AI-driven test automation for Oracle EBS is a hot topic in the EBS ecosystem and many CIOs and project managers are eager to see how it could help them ship their EBS upgrades on time, while cutting your testing costs.
But before you jump on the AI bandwagon, there are some things you need to know.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about AI-driven test automation that can lead you astray. Things that sound good during a sales call, many not manifest themselves in real life if your due dilligence isn't up to the mark.
That's why I'm here to tell you the truth about AI-driven test automation and how it can benefit you as an Oracle E-Business Suite decison maker, particularly when your organization is upgrading Oracle EBS.
In this article, I'll share with you 6 truths about AI-driven test automation that you should know when you're churning through demos and POCs of Oracle test automation tools.
Truth 1: AI-driven test automation is not a magic bullet
You may have heard that AI-driven test automation can solve all your testing problems. That it can replace human testers and do everything faster, better, and cheaper.
Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not true.
AI-driven test automation is not a magic bullet that can do everything for you. It's a powerful tool that can enhance your existing testing capabilities and help you achieve faster, more reliable, and more comprehensive business process testing through your Oracle apps' user interfaces.
But it still requires human input, guidance, and oversight to ensure its effectiveness and accuracy - especially when dealing with the herculean task of Oracle EBS test automation.
Think of AI-driven test automation as not a replacement for human testers, but a partner that can boost their skills and productivity.
I hope to one day update this article with news of how an AI-based automation tool will write and maintain all of your EBS test cases without human intervention - but we're not there yet. Not even close.
Truth 2: AI-driven test automation is not one-size-fits-all
You may have heard that AI-driven Oracle test automation can work for any application or scenario. That it can handle any type of automated testing task with ease.
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not true either.
AI-driven test automation is not a single solution that can fit any situation. Particularly not when you need to automate testing for a software as complex as Oracle EBS.
When you pull back all the marketing speak, focus on what you're actually getting. Will the AI help you map out your business processes or will it even categorize them after they have been uploaded into a tool?
Will the AI help your testing teams write automated test cases faster or is it aimed at helping minimize your regression testing maintenance burden when the Oracle EBS system UI changes?
For example, computer vision-based AI can help you with visual testing and UI validation, while natural language processing-based AI can help you with test case generation and documentation.
As an Oracle EBS program manager, you should evaluate your testing needs and goals, and choose the right AI technology that can best meet them.
The best time to do this might be when you're in the process of upgrading Oracle EBS.
Truth 3: AI-driven test automation is not a one-time investment
You may have heard that AI-driven test automation can be implemented once and forgotten. That it can run on its own without any maintenance or improvement.
Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but that's not true either.
AI-driven test automation is not a static solution akin to something you might "set and forget". It's a dynamic and continuous process that requires constant monitoring, maintenance, and improvement to keep pace with changing business needs.
AI-driven automation tools for EBS testing rely on data to learn and adapt to changing requirements and environments. Therefore, it's essential to ensure the quality, quantity, and relevance of the data that feeds the AI models.
This is where you will have to take a leap of faith with your Oracle test automation tool vendor and the marketing talk that they manage to verify during a POC.
Just like vanilla test automation, AI-driven test cases need to be regularly updated and validated to ensure their accuracy and reliability.
As an Oracle EBS program manager or decision maker, you should allocate enough time and resources to manage and optimize your AI-driven test automation efforts.
The key to making this work in reality is choosing the right Oracle EBS test automation tool that helps you stay lean and in front of the curve so that you can free up funds to invest in other essential test automation areas.
Truth 4: AI can't write all your Oracle EBS test scripts
You may have heard that AI-driven test automation can write all your Oracle EBS test scripts for you. That it can create any test script you need based on your business requirements and data inputs.
Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but that's not true either.
AI-driven test automation is not yet a substitute for human expertise and creativity when it comes to writing automated Oracle EBS tests.
Oracle E-Business Suite is a complex and often customized beast that requires specific knowledge and skills to test effectively, with maximum test coverage.
AI-driven test automation can help you with generating and executing some basic test scripts based on predefined templates and data, but it can't handle all the nuances and variations that Oracle EBS testing may involve.
For example, AI-driven test automation may not be able to create automated test scripts that cover different scenarios, workflows, configurations, integrations, validations, and exceptions that your day-to-day Oracle EBS users may encounter.
AI-driven test automation will not be able to verify the correctness and completeness of your test scenarios (or what are commonly referred to as test data sets).
Therefore, human testers still need to write, review, and maintain Oracle EBS test scripts to ensure their quality and maximize test coverage. It's part of our 3 P's of best-practice software testing:
Truth 5: AI-driven Oracle EBS test automation is not a future trend
You may have heard that AI-driven test automation is a futuristic concept that belongs to the distant future. That it's something that will happen someday in the future, but not now.
Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not true either.
AI-driven test automation is not a future trend - it's a present reality that is already transforming the Oracle test automation industry.
Many of your competitors are already adopting and implementing AI-driven test automation solutions to enhance their testing quality, efficiency, and coverage for Oracle EBS applications.
If your testing vendor hasn't given you a definitive roadmap to how they are going to utilize AI-based automated tests to improve your Oracle E-Business Suite test automation then you might want to start asking some hard questions. While you start shopping around!
As an Oracle EBS user, you shouldn't wait for the perfect time or opportunity to embrace AI-driven test automation. You should start exploring and experimenting with it now to gain a competitive edge in the market.
Truth 6: AI-driven, cloud-based test automation for Oracle EBS can help you when you move to Oracle Fusion ERP
Now that might sound like a real mouthful, but if you've got a future move to Oracle Cloud Fusion ERP system in mind for the future, then you'll do well to start planning for it in your choice of EBS test automation solution.
Why?
Well the last thing you want to be known as is the person who's decision to go with a certain EBS test automation tool compelled your company into having to ditch all its automated tests and build them all for scratch for Fusion ERP.
As we sit, you have the option to future-proof your software testing program to ensure that any move to a cloud-based ERP solution in the future does not mean you have to junk your EBS automated tests.
Only a few tools will allow you to achieve this with minimal friction, so make sure you ask this when you book your next EBS test automation tool demo.
Qsome is an AI-based automated software testing tool for EBS
AI-driven test automation is an exciting and promising field that offers many benefits for Oracle EBS decision makers who want to improve their testing processes and outcomes (and relieve their business users of frustration of having to run endless manual test cases).
But it also comes with some challenges and limitations that need to be understood and addressed. By knowing the truth about AI-driven test automation, you can make informed decisions about how to leverage it quickly and effectively in your functional testing projects.
If you're interested in learning more about how AI-driven test automation can help you automate testing for your Oracle applications, including Oracle Cloud end-to-end test automation, I have a solution for you: Qsome - which is used by some of the world's leading companies.
Accelerate innovation with Qsome test automation tools
Qsome is part of a rare-breed of innovative AI-based automation tools that can help you create, execute, analyze, and optimize your Oracle EBS test models with ease and speed.
Qsome is a test automation tool that uses advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to find cells and data in your Java applets-based Oracle forms with unnerving accuracy.
And it does all of this for not just you Oracle EBS system but also all your other business applications, including web applications and mobile apps too.
Seamless integration
Because Qsome also integrates seamlessly with your existing testing tools and platforms to provide you with a single source of truth for your Oracle test automation project.
You don't have to rip up what you already have, just add to it.
For example, if you want to run autoamted EBS regression tests from your Azure Devops pipelines or Jenkins deployment pipelines - Qsome will let you do this.
Want to push your bug reports: videos, screenshots and technical results to Jira or ServiceNow or another ticketing tool - Qsome will let you do this.
Our "done-for-you" EBS testing services will also help you save time, money, and resources by automating your Oracle EBS testing tasks with high quality and accuracy.
Don't miss this opportunity to take your Oracle EBS testing to the next level with Qsome. Book a demo today and see for yourself how Qsome can transform your testing experience.
Build your own AI-driven EBS testing success story
A Forrester study found that only 16% of companies are using AI-driven test automation today. But the technology with AI-based software testing tools like Qsome is already mature enough to be saving thousands of hours of productivity per organisation per year.
It's no longer a choice of being on the cutting edge of technology. Leave this shift to an AI-driven test automation tool too late and you will quickly be counted among the laggards.
But jump on it now and see instantly the business and technical benefits it makes to your Oracle EBS test automation program:
- By automating those repetitive and mindless tests, not only can you save costs, but you can also free up valuable resources, like SMEs and your already stretched testing team, to be utilized in more meaningful ways.
- Achieve not just more testing coverage, but better coverage. Plus, it's a great way to support agile product development and release. It's all about working smarter, not harder!
- Nip over-testing in the bud. You can now pinpoint exactly what needs to be tested, and nothing more. This way, you can optimize your testing efforts and spend more time testing troublesome workflows.
- Humans play a crucial role even in test automation. We bring a unique perspective and expertise, especially when dealing with complex dependencies. So, let's augment human testing and help your skilled people focus on what requires their attention.
- This is a golden opportunity for your team to make a compelling business case by implementing the culture and process/technology changes mentioned earlier. It's your chance to forge a stronger connection between testing and holistic, meaningful business results.
What do you have to lose?
