Integrating Test Automation In Small Tech Business: Advantages And Disadvantages
Tags: webdev, javascript, programming, beginners
Published: 2023-01-30 11:10:27

Software testing verifies that the software or product meets the technical requirements of the project and works as expected. It checks for bugs and errors to ensure that the product delivers an ideal user experience. Software testing is vital to the success of the project. However, it could be time-consuming and stressful to execute without using automation tools. Simply reviewing the entire project manually could be a massive burden on the testing team, especially in the case of heavy-duty software.


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It has become increasingly important for small tech businesses to integrate software automation testing in their development process. Testing automation tools allow testers to perform the tests with greater accuracy and efficiency. The tools handle the bulk of the grunt work so the testers can devote their time and attention to more critical tasks. 

This article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of test automation for small businesses.

## Advantages of Test Automation for Small Tech Businesses
Test automation can help small tech businesses in various ways. For starters, it can help them to streamline their operation and improve the quality of their product or service. Here are some more advantages of test automation to small businesses.

**Increased Efficiency**

Automation testing helps the testing team to save time and be more efficient in the testing process. For instance, In manual testing, the testing process is entirely left to the testers, so testing can only happen during working hours. On the other hand, [a test automation approach](https://www.functionize.com/automated-testing) does not require manual intervention, so it can be executed around the clock; the testers can set it on the schedule, thus saving  time and getting conclusive test results faster.

Test automation could also be run on multiple devices simultaneously, further speeding up the testing process and reducing the testing time.

**Improved Accuracy**

Small tech businesses looking to perform more thorough testing can benefit from the improved accuracy of test automation. During manual testing, you have to rely on the expertise and exposure of the testers. They could make mistakes, especially when they have to perform repetitive tasks. The quality of the tests could decline as the project becomes complicated. On the other hand, automation tests are highly repeatable and consistent; you can run automated tests severally without any reduction in thoroughness.

Test automation can reduce the risk of human error so you can get the best quality results.

**Better Coverage**

Performing end-to-end tests on lengthy projects can be challenging with manual testing. The testers and developers may be unable to efficiently cover all memory contents, data tables, internal program states, and file contents to ascertain if the software works as expected. 

With test automation, you can increase the depth and scope of tests to review all parts of the software. It can help you to create more complex test cases, test more features, and improve the overall quality of your software.

**Early Identification of Issues**

Test automation can help you to detect bugs and errors earlier in the development process. This helps to speed up the development process while ensuring that smaller problems are attended to before they transform into more complicated issues. 

The earlier the defect is identified, the easier it is to fix it and the more cost-effective it is to resolve the issue. According to [IBM Science Institute](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/IBM-System-Science-Institute-Relative-Cost-of-Fixing-Defects_fig1_255965523), a bug discovered in the testing phase costs fifteen times more than a bug discovered in the design phase, and a bug discovered in the implementation phase costs a hundred times more to fix than a bug in the design phase. You will save more money if you can uncover all the hidden errors earlier in the production process.

## Disadvantages of Test Automation for Small Tech Businesses

As the famous saying goes, “every coin has two sides”. The same goes for test automation. Test automation may offer some disadvantages for small businesses. Here are some of the possible disadvantages of test automation.

**Initial Cost**

Small businesses may be unable to afford the high initial setup and implementation costs. However, this depends on the scope and complexity of the project. Larger projects require more time and resources, which may cause a tremendous financial strain for small tech businesses.

**Maintenance Cost**

They also have to deal with the cost of maintenance. Automated tests must be constantly modified and maintained as the product changes to ensure that they continue to function effectively. For example, suppose there is a modification to the software’s user interface. In that case, the testers must update the test scripts to reflect the new change. This can be time-consuming for the testing team.

**Lack of Flexibility**

Automation testing is not as flexible as manual testing. As automated tests are designed to test specific scenarios or situations, they may have difficulty adapting to changes or unexpected results.

**Not Suitable for Open-Ended Testing**

Open-ended and [exploratory testing](https://www.guru99.com/exploratory-testing.html) involves randomly testing the products to check how they behave under different conditions and uncover unforeseen issues. Automated tests have a defined purpose, making them unsuitable for tests that need to be performed randomly.