automation KPIs to track the effectiveness of the initiative. Set up such performance indicators as automated test coverage, cost per automated test, test run time, the share of passed and failed tests. If you decide to outsource test automation, you can use a collaboration approach and a KPI system offered by a vendor or draw on a vendor’s help in developing them.
3. Technical and human resources setup or vendor selection
If QA automation is done in-house
Test automation frameworks selection
At ScienceSoft, when selecting an optimal framework, we pay attention to:
- Adequacy of framework functionality to your testing needs, environment, and technology stack.
- A framework’s learning curve and the skills required to use it.
- The availability of customer support from a framework vendor.
- A framework’s reporting capabilities.
Hiring and training staff
Collect a pool of test automation talent adequate to the scale of your project and the complexity of your software. Make sure your team is well-versed in designing scalable test architectures and developing easily maintainable test scripts.
If test automation is outsourced
Vendor selection
- Pay attention to companies with proven QA expertise supported by a portfolio of relevant projects.
- Opt for a vendor, which values a long-term partnership and make sure that they are flexible in responding to requirements changes or fluctuations in your project scale and timeline.
- Ensure that a testing service provider has the required infrastructure to support testing of your product or enterprise software.
4. QA automation launch
Having selected a vendor, agree on the service level objectives, sign a contract, and arrange transfer of knowledge to a vendor’s team. In case of in-house test automation, design the workflows for the collaboration of the vendor’s team with the project team, and integrate test automation engineers accordingly.
Typical Roles in Our QA Automation Setup Teams
Test manager
- Defining the scope of testing.
- Documenting, implementing, monitoring, and improving testing processes.
- Building up and managing a team of test engineers.
- Reviewing test documentation and artifacts.
- Tracking test results.
Test architect
- Test automation strategy design.
- Test architecture design.
- Test automation frameworks and technologies selection.
- Liaising with DevOps or operations teams to provide for relevant test infrastructures.
Test automation engineer
- Designing, developing, and maintaining test scripts.
- Cooperating with DevOps or operations teams on integrating test scripts into CI/CD pipelines.
Sourcing Models for QA Automation
Management and execution are in-house
Pros:
- Full control over the QA processes.
Caution:
- Risks related to the QA automation process setup and management, e.g., incorrect evaluation of time and effort, incompatibility of selected test automation frameworks with your test environment.
Management is in-house, execution is partially or completely outsourced
Pros:
- Reduced test automation setup costs due to a vendor’s already established processes.
Caution:
- Possible communication issues between the in-house management and an outsourced team.
Management and execution are completely outsourced
Pros:
- Optimized costs due to experienced QA automation process management and the employment of test automation best practices.
- A QA automation outsourced vendor bears full responsibility for QA automation setup process.
Caution:
- Possible vendor risks related to the vendor’s integration into the project processes.
Why Choose ScienceSoft to Set Up QA Automation
- 34 years in software testing.
- 22 years in test automation services.
- 750+ completed testing projects since 2010.
- ISTQB-certified test engineers.
- ISO 9001-certified quality management system.
- ISO 27001-certified to ensure security of customers’ sensitive information.
ScienceSoft’s Hallmark Projects in QA Automation
Software Test Automation Set Up for Verifying Website Changes
Introduced by ScienceSoft QA automation helped the Customer decrease the number of UI problems by 30%, minimize the time to recognize UI defects and reduce the time and effort for the website support team to fix the reported UI defects.
Automation of Regression Testing with Appium for a Secure Mobile App
ScienceSoft delivered regression testing automation for iOS and Android platforms and helped the Customer lessen human and financial resources on testing of their updated mobile messaging app.
IBM SIEM Test Automation for a Trusted Software and Hardware Supplier
ScienceSoft introduced test automation on the Customer’s complex projects and helped the Customer improve product test coverage by saving manual test team's time for additional test scenarios execution. As a result, with a less numerous software test team the overall product quality was improved.
Technologies ScienceSoft Uses for QA Automation
Below is a quick overview of the tools that we at ScienceSoft often choose for our QA automation projects.
QA Automation Cost
The cost of test automation varies depending on the project scale and specifics. For example, for an 8-month project with 2-week iterations and 100 new test cases written and executed per one iteration, the cost of setting up and executing test automation with a coverage of 70% will constitute around $20,000, which is 15% lower compared to the cost of performing exclusively manual testing for the same project.
The cost constituents of test automation include:
For an outsourced option
- The number of automated test cases.
- The time to develop a test script.
- Test script maintenance efforts per project.
- Cost of employed software, e.g., CI/CD engines.
- Test automation team members’ rates.
For an in-house option
- The number of test architects and test automation engineers in the test automation team (depends on project duration, test automation coverage, the time to develop test scripts, and test scripts maintenance efforts).
- Cost of employed software, e.g., CI/CD engines.
Consider Professional Test Automation Services
With 22 years in test automation, ScienceSoft has developed best practices to set up and implement QA automation quickly and cost-effectively.
QA automation consulting
- Test automation feasibility study.
- Test automation process design.
- Test automation setup plan.
- Optimal sourcing model selection.
- Test automation framework selection.
QA automation outsourcing
- Test automation strategy design.
- Test case design.
- Test script development.
- Test script maintenance.
- Test environment setup.
- Automated test data preparation.
Benefits of QA Automation with ScienceSoft
Speed
ScienceSoft needs just one week to conduct automation feasibility study and dive into your project’s specifics.
Careful tool selection
Selecting an optimal framework, we consider adequacy of framework functionality, a framework’s learning curve and reporting capabilities.
Information security
Alongside with ISO 27001 certification, ScienceSoft uses VPNs, SSLS, and encryption protocols combined with our internal security measures to protect your sensitive information.
ABOUT SCIENCESOFT
ScienceSoft is a global IT consulting and software development company headquartered in McKinney, TX, US. We deliver QA automation services and advise our customers on how to improve software quality and reduce testing time and efforts with QA automation.