What Is Automated Salesforce Testing? Choosing the Right Automation Tool for Salesforce

When it comes to generating high-quality releases on Salesforce, the pressure’s on. Balancing efficiency with delivering the highest standard has always been tricky for developers, especially those with particularly tight deadlines and budgets. Effective testing has been and always will be a key factor in determining the success of a project. Unfortunately, manual testing simply isn’t cutting it in a low-time, short-deadline world. So… what’s the solution? That’s easy: automated testing. 

‍

Defining Automated Salesforce Testing

‍

Automated testing is defined as the use of tools to automate a manual, usually human-driven, testing process that validates the functionality of software. Automation helps to take the pressure off developers and integrate automation across a wide variety of tests.

‍

Automated testing tools for Salesforce provide integrated automation for all forms of tests across the development processes. Automation helps to enhance code quality, lower development times, and improve efficiency. Year after year automated Salesforce  testing becomes more invaluable to developers, and for good reason.

‍

The Key Components of Automated Salesforce Testing

‍

So, what are the important components that make up the automated testing process? The following four are just the tip of the iceberg:

‍

Easy Access

Automated testing is available to everyone. In-depth knowledge of the various types of testing is no longer compulsory for success when using automated tests.

‍

Full Integration

No stone is left unturned with automated testing. While manual work requires specific skill sets and separate software for each type of testing, automated testing is fully integrated.

‍

Big changes Aren’t Necessary

You won’t have to make any huge overhauls to integrate automated testing. It’s very accessible and slips into your current setup like a glove.

‍

Impenetrable Tests

Tests that have gone through automation often result in much more robust outcomes. These aren’t impacted by future releases or updates either.

‍

Common Challenges in Salesforce Testing

You don't need us to tell you that writing test cases in Salesforce can get complicated. With such an intricate platform comes many forms of testing that reach every corner of the platform, resulting in some pretty clear Salesforce testing challenges. The various test types that can be automated include:

‍

• Integration testing
• Regression testing
• Unit testing
• Functional testing
• UI testing
• Load testing

‍

Without automation, each of these testing types has to be completed manually, with distinct languages, skills, and software required for each. The development time this inevitably absorbs often leads to rushed results. In contrast, Copado offers fully integrated end-to-end robotic testing that can help you save development time while drastically enhancing test quality.

‍

There’s no doubt that manual testing still has its place within the Salesforce development process, exploratory testing being one example. However, within forward-thinking industries like manufacturing, financial services and retail, the wind of innovation is only blowing in one direction — and that’s towards fully incorporated automation. 

‍

Why is Automated Salesforce Testing so Crucial?

‍

Now that we've outlined what Salesforce test automation is, let’s move on to why it’s quickly becoming a necessity for developers. There are plenty of reasons why automated testing plays such a vital role in ensuring the smooth functionality of sites, applications, and customizations. Below, we’ve outlined some of those key reasons:

‍

Consistency

Without consistency, failure will never be far behind. Manual testing can easily lead to a lack of consistency and an increased chance of unwanted variabilities. When running automated tests in Salesforce, developers can help to improve consistency in the long term, both on a large and small scale.

‍

Efficiency

One of the key Salesforce test automation benefits is increased efficiency. We’re happy to say that automating Salesforce tests with Copado is no different. When using Copado, testing is quick, simple, and effective, helping you speed up development processes instantly. The result? More time on your team’s hands to focus on the things that matter. 

‍

Effectiveness

At the end of the day, results are the name of the game. Automated testing doesn’t just save time and enhance efficiency, it drastically improves results too. Copado’s automated tests combine consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness to provide a tool that will quickly become invaluable to any Salesforce DevOps process.

‍

Measuring ROI from Automated Salesforce  Testing

‍

While it may not be straightforward, calculating ROI from automated Salesforce  testing is pivotal. That’s why we’ve developed Value Stream Maps and DevOps performance metrics to allow for a more visualized development process. This means key insights can be gathered and analyzed in a heartbeat. 

‍

We also take into account a variety of factors to help us cultivate an accurate image of ROI, including test automation coverage, releases per year, and test cycles per release. After entering all the necessary information, we’ll provide you with a full report, which includes:

‍

• ROI for year 1, year 2, and year 3
• Payback period
• Total savings

‍

Ultimately, test automation best practices should always include the measurement of ROI.

‍

Choosing the Right Automation Tool for Salesforce

‍

Copado isn’t any old DevOps platform. We’ve crafted our service with Salesforce developers specifically in mind, saving them time and boosting results. To give you a better idea of why Copado is transformative for your business and why it’s the right automation tool for Salesforce, here are some of the big benefits:

‍

• Continuous delivery from start to finish. We automate the entire release process, shortening the release period while maintaining the highest standards.
• Embedded analytics allow you to make more data-driven decisions based on various metrics.
• Copado is native to Salesforce and is designed with development and deployment in mind.
• Smooth collaboration is always vital for effective development cycles. That’s why Copado allows developers to easily work in a collaborative nature. 
• 100% cloud-based operations means there is nothing to install or maintain, reducing costs and lowering maintenance efforts.

‍

As we always say, developers should be working smarter, not longer. The Salesforce test environment setup delivers that, and then some.

‍

Conclusion

‍

Taking that first step on the path to smoother, simpler, and, ultimately, more efficient Salesforce testing is closer than you think. Why not get started with automated testing today? Our Salesforce-native DevOps platform is already trusted by thousands of brands around the world. Book a demo to see our automated testing and its continuous integration in Salesforce first-hand.

‍