SaaS Testing: Basics and How Codeless Automated Testing Helps

SaaS or Software as a Service model is increasingly becoming popular. Thanks to its features like – quick deployment, reduced dependency on internal systems, an increase in availability, reliability of resources, and most importantly low upfront costs, it serves as the best choice.

However, looking at the flip side, the companies are under immense pressure to release new features at a fast pace. Adopting agile methodology for development and testing has helped the businesses, but has also come with the challenges – the need to deliver quality software. So, what could be done? How can you assure the quality of the software yet make a quick delivery?

Codeless Automated testing for SaaS-based web apps

We all know how crucial is to test any software, but with a SaaS-based application, there are numerous challenges that make testing of utmost importance. So let’s take a glance at the challenges of SaaS Application and how codeless testing tools can help overcome them.

Requirements of a SaaS application:

Frequent Updates and UI Validation

WhWhy is it important

• Live Updates are smooth
• Integration and Interface connectivity are seamless
• User does not experience any discontinuity of the services
• The existing features work as expected

Solution By Codeless Test Automation

• Setup could be achieved within minutes
• Execution of test cases is possible from any location, anytime
• Ability to test live sites without interfering with users’ workflow
• In case a test case need amendment due to software update/ feature change, edits could be made in a very short time

2. Scalability and Performance

Why is it important

• Certifying the load at zero and peak hours in multiple environments
• Defining the downtime and availability of the application.
• Scaling the users depending upon the usage/market requirement.

Solution By Codeless Test Automation

• Provides clear data on response time, reliability, resource usage, and scalability of the software under various conditions.

3. Security

Why is it important

• By verifying the privileges assigned to a user
• Continuous monitoring of logs and databases to detect unauthorized access.
• Compliance based testing
• Testing the accessibility of data.

Solution By Codeless Test Automation

• Defines levels of data access.
• Helps in detecting unauthorized access or fraud by continuous monitoring of logs

4. Integrations & APIs

Why is it important

• Ensuring compatibility, security, and performance of APIs when they handshake with other third-party applications.

Solution By Codeless Test Automation

• It possible to test the integration of the system with other interfaces or APIs

5. Cross Browser functionality

Why is it important

• SaaS Application need to be browser compatible and certify the minimum number of the version it can support that browser, that’s where SaaS testing comes handy
• Certifies the compatibility with different browsers and the minimum version it would run successfully.

Solution By Codeless Test Automation

• It assists in certifying the browsers, the SaaS product is compatible and the required version is supported.

As an entrepreneur, if you are looking to reduce the testing efforts, test automation could be beneficial. It not only reduces the time-to-market but could also help you with providing accurate results. For building the test automation framework, test automation strategy in-house, here is the quick approach and best practices that could help you.

Test Automation Approach for SaaS Products

Efficient automation is one that reduces manual effort, improves test coverage, reliability, and provides a positive ROI.

Hence while formalizing a test automation framework, fundamentally for a SaaS product, you should keep in mind the features of SaaS:

Record and Play Approach

The most basic test automation approach offers convenience, low implementation cost, and easy to be deployed. However, it does not provide flexibility, and maintaining a record and play tool when manual intervention is required could be a costly affair in the long run.

Data-Driven Approach

The approach is best suited when a significant amount of data is to be tested under different combinations. It involves some scripting, and hence the team should be skilled enough to check data output under various conditions.

Keyword-Driven Approach

A testing approach could be expanded to various platforms, applications, and environments. It suits for large/small data sets and projects of long/short duration. However initial implementation cost is one of the major pitfalls of this approach.

Hybrid Keyword Approach

The most sophisticated test approach that is long-lasting, flexible, provides you with ample checkpoints, sustainable, and comes with an ability to integrate with external objects. But again, the initial implementation cost is enormous, and during initial months you may not witness a positive ROI. The Hybrid keyword approach is a long-term test automation strategy and may not be the right choice for short-lived and straightforward projects.

Best Practices for Testing SaaS Products

• Make sure to set aside resources and time to measure the performance of the SaaS application
• Get a clear understanding of the requirement and "How it needs to be tested." Just for example does SaaS product needs integration with any other application? Or Would it work in different environments?
• With the frequent release, set aside some time for exploratory testing in every release that helps in getting new test cases and bugs
• Make sure to perform upgrade testing, data migration testing with frequent upgrades and changes of SaaS application
• Ensure the security, stability, and quality of the SaaS application when connected to third party APIs
• Set an estimate for your test automation efforts. Just for example once you guys have decided on the approach, how much time do you think it would need to write one test script? How much time does it need to execute it? It would help in comparing the estimated and actual efforts, thereby re-aligning your test strategy and leading to a higher ROI
• The user base is quite crucial for a SaaS application, hence make sure to have room to scale up in case it is needed
• Set up a plan for disaster recovery to ensure your users are not in a hung state in case of discontinuance of service
• Ensure Reliability testing in your release cycle for smooth deployment of code onto a live site.

While founders know, the prime motive of building a SaaS application is that it is customer focussed. Have you thought they are also getting the quality? SaaS testing is a comprehensive test solution that includes Functional, Security, Load, Performance, Cross-Browser, and compliance testing. Codeless Test Automation of SaaS test scripts shortens the test cycle helping frequent upgrades and release of SaaS application.

Article by Sumant mehta Founder of Cloud QA