How can Salesforce automation testing benefit your business?
By: Shaista Mujeeb
Tags: Test Automation, Quality Assurance, CRM, Salesforce Development, Salesforce

We would all agree with the fact that Salesforce is one of the most widely used CRM tools. Its seamless integration with a wide range of SaaS offerings and its commitment to continuous innovation make it an indispensable tool for enterprises across varied industries.

When it comes to Salesforce automation testing, the main objective is to improve test efficiency and cut the overall project cost.

For the uninitiated, Salesforce is a cloud-based Customer relationship management software.

Salesforce features can be developed and modified to fit your company’s requirements by using its APEX platform development language. Testing these customizable Salesforce features involves using complex software testing methodologies.

An experienced Salesforce tester understands the difference between testing a built-in Salesforce functionality and a customized code. Salesforce automation testing makes use of computer programs to test a customized Salesforce app. Tools used for such a test automation process may include Selenium, Assure Click, QTP, etc.

So, why exactly should you automate your Salesforce testing?

Manual validation of software can be tiresome and lengthy to execute. To streamline this exercise for multiple iterations, automated Salesforce testing is the way to go. Through automated Salesforce testing, quality engineers can use the resultant saved time for other critical tasks.

By leveraging automation for your Salesforce testing, you can run more tests in a shorter timeframe, thereby adding value to the process.

Key advantages of Salesforce test automation:

It is only logical that companies adopt test automation if they are to deliver a strong software product. Not only does test automation, increase the overall software development efficiency, but it also aids in building a likable and robust software application.

Reduce operational costs

Test automation lowers the total cost of software testing by allocating resources specifically where they are needed. Scriptless test automation means, once the test scripts are loaded, lesser human intervention is required to execute the iterative tests. Thus, freeing up resources for other essential tasks and overall contributing to a better quality of work.

Increase efficiency compared to manual testing.

Manual testing is albeit a necessary process, but one that slows down the production pipeline. For repetitive testing, especially in the regression phase, you will need to employ automated test scripts to multiply the productivity.

Get comprehensive test coverage.

Automation is crucial to improving test coverage, especially when performing regression testing.

Although aiming for 100% test coverage is ideal, the code coverage ratio for Salesforce test automation’s Apex code in the production environment is a minimum of 78%. It is a good number for enterprises tackling the periodic releases of cloud-based applications. The extensive test coverage includes:

Hundreds of test cases User scenarios Validated edge cases

Detect bugs early.

One of the biggest reasons for enforcing automated Salesforce testing is the ability to detect and fix bugs early in the testing lifecycle. By documenting all types of errors, testers can fix functionality, performance, and security errors immediately. It is common knowledge that a bug that is fixed in the early stages will cost 10X less than the bug-fixing expenditure nearer to deployment.

Have less room for errors.

Manual testing is prone to human error. In automated Salesforce testing, the bugs are fixed as they occur. Subsequently, the margin for errors will be less in each automated sprint. Therefore, leading to better accuracy and quality.

Leverage documentation to improve.

Whenever a testing stage executes to completion, the resultant sprint log and test snapshots record the success or failure of output. This documented evidence helps in identifying the issues swiftly. Using tools such as Workday, ACCELQ, HP-UFT, Cucumber, etc., the problems can be reported and analyzed before being fixed.

Save time with automatic reports.

One look at the test automation report can tell us which tests are required to run iteratively and others that can be skipped based on the failure and success of tests. The risks and dependencies also dictate which tests are needed for further iterations.

Achieve better ROI.

It is suggestive that automation testing aids in increasing the ROI of your business. Salesforce automation testing can help with quicker testing and reduce the manual effort, to lead to error-free outcomes. Resources such as time, money, efforts, and energy spent on the software testing process are reallocated to more critical business goals, thereby creating added value.

Have an informed team.

Another key benefit of automated testing for Salesforce is providing stakeholders with accurate information regarding test results and any risky outcomes. Automated test results display the status of the test, which helps business owners evaluate critical decisions regarding product development and incorporate changes if any.

Key takeaways:

The primary challenge in Salesforce automation testing is navigating through the complexity of the platform itself. Enterprises are constantly looking out for knowledgeable and experienced Salesforce testing professionals who can understand the dynamic Selenium frames.

Another issue that poses a bottleneck is handling the vast databases and tables. Simple actions such as checking the elements or configuring your way through pop-ups can be quite the challenge.

To make your Salesforce solution reliable, safe, scalable, and cost-effective, you will require the expertise of knowledgeable software testing professionals. They can help you create and maintain managed test environments and utilize adaptive testing frameworks to make the implementation of automated test cases easy while reducing your overall costs.