Salesforce Automation Testing: Best Practices to Follow

There is one thing about Salesforce that every business loves to make more popular: its ability to deliver changes at a faster pace. From delivery cycles to bringing improvement, Salesforce offers a high level of benefits for every company vouching for it. In addition, there are at least three new releases from Salesforce that make it easy for companies to develop new features and focus on fast product delivery. Nevertheless, there is one aspect that even Salesforce consulting services rue and it is testing of the products.

It is evident from the given fact that the Salesforce CRM is built on a unique programming language called APEX. It comprises unit-test cases that developers can use to check the authentication of their code. Besides, Salesforce developers must cover 75% of their code with the help of unit test cases. When does Salesforce testing is taken into the consideration? It is applied in a Sandbox environment when the product is already in a production phase. Numerous factors make testing of the application imminent. However, the main reason is to research and create numerous types of integrations, website layouts, test data, and many others to verify the behavior of the application before it is sent to the post-publication phase.

Generally, Salesforce testing comprises of two types:

Manual Testing: It consists of using the traditional (or manual) method of testing SFDC applications. It encompasses functional testing, regression testing, system testing, integration testing, and smoke testing.
Automation Testing: It is done through automation testing tools such as Selenium, JMeter, Quick Test Professional (QTP), and many others.

Now, here comes the most important part: Why Salesforce consulting companies are opting for automation testing? To answer the given question, we have to identify numerous challenges that come with testing Salesforce products given below:

It is difficult to successfully test advance Salesforce features such as Visualforce and Service Cloud Console
There is much difficulty in testing manually as it is repetitive, expensive, and more prone to errors
For testing Salesforce Classic, there is a need to recreate its scope for Lightning UI
Switching to a new test environment render GUI tests useless
Several issues arise while creating field locators as Field IDs, and they might be different for different enterprises

To solve all the above-given challenges, Salesforce developers have now shifted their entire focus to automation testing. Why? The simple answer is that it saves more than 75% of their time and involves only 25% of costs (that includes tool cost). Certain automation tools such as Selenium and JMeter assist in automating all scenarios (both pre-and post-deployment) for multiple browsers simultaneously.

Benefits of Salesforce Automation Testing

High assurance for enhanced proficiency and resource productivity by reducing errors from manual testing and help to accomplish the project in the given timeline
Helps in reducing business expenses by reducing the frequency of testing applications repeatedly, and that results in getting high work quality
Detects bugs in software and fix them quickly to allow proper functioning of the applications for the business
Provide evidence of completion of testing through the documentation at every testing stage via snapshots
Help in increasing ROI by reducing manual effort and offering error-free outcomes

Best Practices to Follow for Salesforce Automation Testing

The principle behind automation testing is to focus on changing website layout, Salesforce integration, and introducing new API endpoints. So, abiding by the best automation testing practice with the help of Salesforce consultants will help in delivering maximum results. The given article will focus on such practices that will help in making automation testing a crucial aspect in the success of the Salesforce products.

1. Provision for Effective Test Planning & Strategy

It is the careful planning and design that signifies the high success rate of the automation testing for Salesforce. The given strategy will ensure that the users are capable of showcasing their objectives and even identify valuable stakeholders with ease. So, it is prudent to initiate the project with an efficient automation plan that will help in identifying specific apps for their appropriate testing. In the planning phase itself, the objective of the testing can be declared to make the whole process more purposeful. Likewise, documenting every testing phase will help to identify and flush out any defects for the smooth functioning of the project. One thing the user must make is sure is that the tests must be small with a focus on automates testing one aim at a time. They should kickstart by collecting all test scenarios and facilitate testing through technical experts. Afterward, decide the action and divide the task into smaller parts for effective management of automation testing.

2. Emphasis on Finding & Fixing Issues As Early as Possible

The developers should focus on starting testing as early as possible to gain familiarity with the needs and software present in the given system. Besides, the early start of testing by the team will reduce the occurrence of risks in the system. Moreover, it also assures testers that the code they used for the project is working effectively and is ready before its deployment. So, starting the procedure early can help testers to meet critical software requirements. Most of the Salesforce experts suggest starting testing in the initial phase of SDLC (software development life cycle) to detect issues and fix them before they become problematic. It will also result in improvement in the application security with the overall enhancement of the Salesforce software solution.

3. Presence of Proper Testing Tool is a Must

To get the best result; it is mandatory to find out the right testing tools. The selection of a correct debugging tool is crucial to meet the overall requirements and even integrate well into the existing system. Several testing tools can help in improving the performance of the projects and convert the testing procedure into a successful one. For example, the Selenium tool helps manage the critical aspect of the project by building a code that can be reused and debug with ease. Another example is Apex that is capable of effective execution of programming functions such as software updates and customer links.

4. Not to Forget Involving Stakeholders in the Testing

Every Salesforce implementation services provider partners with those stakeholders that arrives with tons of experience. It is essential to have a proper testing partner as the company will get in return a better ROI that will make their business more profitable. In addition, they will make sure to assist in finding out flaws in the project and also meet the needed parameters. Likewise, the involvement of stakeholders in user acceptance testing (UAT) ensures perfect alignment in the development procedure. They not only provide necessary feedback but also offer suggestions in designing the project in the virtual format.

5. Agile Approach will make Testing on Any Complex System Easy

The agile approach is the right way to design a product into small tasks and evaluate the testing after every process and arrive at the best position after commencing the testing phase. Moreover, it ensures that errors and flaws are found out in the early stage and prevents them to advance in the next phase. Since several systems are incorporated in a Salesforce ecosystem, proper integration testing using agile methodology will help in fixing defects. Therefore, use the given approach and make sure that the testing should entail system integration, regression and UI effectively.

Final Thoughts

Salesforce automation testing is being recommended by all Salesforce CRM consulting services over manual testing. It offers the time-saving, high-quality option to every business enterprise and gives them the best value for their product. As Salesforce personalities bring significant success to an organization, adopting best automation practices will help in meeting the expected parameters and enhance the business system manifold.

Originally published at- https://pragmaedge.com/salesforce-automation-testing-best-practices-to-follow/

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