Robotic Process Automation and The Testing future

As a Testing professional many times we have an uncertainty whether to grow up our career in Manual testing or Automation testing.

As a Project stakeholder, we either opt for Manual testing or Automation testing based on accomplished analysis and feasibility study.

Also, it happens we have been working in Manual testing for quite a longer period of time and bit reluctant to the activities or work we are doing. So, don’t want to get into much technical.

We even hear the conversations like,

“Hey, I want to become an Automation tester, but it’s been years and I have not written a single line of code. What should I do now?“

“I don’t like programming but I want to switch my career from Manual Testing.“

So, is it possible to enhance your skill set without learning any programming knowledge (Java, C, C++, JavaScript, VB scripts etc.)?

Absolutely yes, I think there is no wonderful moment after hearing this.

Yes, that is possible! No need to bother about programming knowledge, but you should have strong domain and process knowledge.

By means of this, I am going to introduce my new blog “Robotic Process Automation and The Testing future“.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) would be the next generation of Testing.

Now a day, RPA is mostly use to automate the various business processes in the ERP, SAP and BPO applications to carry out back office and front office work.

Example: New Bank Account creation, various data entry tasks etc.

From its name we can guess, it is an “Automation of processes done through Robots or bots”.

Let’s understand by breaking each word of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

Robotic: Robotic means, robot is going to mimic the each user action, i.e. Robot is going to perform the task in a same way as human do. Robot is not a physical entity but the software robots, also called as “Bots” in software industry.

Process: Process is a sequence of meaningful steps to carry out particular task.
Example: Creating new Bank Account.

Automation: Automating the process defined, no human intervention required.

In RPA, first step is to teach a Robot, how to carry out particular task. It is as simple as teaching a new team member or student. However, to do that you should have strong domain and the process knowledge.

There are few RPA software’s (Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism etc.) available in the market, which uses flow chart to define a flow of your business process. In Future it can be a normal English language.

Please refer below flowchart of “Saving Account Creation Process”.

To create a process, which Robot is going to perform, you just need to drag and drop controls on the screen, arrange in sequence.
Controls could be decision control, action etc.

And your final process could be look like as below:

You just need to assign process created above, to different resources (Virtual workstations) like we assign task to particular individual.

Process execution status, output can be monitored through the Dashboard.

You can assign your task to hundreds of virtual resources and no need to have any physical terminal, PC or laptop.

1. Code-less: No need to memorize any syntax.
2. Simplicity: Easy to create a process through simple drag and drop.
3. Scalability: It can be achieved by assigning work to multiple workstations.
4. Cost saving:  Huge reduction in cost as very minimal workforce is required.
5. Accuracy: As the tasks are performed by the bots.
6. Productivity: As it is robotic, productivity will be very high.
7. Flexibility: Test process is not depend on type of software under test, whether it is web based, desktop application or mobile application.

That’s how, I could see RPA in testing future, let it can be a any type of the testing.

To know more about opportunities created for Manual tester, Automation tester or even for developers in RPA.

To know about impact of RPA and Are there are any threats to Manual, Automation tester?

Stay tuned!!

Please share, If you like!!!!!!!!
You can post your thought in comments section.