Most of the time, developers modify their software to optimize it. Yet, even such changes in programs can cause unpredictable negative effects. To avoid unnecessary disruptions and prepare properly for inevitable ones, it is necessary to carry out regression testing after any alternation of an application.
When Is Regression Testing Particularly Needed?
There are many scenarios in which regression testing proves to be useful. As a rule, these cases are related to any code modifications.
Obviously, regression testing is required to make sure a code is working properly after repairing defects or bugs. It is also helpful to identify the root of performance problems.
Yet, regression testing does not necessarily focus exclusively on software issues. Adding new features or integrations as well as customizing an application are also the right moments to complete regression testing to ensure the changes are working in the desired way. Furthermore, testing offers a better understanding of the potential for software optimization.
While it is certain that regression testing is of paramount importance to development teams, it is also essential for companies deploying software provided by third parties.
Consider Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations, which is a complex enterprise resource planning (ERP) system built according to the “One Version” strategy. This cloud-based suite is undergoing constant improvements, which might be capable of affecting core business operations in the companies relying on this software. Moreover, each organization that has adopted it has its own configurations and data flows uniquely interacting with the ERP system.
For such programs, regular testing should be conducted by both developers and users who can rely on a dedicated automated regression testing tool.
Regression Testing Benefits for Your Company
One of the greatest advantages of including regression testing in your toolkit is effective risk management. For companies offering their software to the public, regression testing helps to avoid customer refusal to use their applications which commonly happens when an issue arises in the software.
For organizations deploying software for their internal usage, regression testing helps to maintain the stability of business processes after external updates as well as system configurations made within a company.
Regression testing has particular significance for teams working according to Agile methodology, which is commonly used for software development. It is based on small, yet frequent updates aiming to continually improve the quality of a product and enhance its functionality.
As you now know, any code modification can trigger an unwanted response in an application, therefore regression testing is a core tool to protect the product built with Agile against possible conflicts.
Not only does it help to maintain the project’s stability, but it also saves a lot of resources that would otherwise be spent on endless evaluation of defects in previous versions of the product. This allows software houses to earmark more resources for further growth of the software.
Automation of Regression Testing
Depending on the scale of the software and the frequency of updates, regression testing can become rather costly when handled manually. Despite this fact, the importance of regression testing for the health of software and companies deploying it makes it a priority for many businesses.
Fortunately, regression testing can be automated to minimize the load of work required from testers and reduce the costs of this procedure.
Automation is an effective way of scaling regression testing processes, which is especially crucial for complex software such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 mentioned above.
The reusability of the tests generated with an automated tool significantly expands test coverage. At the same time, these features of automated testing help to maintain a testing routine that can now have tests scheduled during night hours and weekends.
Automation of regression testing also increases the accuracy of the procedure and makes it possible to standardize tests, which in turn, makes their results more comprehensible.
Some tools for regression testing, such as Executive Automats, bring automation to the next level with their codeless design. The user-friendly interface of no-code applications significantly saves the time and effort of professional testers and makes testing more understandable to users without a technical background.
