If you're not from a tech background, test automation might seem like a headache, but in reality, you don't need to be an expert in the field to get started.
On paper, test automation sounds like a dream. It’s fair to say that it holds many promises. Take your pick: faster time-to-market, an application with controlled quality, and significant time savings on test execution. Add to that the fact that it allows for faster bug detection —and thus reduces the costs those bugs can incur—and you have everything needed to convince any product team to embark on a test automation initiative.
Yes, but the question is: Is it accessible to anyone? And the answer is yes. Because while test automation may seem complex to set up, in reality, you no longer need specific technical skills to do it. Today, there are very simple solutions that let you automate your tests without writing a single line of code—or almost none at all. You can thank the rise of no-code and low-code, which, among other things, have made assisted development completely accessible to everyone!
The no-what? The what-code?
Simply put, “no-code” generally refers to a platform that allows you to create a website or app without writing a single line of code. “Low-code,” or “codeless,” on the other hand, refers to a platform that allows you to create a website or app while writing only a few lines of code (about 20–30%). Most often, this takes the form of a simplified graphical interface with pre-programmed visual blocks that you can assemble. Just choose the blocks you want, drag and drop them, and you’re done. We’re simplifying things a bit, but that’s to emphasize just how easy it really is.
This technology isn’t exactly new, but the health crisis has significantly increased the demand for these solutions, as companies see them as a way to reduce the time it takes to deploy their applications. And this digital revolution shows no signs of slowing down. According to a study by Gartner, low-code will account for more than 65% of application development activity by 2024.
Simple, fast, and effective, no-code or codeless technology enables anyone leading a project to create their own applications or automate processes—including the creation of assisted test scenarios—while reducing development time and thereby lowering technical costs (skills, equipment, etc.).
That all sounds great, but how does it work when it comes to test automation?
Let’s take Mr Suricate as an example Mr Suricate we’ve designed a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution that’s 100% online and requires no installation or integration. It is a test scenario creation engine that combines the Google Blocky tool with several automation engines. This allows us to create automated tests by simply assembling blocks containing different actions (click, verification, fill in a field, etc.) in a visual editor.
In addition, Mr Suricate created a scalable infrastructure that allows for the creation of a controlled number of bots to run as many tests as possible in parallel on the environments under test. This makes it possible, for example, to run about a hundred end-to-end test scenarios in just ten minutes.
Or how to make creating automated tests fun, fast, and maintainable—but above all, accessible to non-technical users!
What about outsourcing?
While it’s possible to automate your functional tests without any technical skills using no-code or codeless platforms, you may still lack the time—or at the very least, prefer to prioritize other tasks that add more value. I have some good news. There’s another solution: outsource the creation of your automated tests.
As the name suggests, this involves entrusting an independent team—physically separate from the company—with the design and execution of its automated test scenarios.
We also invite you to check out our article “Why Outsource Functional Test Automation” and learn more about our own solution if you’re interested!
What did you think of this article? Did we manage to convince you that functional test automation is accessible to everyone?
FAQ
If you're not from a tech background, test automation might seem like a headache, but in reality, you don't need to be an expert in the field to get started. ?
On paper, test automation sounds like a dream. It’s true that it holds many promises. Take your pick: faster deployment, applications with guaranteed quality, and significant time savings on test execution.
The no-what? The what-code?
Simply put, “no-code” generally refers to a platform that allows you to create a website or app without writing a single line of code. “Low-code,” or “codeless,” on the other hand, refers to a platform that allows you to create a website or app while writing only a few lines of code (about 20–30%).
That all sounds great, but how does it work when it comes to test automation?
Let’s take Mr Suricate as an example Mr Suricate we’ve developed a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution that is 100% online and requires no installation or integration. It’s a test scenario creation engine that combines the Google Blocky tool with several automation engines.