Business Process Testing

Johan AdriaansenApril 3rd 2008

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Agenda

• Introduction• Top 3 Reasons why Automation

Fails• Why bother? Why Automate?• Traditional Test Automation

Approach• Business Process Testing• Examples• Questions

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Introduction

• 10+ years of Test Automation experience

• Consultant • Design Business Process

based automation solutions

• Citco – Performance & Automated Testing Group

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Top 3 Reasons why Automation Fails

• Unrealistic Expectations• Maintenance Nightmare• Lack of Support

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Unrealistic Expectations• Management• Cost• Effort• “Silver Bullet”• No patience

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Maintenance Nightmare• Reliance on single person• Not transparent• Not scalable• 1000 tests 1000 scripts• Repetitive code• Large applications• Many builds / short

timelines• RAD / Agile

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Lack of Support• Awareness• Test Environment• Tooling• Test Data• Hardware• Business knowledge

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Why bother? Why Automate?• Growing functionality• Short timeframe• Can save time and money• reduces involvement of

valuable specialists• it can consolidate a

structured way of working• Clean / Repeatable

process • It’s fun

01234567

Size

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Release

Existing Modified New

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Traditional Automation Approach

• Record & Playback• “poke and hope”• Requires stable application• Fast ramp up• Not suitable for

applications without UI

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Traditional Automation Approach

• Production Line• Many / very similar scripts• Not searchable• What scripts are affected

by application changes?• Maintenance Nightmare• Prototyping

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Business Process Testing• First developed in 1994• AEX• Calculations• Actionword Based Testing• Hans Buwalda

www.happytester.com • Large scale use• HP BPT• Industry, government,

finance, publishing, telecommunication…

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Business Process Testing• Split How & What to test• Test Analysis Creating

Tests using limited number of Business Processes

• Test Navigation Creating automated scripts for each Business Process

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Test Analysis• The WHAT• Requires business knowledge• SME’s• No application required• Risk Based• Readable• Non technical• Spreadsheets• Tools / macros

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

test case example of a test caseParam Name Input Exp Result

business process Param Value

MSISDN Initial Credits Activeadd subscriber 0031614243412 1 Yes

Username Passw ordlogin Tester *****

File Name 1 File Name 2 Samecompare files tstf ile_A.txt tstf ile_B.txt Yes

Client Number First Name Second Namecheck client A5474584 Johan Adriaansen

Test Navigation• The HOW• Technical• Little / no business

knowledge required• Developers• Requires application• Programming functions• SDE• Off-shoring

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

The Engine• Standard Module• Reads Excel sheets• Calls automated functions• Reporting• Error handling• Keep & Refer• Manage Test Data• