QA Consultants’ Test Automation solution solves a 14 yearlong problem

QA Consultants’ Automation win

A Canadian government ministry contacted QA Consultants to attempt test automation that had previously failed. The issue revolved around their main tool-of-record application, which employs mainframe user interface components. The manual test effort involved regression test execution that was no longer viable.
For fourteen years, previous attempts at test automation had failed, leading the client to believe it was not possible.
QA Consultants’ skilled Test Automation experts applied their deep knowledge, past experience, and creative insights to develop both an automation framework and scripts for use in their regular regression testing. This completely debunked the client’s prior belief that the application could not be automated.

Project aims/goals

• Design and implement test architecture tools, processes and methodology artefacts to fulfil the proof of concept upon the mainframe-based client application
• Design and implement test automation employing a user-friendly front end for script development
• Design the automation to be scalable, i.e., develop more scripts upon the framework
• Design the automation to be readily executable across builds, test cycles, and releases of applications

Methodology/work undertaken

• The combination of Katalon Studio + PowerShell scripts + Auto Hotkeys scripts, controlled any mainframe application through the keyboard
• The approach developed was to manipulate the mainframe screens in the way it was initially designed for: keys in keyboards
• For data verification, the framework automatically captures the content of the screen and transform it into a text format, which allows Katalon to validate the expected results very easily
• The developed framework doesn’t map objects or position
• Emulate the use of mainframe by using the keyboard for data entry and actions
• Test automation activities
  • Test automation framework development
    • Usage of a myriad of technologies in a creative and insightful way to solve a persistent testing technical problem
  • Automation test scenario development
  • Automation test execution as POC
  • Executive program quality presentations
• Test scope
  • Functional test automation

• Metrics
  • Addition of test automation capability (100%)
  • Days taken to create automation framework + script(s) – two days
  • POC benefit statistics below detailing rendered automation benefits

Challenges/obstacles overcome

For the past 14 years, multiple attempts by the client’s internal resources and vendors had failed.

Results and evaluation

QA Consultants’ engagement resulted in:

• Successful implementation of test tools – Katalon Studio + PowerShell scripts + Auto Hotkeys scripts – to solve the test automation problem
• The planned decrease in regression testing runtime through test automation usage
• The planned decrease in regression testing cost and effort through test automation usage
• Successful addition of automation testing tools, skill sets, and artefacts

QA Consultants is still engaged with this client on additional automation projects.
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