Copado’s 2022 State of Salesforce Testing Report

The secret to Salesforce’s success is a low-code model of development that makes it easier and faster for subject matter experts to build mission-critical apps. With rapid innovation comes the need for scalable end-to-end testing — and that’s where many teams continue to struggle.

Did you know? 84% of Salesforce teams rely at least partially on manual testing. Companies of all shapes and sizes are still using traditional testing methods such as manual testing or script-based solutions. As a result, teams lack the time to test changes before deployments and the release quality suffers.

However, we’ve observed a growing shift from manual testing to automated solutions — with significant outcomes for teams wielding the power of automation. Download the full 2022 State of Salesforce Testing Report to discover:

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3 Common Roadblocks to Salesforce Testing

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Salesforce is full of layers and third-party integrations. This makes end-to-end testing a challenge for QA teams to execute for three reasons:

• Salesforce doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
• Salesforce apps feature dynamic content and require constant updates.
• Salesforce is highly configurable.

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Testing Trends

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Testing is a proven way to maintain speed and confidence in the face of change. But a significant percentage of the teams we surveyed told us they don’t have enough time to sufficiently test all changes before a release. We picked up on a common pattern: these teams feel pressure to deliver features due to aggressive project timelines. Inevitably, development takes longer than expected and testing gets thrown on the backburner.

Meeting Deadlines with Automated Testing

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In comparison, teams that use automated testing are much more likely to complete their planned testing on time. Each batch of changes requires new tests. But teams that invest in automation are able to keep pace with testing needs and derisk the development lifecycle. Automated testing also helps teams diagnose and repair bugs much earlier in the development cycle — eliminating the threat of expensive production defects.

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Fast Tests vs. Comprehensive Tests

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To guarantee quality from every angle, testing requires a multi-pronged approach. Essentially, there are two main types of tests: fast tests to ramp up the developer-feedback loop and comprehensive tests to ensure release quality.

There are two main types of fast tests:

Linting and static analysis: Automated feedback on the basic code syntax to identify common flaws.

Unit tests:Quick tests that execute individual units of code to ensure functionality. (Apex and Lightning Components can be unit tested in Salesforce)

And six types of comprehensive tests:

Code-based acceptance tests: Salesforce includes complex business logic such as flows that rely on countless components under the hood. Apex code can be used to test these processes (keep in mind — this type of test takes longer to run).

User Interface (UI) testing: Tools that simulate the behavior of a user on a browser can validate if the system is working as expected. Selenium is the best-known open source UI test (although it can be brittle when the underlying UI is changed). The Robot Framework is a newer and more robust type of UI test.

Application Programming Interface (API) testing: This type of test validates that APIs are responsive and return the expected information. API testing targets can provide precise verification of specific network calls.

Regression testing: Any change to code or configuration could undermine existing functionality. These changes and updates are often seamless, but failures can remain undetected for weeks or months without regression testing.

Integration testing: Real end-to-end functionality hinges on multiple systems working together in harmony. Integration testing makes sure business processes that involve multiple systems are firing on all cylinders.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Actual end users need to verify that new functionality will meet their needs before it’s deployed to production. UAT is often a final step before rolling out changes to all users.

What Does Testing Look Like?

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It takes a village to tackle testing — and no two teams look alike. From internal operations to full-scale outsourcing, we surveyed a cavalcade of testing teams.

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6 Phases of the Software Testing Lifecycle

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• Requirements analysis: Establishing what types of tests needs to be performed.
• Test planning: Project plan includes type, method, efforts and resources.
• Test case development: Creating tests aligned to the requirement set.
• Environment setup: Provisioning the environment and test data.
• Test execution: Running tests and capturing results, defects and resolutions.
• Test closure: Making sure requirements have been fulfilled to end the test cycle.

Test Management Techniques

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Test management helps users organize, track and analyze their testing activities in one central location. Without effective test management, organizations are likely to struggle with a lack of centralized test visibility, siloed test roles and limited process automation between testing and release management.

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An effective test management system enables organizations to:

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• Leverage polymorphic test objects to integrate and manage different types of tests and tools.
• Clearly understand the definition of “done” on a user story.
• Organize all test plans.

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The Low-Code Power of Copado Robotic Testing

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An effective testing strategy starts with a clear and concise definition of success. It should seek to optimize experiences for both internal and external customers while accounting for the looming risk of end-to-end changes. Ultimately, the right strategy will measure user risk against the costs and capabilities of a testing team to find the most efficient way to execute objectives.

Automated testing solutions like Copado Robotic Testing enable fast and reliable test scripts via low-code platforms and are an effective way to slash the cost of investment and reduce business risk. These solutions automate repetitive tasks — freeing up users to focus on creative work: exploratory testing, designing new test cases, analyzing test plans, communicating with users and more. Easy-to-use test automation solutions help QA professionals and developers exercise creative ways to protect functionality against risks that could undermine the code.

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