RPA Testing stands for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) which is a business automation tool for business users and testers. There are other web and API testing tools available, RPA tools are handy and you can go for codeless automation macros on the desktop. RPA tools can also be used for regression testing as well as test data.
This platform is basically a software that utilizes bots to automate routine tasks within software applications normally performed by a company's employees. These software are used to save time and eliminate the need for human employees to conduct repetitive, time-consuming, and tedious tasks.
Let's Find Out What is Robotic Process Automation
Robotic process automation (RPA) is a new software technology that makes it easy to deploy, manage, and build software robots that emulate human actions interacting with digital systems and software. Software robots, like humans, navigate systems, interpret screens, extract data, execute keystrokes, and perform various defined actions.
But software robots can do it much faster and more consistently than people, without the need to stretch and get up and or take a coffee break.
A Few Advantages of RPA
-Helps in bringing down the cost.
-Your team has more bandwidth to focus on business than the execution of tasks.
-It improves accuracy and minimizes errors.
-Increases productivity as there is minimal human intervention.
Famous RPA Tools for Testing
UiPath: a leading provider of UiPath Development Services, furnishes all the core capabilities and extends support for Citrix. Notably user-friendly for non-developers, this tool adeptly manages complex processes, making it an ideal choice for businesses of any size.
Features
- It provides security by managing credentials, access controls based on the role, and providing encryption.
- It can automate much faster. Eight to ten times faster automation through the Citrix environment too.
- Provides an open platform.
- Can handle any process, irrespective of its complexity in any number.
Pros
- Less programming skills are required.
- Very Easy to use through the drag-and-drop facility.
- It is free of cost and provides good features.
Use Case of RPA Testing - UiPath
Testing in Studio is easy for testing the code before deploying it. Testing each workflow in the project and to make the code more efficient, a developer goes with the Uipath studio's testing.
UiPath testing can be tested by a developer when developing the code as it won't take much time using testing suits. In the first one, there is a panel where we select the workflow to test.
In the second one, we get the framework to see the 3 steps.
- Given: We apply input to test our code.
- When: In this section, we invoke the code on which testing to be done.
- Then: In this section, we apply our required conditions to get the required result.
What Are the Steps of RPA Testing?
The main steps for RPA testing are described below:
Step 1: Testing in RPA using UiPath Studio is simple. The tester should perform testing, before deploying the process. In RPA testing, developers can also test the process apart from the tester. First, the developer or tester must select the process they want to test. Then they have to right-click on the Main.xaml under the Project Panel, and they have to select the Create Test Case option.
Step 2: After the creation of the test case, they will see the structure of the test case. There are three sections, which are:
- Given section: In this, We put the input for testing the process.
- When section: We Invoke the RPA process on which the testing will be performed.
- Then section: In this section, verification of the required outcome will be done.
Step 3: After performing the test cases, we get the outcome that shows the percentage of the activities from the workflow covered by the TestCase.
Using Log Fields in UiPath:
UiPath gives developers the ability to include additional custom log fields in each message. REFramework leverages this activity in the Initialization state to add the business process name to each logged message thereafter. For a transactional data process, we can add custom log fields to include specific transaction data in each log message automatically.
Two main advantages to using Add Log Field, both of which speed up debugging time and development.
- Visibility in log messages
- More concise, less verbose log messages
Logging the message in the Logs, adds wordiness to the logs, this way you can be able to know every step of the bot during testing the process.
Tips for Enhancing RPA Testing
1. Set RPA Goals and then Stick to Them:
RPA Testing has advanced technical capabilities and can handle a wide array of testing issues. The real challenge here is adapting business processes to make the most of these tools. Businesses generally prioritize the following parts in an RPA setup to achieve digital transformation.
- Lighter quality assurance (QA) workload
- Streamlined business processes
- Faster release Cycles
2. Get Familiar With DevOps Cloud Automation:
DevOps cloud automation is a relatively new concept. It involves RPA with cloud-native architecture. This helps the DevOps teams and the cloud bots can work simultaneously within the cloud infrastructures.
