Automated
tests
When an IT system is continuously updated with new functionality, it is essential to test the new functionality in an overlap with the existing program code, so that no conflicts arise between the functions.
For that, we spend many hours a week testing the system before updating to ensure operational stability.
Background and challenge
There is no doubt that the biggest challenge with updating the system is the manual hours spent testing the system. Right now, Tracelink's consultants run through a list of questions once a week to check that everything is working as intended. In many cases, it has taken several hours to get around everything, as the consultants occasionally encounter challenges that need to be resolved before the update can take place. That process can be optimized. The challenge is that it also takes time to program the solution.
Solution and expected result
The solution is an automated test of the system using a button that automatically runs through the consultants' checklist of questions. Purely in terms of code, this means programming a bunch of scripts (files with code language that do a job) that perform end-to-end testing (a simulation of a browser that simulates the clicks you would normally make) , when a button is clicked. The scripts will run through several different scenarios so that the system is tested well and thoroughly.
Yes, it might be a bit long-haired. The short explanation is that the manual tests can be automated with one click of a button that makes Tracelink automatically run through the list of questions and simulate the same clicks that the consultant would normally make. If it is now to test whether an order can be created, then the system will simulate the clicks to create the order.
When we succeed in programming this magical and time-saving button, it will save our consultants a lot of time - time they can spend on the customers instead ;-) - and of course it will not least ensure the operational stability of the system.
December 2023
