You’re extremely busy, and your entire organisation is busy too. So it’s challenging to find the time to conduct testing, let alone explore a new solution like automated testing.

This is something we hear quite a bit, but we would argue that your current testing strategy is likely draining more of your time and resources than you might think. Investing time to onboard an automated tool to ‘help out’ might be the solution!

Manual testing is very time-intensive and often requires repetitive tasks and added steps due to human error and working at cross-purposes. Inadequate testing means the risk of system failure is ever-present.

Automated testing saves incremental time, every day and prevents severe outcomes. For example, consider a point in the past when Hershey’s made the critical mistake of sacrificing systems testing to speed up the process.

A case study from Pemeco Consulting shows how Hershey’s famously lost millions in sales due to ERP management issues, including not conducting enough post-implementation testing. This led to IT system failure and more than $112 million in costs. Operational paralysis contributed to a 19% drop in quarterly profits and an 8% drop in Hershey’s stock price.

Automated testing is the way forward in a horrific situation like this. In fact, automated testing can prevent a worst-case scenario from ever happening, even as it speeds up your processes and saves you time.

Do you have questions about the pace of implementation? You’re probably wondering how long it will take and whether your business will face downtime from the transition.

The answer may depend on which automated solution you implement. 

If you decide WinfoTest can help, here’s some good news. Implementing a cloud-based automated testing solution happens very quickly, and your testing system can be up and running within hours.

Having the software preloaded with an extensive Test Script library saves a ton of time, while sparing you time to figure out other less common tests your particular business requires.

As a result, your overall business should suffer no ascertainable interruption, with proper planning for the transition.

Oracle does have a testing product called OATS – Oracle Application Testing Suite. However last year they announced plans to stop premier support for this product in June 2022. They will continue to provide limited support after this date but only for E-Business Suite. In a quote from their statement of direction policy in relation to OATS, they state:

“Customers looking to test other applications besides E-Business Suite should look for other testing tool alternative”

At Winfo, we have an Oracle Enterprise consulting practice that helps clients implement Oracle applications and a Managed Service team that supports the business as usual (BAU) post implementation. As consultants, we have experienced first hand the issues with applying quarterly patches in a timely manner and ensuring that everything works once the patch is applied. This is why we developed the Winfo Test Solution to take the pain out of these Oracle updates, because there was no product on the market that was 100% dedicated to Oracle.

The number of test scripts you receive with your automated testing solution varies depending on your chosen solution. For example, WinfoTest comes pre-loaded with over 1,000 test scripts that are constantly updated to keep up with the latest Oracle releases.

If you’re concerned about the quality of the scripts, here’s something else you should know. A support team should fully pre-validate all tests from a reputable testing automation company to match each Oracle update.

The automated test library should be constantly updated by the company offering the automated testing platform in line with Oracle’s applications and so you don’t need to worry about updating them yourself.

This creates a smooth experience for you and your team and prevents worrying about test quality with automation.

In principle, it’s entirely possible for a company to develop their own test automation solution. However the main challenge with these inhouse solutions is that they usually need a “techie” to manipulate the tests. When we built WinfoTest, a key consideration was making it a user friendly platform that could easily be used by business users. In this way it’s possible to include business leads in the testing effort and get their valuable insight on the use cases that should be tested.

A true zero-code solution allows the tester to add test scripts and create intuitive workflows without manipulating the underlying code. Point and click with a user-friendly interface that supports productivity.

Remind your team that manual resources will still be in high demand, but they’ll be focusing on higher-value work in the future. So instead of being saddled with boring, repetitive tasks, they can supervise the process and spend their valuable time on other important projects.

Automated testing often boosts motivation, with 79% of organisations reporting AI lifts team morale. It can even support a positive shift in perspective across your organisation, where AI reduces stress and frustration as your human colleagues enjoy a more inspiring work environment.

As a result, your company can hit the ground running with Oracle updates and stay ahead of them every quarter during new releases. You and your team can remain as involved as you wish, but you don’t have to handle every aspect of the design and maintenance of your testing schedule.

If you’re questioning the security of an automated solution, here are some important things to know. First, the right solution stays in sync with ERP vendors and adapts to Oracle updates as they occur. It should also follow the IT industry’s best practices for security standards.

Make sure your software solution is Oracle approved by finding it in the Oracle Marketplace! The best vetting comes from Oracle itself. And before you ask, WinfoTest is on this list. 🙂

This way, automation is more protective than manual testing and gets the most out of your ERP investment. The cloud-based, AI-powered security adds a layer of protection your testing process may have never experienced.

Sometimes, technology professionals prefer to avoid automated testing because comprehensive testing isn’t required or mandated. This is a critical error that can expose your operation to numerous risks.

Reasons to engage in comprehensive testing with automation:

• Ensures you don’t miss opportunities and protection from new Oracle updates
• Leverages your technology to get the most out of it
• Takes the frustration and hassle out of updating
• Shortens your code testing cycle
• Identifies and resolves bugs quickly
• Ends guesswork
• Speeds up the process
• Tightens the feedback loop
• Demands less of your team
• Allows talented professionals to focus on other things
• Preserves business continuity

Resistance from your internal team is common when considering testing automation. However, you can’t let these fears override your organisation’s need for top-tier productivity and security.

We designed this calculator that can help present the case to your team. By answering a few simple questions you can determine the ROI of implementing a testing automation solution for your particular business case. 

Try it for Free now!

If you like what you see, you can then take our platform for a free test drive.  Our team would be happy to setup a proof of concept on your Oracle platform so you can experience the benefits of WinfoTest first hand.

Here’s another worry technology professionals sometimes express about automated testing: Is AI going to take my job? The short answer is No.

Your automated solution can indeed run 24/7, without lunch breaks or downtime. A software robot is always happy to follow every command and execute endless scripts.

Still, it would be a mistake to implement automated testing as a “set it and forget it” approach without skilled human monitors. Instead, manual testing should go hand-in-hand with testing automation, using AI to speed up the process and eliminate errors.

Any excess time, labour, and budget can be reallocated to other activities that could be much more profitable for your company. 

Do you have projects on your to-do list that have been languishing for months or years? Here’s your chance to free up the resources you need to finish them.

Testing automation typically saves money over the long term by preventing unnecessary costs due to poor planning. If someone at your company wants to shut down the idea of transitioning to automated testing due to budget concerns, here are a few points to consider.

• It’s easy to justify the investment by showing the significant savings of time, labour, and elimination of errors and repetitive work. 
• Your regression testing will be much more streamlined.
• Automation mitigates the risk of downtime, a major issue for any busy company. What about your lost productivity, relationships, connections, and contracts? Preventing downtime can save your organisation from £80,000 to £800,000-plus per hour.

At Winfo Solutions, we’ve found that WinfoTest commonly reduces organisational risk by 90%, which translates to a potential cost savings of approximately 65%. It’s hard to ignore that high level of savings.