Q&A: Experts on Automation in Software Development

The software development industry is in an era of increased automation and one doesn’t have to look far to find a bevy of machine learning companies automating once-manual tasks with lightning speed. The future of testing is greatly impacted by the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), and natural language processing (NLP).

In quality assurance (QA) testing, advances in automated testing tools help companies create premiere software products for an understandably fast-paced industry. According to QA Lead, 78% of organizations embraced automated testing for functional or regression testing.

The topic of pursuing automated testing can be polarizing. What are some drawbacks to implementing these tools? We interviewed a handful of QA Experts working for our beloved vendors and are excited to share their responses with you!

Q. What are the benefits of automation testing?

Mihael Ashdzhiyan | QA Engineer at Looming Tech | Linkedin | Fun Fact: I like hitting up the gym after the work day.

Based in Sofia, Bulgaria, Mihael is nearing 2 years at Looming Tech and works with a tech stack that includes Cypress, Appium, JavaScript, TypeScript, Selenium, and React Native. He beautifully sums up why he favors an automation-first approach:

"These tools have greatly increased the efficiency and accuracy of software testing, allowing for faster release cycles and improved software quality [and] earlier identification of bugs and defects. This can save time and money.”

Andreea Pantea | QA Automation Engineer at FXBITS | Linkedin | Fun Fact: I love drama with a side of fries.

Andreea’s Master’s Degree in Applied Informatics translates well into the work she’s been doing at FXBITS for over 2 years. As if her fun fact didn’t already make us smile, we also enjoy her take on how automation went from being a trend to a necessity.

"There is no longer the question: ‘Are you using automation in your project?’ but…’What tool are you using?’ [There are] high demands on quality and fast development. We need those test results like yesterday."

Andreea Pantea from FXBITS

Gabriel Laprovitera | Test Lead / QA Automation at Capicua | Linkedin | Fun Fact: Living in Valencia, Spain, for over three years, I always follow Club Atletico Peñarol, the Uruguayan soccer team I root for!

An IT-certified professional with over 10 years working in QA, Gabriel prides himself on his interpersonal skills and ability to thrive in high-pressure situations. To him, automation opens work avenues that weren’t possible before:

" Coding knowledge is still needed…but at a higher level with respect to older tools. So I see this as an opportunity for more QA's to transition into the automation world with less fear of not being a programming guru."

Andrei Luca | QA Engineer at Better Quality Assurance

As a QA Engineer, Andrei follows QA trends diligently and enthusiastically shares one of his favorite ones with us:

“My favorite trend for QA testing is the smart execution test – it automatically identifies the specific tests which are required to run for the particular check-in. Therefore, only fewer tests will be run…testers must understand these trends and incorporate these technologies in day-to-day testing activities.”

Kosta Pavlovski | Team Lead at Web Factory | Linkedin | Fun Fact: I am the oldest member in the company :)

With over 6 years at Web Factory, Kosta is a team player – he doesn’t shy from taking suggestions or incorporating feedback. Naturally, he appreciates the collaborative nature of using automation:

"Automated testing tools can cover many test cases and edge cases, which is difficult for manual testing. [They] can also facilitate collaboration between development and testing teams, improving overall efficiency."

Kristijan Pušić | Senior Engineering Manager at Barrage | Linkedin | Fun Fact: Some food you just need to eat with your fingers, it needs to get messy!

With ten years in QA, Kristijan has worked on projects ranging from e-commerce ecosystems to digital solutions for military training camps. He needs to work in a stimulating environment and the manual testing takes away from that:

“[Automation] helps developers [work on] more development and less repetitive actions that tend to be boring."

Dimitar Stoyanov | Senior QA Engineer at Prime Holding I Linkedin I Fun fact: I like to play video games.

Skilled in testing automation tools, manual testing, and bug tracking, Dimitar has an impressive background in QA. He emphasizes the preventative nature of automation that alerts one to the presence of issues in the development cycle before they can take over:

"Having the ability to rapidly execute Smoke/Regression tests gives us the opportunity to enhance the scalability of the system. Also it is faster than manual testing, it is reusable and can serve as early bug detection."

Dimitar Stoyanov from Prime Holding

Q. What are the challenges of automation testing?

Sorin Ciobanescu | QA Practice Lead at Thinslices | Linkedin | Fun Fact: I love playing with my kids, sipping a nice glass of wine, sometimes cooking and playing volleyball once every 10 years!

