Humans Are A Crucial Element Of Testing

Automation testing, artificial intelligence in testing, machine learning …

Technology advancements have always instilled a small fear among humans. On one side, it accelerates the work and makes things easier, but on the other side, there is a misconception that technology alone is enough to run the business.

So, will technology replace humans?

Short answer – No.

Let us dive a little deeper. Automation testing has been around for almost two to three decades now.

There are so many updates, features, or products that are released on a daily basis. These products undergo rigorous testing before they are released in the market.

Every day we see thousands of new products and apps in the market. A lot of testing procedures have to be performed before releasing it. Automation helps you test faster. It focuses on numerical or logical assessments which in turn have to be powered by a tester.

Humans are capable of taking swift decisions on the performance level, which is quite difficult for a machine to accomplish. Manual testing plays a critical role in Quality Assurance. A 100% automated QA team will deliver faster results but will miss out on improving quality. A mix of manual and automated testing helps products improve quality and stability.

The Difference Between Automation And Manual Testing

Whether to choose automation or manual testing depends on three factors:

1. The Purpose Of The Test

Manual tests help you evaluate the efficiency of the product, test value, and discover bugs and areas of improvement, whereas automation helps in testing on a recurring basis, identifying functional bugs, and maintaining the stability of the product. As a tester, you need to decide what kind of test the product needs at the moment and choose accordingly.

2. Usability And Run Time

Manual tests take less time to write and longer to execute, whereas automation tests take longer time to write and less time to execute. For example, a manual test might take 10 minutes to write and 10 minutes to execute whereas an automation test takes 4 hours to write and 2 minutes to execute. You need to run the test 130 times to get your return on investment for the time spent on writing test scripts. Therefore, as a tester, you need to know which features are worth writing test cases for and those that are not.

3. Availability Of Resources

Manual testing takes time and therefore if you are short-staffed it is not a wise decision to test everything manually. In such scenarios, it is advised to use your human resources to test new features and automate those that are already in production.

You can refer to the below video tutorial on how to perform manual testing on LambdaTest.

Managing Automation And Manual Tests Together

Automation and manual testing are two different entities that cater to different audiences. Therefore it is essential to manage both together.

1. Orchestrate Testing: Have a resource to orchestrate testing. Ensure that there is visibility across the QA team on the tasks that need to be performed.
2. Be Consistent With Names And Conventions: Use industry-standard naming conventions for your tests. This helps your team in improving communication and that way everybody is on the same page.
3. Group Tests: Grouping tests helps manage tests easily. You can group tests based on testers, metrics etc.
4. Get Your Devices: When you are performing automation and manual testing in parallel, there is a high chance that your QA team will have to wait for the devices. Ensure that your testers get the right devices that they need to start testing immediately. LambdaTest is a cloud-based test management platform that gives you instant access to 3000+ devices, browser versions, and operating system environments. Over 500 enterprises and 600,000+ users across 130+ countries rely on LambdaTest for their test execution needs.

You can start testing immediately with a lifetime free account.

Shwetha Ashokumar

Shwetha is an Engineer turned Marketer. She loves to write on tech, testing trends and travel.

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