This blog is the first in a series inspired by the Dreamforce 2024 session Beyond Boundaries: Quality Testing at Speed and Scale, led by Provar’s Michael Dailey and James Rail from Queensland University of Technology.
For organizations looking to move toward Salesforce automated testing, even making a beginning can seem intimidating. Whether you’re starting from scratch, considering a shift from manual testing to automation, or looking for an automation tool that can help you scale your automation efforts, a successful path forward begins with thoughtful planning and clear priorities.
Keep reading to learn more about how to evaluate your organization’s test automation needs, and stay tuned for upcoming blogs in the series!
Step 1: Evaluate Your People
The success of any organization’s Salesforce automation journey begins with an honest assessment of your team. First, ask yourselves:
- How skilled is our team in development, automation, and testing methodologies?
- In what areas does our team already excel?
- What gaps could automation fill for us?
Automation isn’t about replacing people; it’s about empowering them to focus on what matters most. By eliminating repetitive tasks, your team can dedicate their time and energy to more strategic, high-value work.
“By analyzing your current team’s skillsets, and by thinking about the backgrounds of your team members, you can easily identify some quick wins and high-value strategies to get some improvements on testing hours,” Dailey said.
If your team’s experience with test automation is limited, that’s okay! Many test automation tools (including Provar!) offer low- and no-code test building functionality, extensive training and onboarding resources, continuing education options, and expert customer support to make a transition to test automation accessible for teams that need a little — or a lot — of help.
Step 2: Assess Your Processes
Next, take a close look at your current testing processing. Be sure to include leadership, members of your development team, stakeholders, and team members who can speak to customer experiences and needs. Questions to ask include:
- How often are we testing?
- What levels of testing do we currently have in place (e.g. unit, integration, regression, etc.)?
- How much repetition currently exists in our testing cycles?
- Are our resources allocated effectively? How many person hours each release cycle are dedicated solely to testing?
Repetitive, time-consuming tasks are prime candidates for automation. Processes that involve frequent regression testing or require testing across multiple platforms are perfect starting points.
Evaluate your workflows as a team to identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks, and consider how the right test automation tool could streamline them.
Step 3: Identify Your Technology Needs
Knowing your organization’s unique development requirements and testing needs — as well the technology needed to support them — is critical. Some considerations include:
- How complex is our current testing?
- What applications and systems are involved in our end-to-end processes?
- What types of testing are required (e.g. functional, performance, load testing)?
Provar’s powerful test automation tools are built to integrate seamlessly with Salesforce, making them a strong choice for organizations heavily reliant on the platform. With an intuitive, code-free interface and robust testing capabilities, Provar empowers teams to scale their Salesforce test automation without requiring deep development experience or technical expertise.
How Provar Can Help
“Automation was made with scalability and maintainability in mind,” Dailey said, “and Provar is no exception.”
Provar’s solutions and expertise can help your organization simplify its journey to automation. Whether your team is new to test automation or looking to optimize an existing framework, Provar provides:
- Intuitive Salesforce testing tools designed by Salesforce experts using Salesforce metadata
- Scalable solutions to meet growing business needs
- Expert training and ongoing education to ensure a smooth transition
At Provar, we help organizations move quickly and confidently toward test automation and ensure quality testing at speed and scale.
Conclusion
Getting started with Salesforce test automation might seem like a daunting prospect, but it comes down to just a few considerations to take.
“Above all,” Dailey said, “it is important to identify and align with a solution that scales with you and your needs as a business to avoid the costs of switching solutions later on.”
With the right people, processes, and technology, a successful switch to automated testing is entirely achievable. By focusing on your team’s strengths, streamlining your testing processes, and choosing the right tools, you can lay a strong foundation of success.
Ready to take the next step in your test automation adventure? Connect with a Provar expert today!
