Test automation is an integral aspect of the quality assurance process. But automation alone is not enough. As software complexity increases, teams face new challenges that slow down work and impact quality. And that's where test orchestration comes into play.
Test orchestration is the process of establishing a well-defined sequence of test automation activities. It optimizes the software testing process and eliminates inconsistencies throughout the process.
Test orchestration acts as the master test plan, ensuring that all necessary test steps are followed. It ensures that critical tasks do not block each other and minimizes the possibility of human error.
Test orchestration automates and ties individual tests together. These include individual unit tests, system tests, integration tests, functional tests, and more.
Test orchestration also ensures the continuous execution of tests. This automation provides a complete picture of the different test statuses in different environments.
While automation focuses on a single task, test orchestration streamlines the entire process by scheduling all automated tasks in a linear fashion. Test orchestration plays an important role in the test automation process.
Before: Test orchestration schedules automation tasks sequentially. It integrates independent automated tests into the order in which they are executed, managing the type of tests, the order in which they are tested, their timing, and any necessary manual intervention.
Period: When tests are properly scheduled, test orchestration ensures that multiple tests are run at the same time. It manages the relevant input data and coordinates test execution timing.
After: After the test process is executed, the test orchestration processes the data generated by the test automation. It processes, organizes, and visualizes this data, and reports it to stakeholders. It analyzes test reports to identify successes and failures, helping teams plan the right remediation steps.
As software testing becomes more complex, test orchestration lays the foundation for continuous and effective test automation.
Optimize testing: Test orchestration makes testing an integral part of your CI CD pipeline. It enables QA teams to identify product issues early in the lifecycle and test them immediately after integration**. This allows testers to edit in real-time, optimizing testing and speeding up software delivery.
Eliminate inconsistencies: Test orchestration allows QA engineers to schedule tests based on the risk level of the application. This means they can build test automation pipelines to address risks and issues with the performance, availability, scalability, security, and robustness of their applications.
Facilitate communication: Test orchestration establishes convenient, frequent communication between QA and the development team. This allows them to avoid many minor bugs and release delays.
Minimize errors and delays: By minimizing manual intervention in the testing cycle, test orchestration significantly reduces errors and delays. This enhances self-sustainability while ensuring fewer execution failures.
Increased visibility: Test orchestration provides much-needed visibility to the testing ecosystem. It enables QA teams to identify and resolve bottlenecks early, improving software quality and accelerating time to market.
Maximize transparency: Because test orchestration establishes the necessary sequence of tasks, it keeps all stakeholders fully informed of the current status of the project. All members have an in-depth understanding of individual roles and responsibilities as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the project.
Support continuous testing: Testers can use the reports generated by test orchestration to establish a common baseline. These benchmarks can help determine the next course of action and serve as the basis for an ongoing testing process.
If you want to ensure successful test orchestration, you must ensure proper planning. This minimizes the possibility of orchestration negatively impacting the quality of the software under test.
Have a clear strategy: Test orchestration is more than just scheduling various test automation tasks. To ensure continued success, you must first have a clear strategy in place. This includes setting up a robust test orchestration pipeline, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and outlining expected outcomes. It's also important to document potential obstacles and obstacles and plan appropriate remedial actions.
Use the right tools: The tools you choose can make or break a test orchestration. Therefore, it's important to take the time to evaluate the capabilities of different tools and choose the one that best suits your business needs and application nuances.
Measurement and monitoring: Successful test orchestration also requires continuous monitoring. By measuring progress and analyzing results, you can ensure that your orchestration pipeline delivers the best value.