Professional surveys can be an important tool for businesses. Gathering a large amount of data from a large number of people can provide valuable insights.
The State of Testing survey, which we have been running at PractiTest for the past decade has been exactly that - a valuable source of knowledge and professional reflection.
Each year we consistently ask some of the same questions, which has been instrumental in uncovering many trends:
- The progressive adoption of Agile
- The importance of communication skills as a soft skill of testers
- The shrinking size of designated QA teams, along with the shift left
However, we also like to “mix it up” and ask some more concept-exploring questions, to dig deeper into professional shifts.
This time around we’ve decided to use the crowdsourcing wisdom of the QA community to explore two concepts:
- The shift to Agile and DevOps and their impact on our productivity and our testing.
- The consequences of automation adoption in regard to current processes, people, and platforms.
The shift to Agile and DevOps
Agile and DevOps are two approaches to software development that have gained widespread adoption in recent years. Both Agile and DevOps aim to increase the speed and efficiency of software development and delivery and have been successful in helping organizations become more productive and responsive to changing business needs.
By focusing on rapid iteration and continuous delivery, Agile and DevOps can help teams deliver software more quickly and with fewer errors. They also encourage a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, which can lead to better communication and more efficient workflows.
However, it's important to note that Agile and DevOps are not silver bullets for increasing productivity. They require a significant investment in training and infrastructure and may require a cultural shift within an organization. It's also important to carefully plan and execute any transition to these approaches, to ensure that they are implemented effectively. This is why we are looking into exploring the real way teams are dealing with this shift.
The consequences of automation adoption
Automation has had a major impact on the field of software testing. On the one hand, it has led to increased efficiency and consistency in testing, as automated tests can be run quickly and with minimal human intervention. This has allowed organizations to test more of their code, which has helped to improve the quality of their software.
On the other hand, automation has also led to some negative consequences. One concern is that the adoption of automation can lead to job displacement for manual testers. While automation can take over many of the routine and repetitive tasks that are involved in testing, it is not yet capable of replacing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of human testers. As a result, some testers may need to upskill in order to remain competitive in the job market.
Another concern is that relying too heavily on automation can lead to a false sense of security. While automated tests are useful for catching many types of defects, they are not a substitute for human testing. It is important for organizations to maintain a balance between automated and manual testing, and to regularly review and update their testing strategy to ensure that they are effectively identifying and addressing defects.
We are interested in finding out how the actual adoption of automation is being balanced in real teams.
Sounds interesting right?We sure think so.
We encourage you to contribute your point of view on these subjects by answering the State of Testing survey yourself.
At the end of the survey, you will have the option of leaving your info, if you'd like us to send you the report with the analyzed answers from all the testing professionals who answered this survey around the world.
Thanks in advance,
Team PractiTest