Cloud automation uses artificial intelligence (AI) to time-saving processes and lighten the manual task load. Unlike the other methods, cloud automation doesn't need to depend on additional hardware.
3. Address Your Company Culture:
When implementing RPA, businesses should prepare their company culture in two major ways:
- Address automation insecurities
- Promote cybersecurity awareness
The downfall of many organizations arises from a lack of communication.
4. Treat Bots the Way You Would Like To Be Treated:
For RPA bots to reach maximum efficiency, bots must use interfaces initially designed for humans. One of the biggest benefits of RPA is its ability to collect data about the way your software is used.
RPA challenges to keep in mind for when embarking on your automation project before you move to testing your project:
1. Lack of a suitable infrastructure
2. Difficulties to scale
3. Working with a third party
4. Lack of business and IT alignment
5. Selecting the wrong business case
6. Absence of a clear RPA strategy
7. Lack of ownership and poorly defined responsibilities
8. Failing to optimize and streamline the selected process before automating it
9. Security
10. Choosing the wrong process
Challenges of Robotic Process Automation Testing?
As every automation needs to be tested before its deployment, RPA bots must be tested before the run time. We should always keep in mind some points which are as follows:
- Bot exceptions: You should notice how the bots manage the software and automation process problems, page not loading problems exception problems, etc., successfully.
- Integration Problem: Integration occurs when bots cannot manage logs, orchestrator issues, firewalls, etc.
- Bot Functionality: Input/Output capabilities of the bot, security validation must be resolved, and stability, and configuration.
- Flow error: The bot can handle the data, and it should be able to inform any exceptions that occur during the run time. Most importantly, bot should begin recovery from the failure.
- Environment Exception: The bot is also able to manage environmental changes such as screen resolutions, version changes, etc., but they are not able to recover from the exceptions and self-diagnose.
What are the Types of RPA Testing?
Testing is the main step of every automation development before deploying the production automation. RPA software has its functionality for testing the codes, in which we can check the efficiency of the code and make our test cases as per the needs. There are in general two types of testing occurring in RPA:
1. Business Component Testing: Testing of other business components through RPA tools.
2. RPA Testing: Testing the automated business processes which are automated through the RPA tool itself.
Best Practices of Robotic Process Automation Testing
Below are some best testing methods:
- Understand the Requirements: Before the beginning of the automation, the main target of the testing team is to know the requirements of the automated process. This step is very important because the other steps will depend on it.
- Code Analysis: The tester must analyze the code properly to understand the flow of processes.
- Select the Right Scenarios: The tester must assure the customer that the automation is developed according to business requirements.
- Testing the Data: Without testing the data, automation testing can give errors in results. That is why it is necessary to have a clear view of understanding the data for successful testing.
- Control Defects: Defects are common in every test. For managing the defects, it should be written down by the tester, and it is essential to inform the developer's team about the defect.
- Final Outcome: When the above-mentioned steps run successfully, it will give the outcome.
What Are the Advantages of RPA Testing:
Testing is one of the main and important objectives of any software development. Software or product development can be fast if the testing of the product is fast. Below are some certain advantages of employing this Testing onboard:
1. Using the RPA technology for testing, it is possible to achieve many GUI test automation, as the RPA tool can capture repetitive IT system interactions.
2. It reduces the processing time by 40%.
3. It is preferred for its easy adaptability and smooth life cycle.
4. We can test our web portal data by scanning or scraping functionality.
5. It boosts the product's quality easily and also helps in product development to develop fast.
6. It reduces the error rates that occur during manual testing.
7. It supports the output of huge knowledge testing that maximizes the general quality and maintenance of the top product even when it hits the market.
Summary
We systematize RPA Testing in Automation and their best practices in this blog. RPA is the latest technology that can modify the business process management aspect, but the RPA tool like UiPath is one of the best automation testing tools nowadays.
This tool needs no coding skills. So it is very easily adaptable but this tool gives scalability, simplicity, accuracy, cost-saving, flexibility, and productivity in the software so What do you think now, folks!
