Bigger, Better, Faster – The Era of Hyperautomation Testing Is Here

We spoke with Sanjana Mishra, Theta's Test Practice Lead, to explore the different types of testing, including the growing field of hyperautomation testing.

From planning to deployment: the role of testing

Hi Sanjana. Before we get onto the topic of hyperautomated testing, can you tell us about the existing types of testing you currently do for our customers?

There are three distinct types of testing that we do for customers – manual, automated and performance. Some scenarios might require only one type, but more commonly, a mix of all three types is used.

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Manual testing:

Manual testing is typically used in the early stages of development to catch issues before they become more significant. We interact with the software (as an end user would) and ensure it behaves as we expect it to. It is particularly beneficial in identifying issues in complex or user-centric scenarios and offers flexibility and adaptability, making it an essential component of a comprehensive testing strategy.

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Scenario: A business wants to check that its new e-commerce website has a smooth checkout experience.  

How we test: We manually navigate through the checkout process to ensure that all steps work as expected - from adding items to the cart to applying discount codes, selecting payment methods, and completing the purchase.

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Automated testing:

With automated testing, we add scripts to a tool and then automatically run tests.

Automated testing is ideal for repetitive and regression testing, where you regularly enhance software or an app, allowing for consistent and rapid validation of its functionality.

In these circumstances, automated testing provides enhanced coverage and helps to quickly identify issues, leading to a quicker time to market and confidence that any issues have been identified and resolved.

Recently, we’ve been using GenAI to create scenarios, which we can then ‘insert’ into the tool.

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Scenario: A business wants to test a web application after a software update.

How we test: We run an automated process to check that existing functionality - like user login, data entry, and report generation - works as expected.

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Performance testing:

Performance testing is another subset of testing. Here, we’re looking at how well our application performs under various conditions, including load, stress, and scalability. We want to ensure that the speed, agility and efficiency are on par with our standards.

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Scenario: A business wants reassurance that its web application still works as expected during peak usage times.

How we test: We simulate thousands of users accessing the app simultaneously. By mimicking high-traffic scenarios, we can assess how the app handles large volumes of users and ensure it remains responsive and reliable. This proactive evaluation is crucial for optimising performance, preventing downtime, and delivering a smooth user experience once the app goes live.

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We’ve heard about ‘hyperautomated’ testing recently. What’s this?

Hyperautomated testing is a sophisticated form of automated testing.

To execute this type of testing, we use a hyperautomated testing tool such as Testim, Leapwork and Mabl. These tools integrate various automation technologies, AI and machine learning to streamline the entire testing process.

One of the standout advantages of hyperautomation tools is their speed. They can deliver end-to-end testing that’s approximately 50% faster than traditional automated testing methods, which is crucial for accelerating time to market.

Although hyperautomation tools have been around for some time, we’ve seen their popularity surge recently due to advancements in AI. With these technologies rapidly evolving, user adoption has increased as more people become comfortable with AI in general. These tools are now being integrated earlier in the development process, and we expect that developers will become increasingly familiar with them.

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What are the business benefits of hyperautomated testing?

As mentioned, the biggest benefit is an increased competitive advantage due to faster time to market. It also provides many other benefits:

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• Higher customer satisfaction with a reliable outcome.
• Strengthened brand image with successful solution/product launches.
• Reduced maintenance and cost savings as a result.
• Enhanced coverage - even the most complex aspects of the application can be thoroughly tested across a range of platforms, devices and environments, so you receive a more comprehensive evaluation overall.

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Can organisations run hyperautomation testing in-house?

For hyperautomation testing tools to work well, it’s critical to fully understand how to instruct the AI correctly. This can be a steep learning curve, so many organisations opt to outsource to specialists for this type of work, while training their own people at the same time. Many scenarios, like testing effectively across all device types and platforms, really do require some experience.

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What’s on the horizon for NZ organisations and testing?

Expect to see an increase in AI and machine learning infused hyperautomated testing tools. It’s an exciting time and there are fast developments happening in this space. In the future, I would predict that AI will be infused into every type of testing - however that may look.

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Thanks Sanjana. What are the next steps for organisations interested in testing?

We’re always here to chat with anyone who wants to know how manual, automated, performance or hyperautomated testing can be used to help enhance their projects.