With over 15 years of experience in the IT software industry, Sorin wears many hats as QA Manager, Senior QA Engineer, Product Owner and Scrum Master. He’s well-versed in the lifecycle of an application and points out the less-mentioned aspects of automation:

"There are also challenges…such as the initial cost of setting up and maintaining the automation infrastructure…finding a balance between automation and manual testing, and the need for specialized skills to use and maintain the tools."

Sorin Ciobanescu from Thinslices

Sergiu Olpretean | QA Engineer at Better Quality Assurance | Linkedin

Based in Cluj, Romania, Sergiu works fastidiously, considering all angles of any new QA tools or practices. He reminds us that manual testers cannot be written off:

“Even if automation is a good approach…it cannot be the only one you use. Manual testers are still important …to configure AI processes. Automation fails to beat the keen observation and instinct of a manual tester.”

Q. What are other issues to consider regarding automation testing?

Tudor Brad | Managing Director at Better Quality Assurance | Linkedin | Fun Fact: At the end of the day, I enjoy taking a spirited drive with my car. Yep, I'm a motoring fan, I could talk about GTI's and R's for hours!

Tudor is a problem solver with drive who enjoys managing teams and working with technology partners and customers when he’s not driving for fun. He praises a balanced approach to testing tools:

"Thanks to advances in development processes and an increasing unity between automated and manual testing methodologies, there is more overlap between speed, cost and quality than ever before.”

Sergio Gallardo | QA Engineer at Z1 | Linkedin | Fun Fact: I love walking my dog Naan in the countryside, and traveling by van looking for isolated beaches.

Based in Andalucia, Spain, Sergio knows how to mesh a fast-paced work life at Z1 with leisurely time in nature. He shares that with new automation options come new responsibilities:

"Today the possibilities to automate tests on the web, APIs, and mobile applications are enormous. The challenge…is to develop software capable of guaranteeing the quality of new, cutting-edge technologies."

Sergio Gallardo from Z1

Adina Veres | Lead QA at Tapptitude | Linkedin | Fun Fact: I have a bunny as a pet.

With over 5 years at Tapptitude, Adina is passionate about her work, which includes mobile testing and working on web applications to name a few. She is the only QA expert who speaks to the relationship between AI and automation testing:

"Automation has definitely resulted in skilled labor being displaced, but it has also led to an increase in new positions requiring new skill sets. Rather than replacing automation testing, AI will make the procedure quicker and more effective."

Aleksandar Milanovski | QA Engineer at Web Factory | Linkedin | Fun Fact: In winter I prefer gaming while in the lovely summertime I love riding my motorcycle with friends.

Aleksander has been at Web Factory for over 3 years, impressively working his way up from an internship to his current role. He says all testing tools are good but contingent on one main factor:

"It's all in the tester's preference for the tools and languages for which he is most proficient and comfortable."

Roxana Georgina Rad | QA Lead at Tapptitude | Linkedin | Fun Fact: In order to wind down I like to write poetry.

Skilled in a variety of areas, including UI & UX testing, API testing, Integration Testing, and occasional creative writing, Roxana is coming up on 6 years at Tapptitude. With an extensive history of working in the mobile industry, she shares where automation tools fall short:

"I don't think [automation testing tools] advance fast enough, especially for the mobile industry. It's hard to find an automated testing tool that can support both platforms, iOS and Android."

Neven Matas | QA Team Director at Infinum | Linkedin | Fun Fact: In the last couple of years, I've tried to catch up on recent developments in quantum physics. Still trying. :)

Based in Croatia, Neven is drawn to humanizing the workplace. He believes it’s an exciting time to work in QA because of the time and space that automation frees up, which allows for more exploration and discovery. However, one may encounter choice paralysis:

“[A] challenge…is selecting which tests to automate and on which level…tools sometimes removes the spotlight from…collaboration…we could be having more productive discussions with our Product and Development teams.”

Neven Matas at Infinum

Conclusion

It’s undeniable that in the testing cycle, manual testing is the most time-consuming portion and as they say, time is money. Pursuing automated testing tools might seem like the obvious choice in software development, but these savvy QA Experts have shown us that there are many factors to consider. Whether you’re Team Automation, Team Manual Testing or a sprinkling of both, we hope you’ll give a chance to more than one QA methodology.