What is test automation, what are its advantages and what problems does it solve?
Published: 2023-09-08 12:47:54

>Software test automation is a powerful strategy that has significant business benefits. It consists of using tools and scripts to run tests automatically, without the manual intervention of a tester. This makes it possible to detect faults in the software and validate its operation more efficiently and accurately. The following are the advantages and problems that test automation solves:

### Advantages of test automation:

- **Greater accuracy:** Automated tests allow you to accurately diagnose detected failures. Reports and evidence are generated that allow an in-depth analysis of the situation. Furthermore, by using different data sets in the same test case, it is possible to be very accurate in diagnosing problem situations. This makes it easier to identify and correct errors in the software.

- **Test execution capacity:** Automation allows a large number of tests to be carried out in a short period of time. These tests can be run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when the test team is not in the office. In addition, they can be run in parallel and on different servers, which further increases their capacity.

- **Continuous Integration and DevOps:** Test automation is essential in the context of DevOps, which seeks to speed up the software release process. It allows early detection of regression, integration and functional failures, among others. This ensures that the software complies with the established quality standards and allows reliable releases to be delivered.

- **Time and resource savings:** Test automation significantly reduces the need to run manual tests by taking care of performing the relevant and repetitive tests in an automated way. This frees up the test team to perform other tasks and makes the team more efficient and productive. In addition, it allows you to run more tests without the need to increase the number of people dedicated to testing.

- **Repeatable tests:** Once an automated test is developed, it can be executed multiple times. This is especially useful in regressive testing cases, where automated tests can be run over and over again as the software evolves. This ensures consistency in the operation of the software and saves time and effort in test execution.

### Issues that test automation solves:


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/eam5nfgviekquhda26ub.jpg)

- **Early detection of failures:** Test automation allows software failures to be detected early, preventing them from propagating to later stages of development and becoming more difficult and expensive problems to solve.

- **Reduction of human errors:** By automating tests, human errors associated with manual test execution are eliminated. This ensures higher accuracy in test results and prevents major flaws from being missed.

- **Efficiency in the testing process:** Test automation streamlines the testing process, allowing you to run a greater number of tests in less time. This speeds up the software development and release cycle, resulting in greater efficiency and productivity for the development team.

- **Cost Savings:** Test automation reduces the costs associated with manually running tests. By decreasing the need for dedicated testing staff and speeding up the testing process, significant savings in resources and time are achieved.

In short, test automation is a process that uses tools and software to run tests in an automated manner. It has several advantages, such as saving time and resources, greater test coverage, and early detection of errors. It also solves problems such as reduced human error, increased efficiency, and increased reliability.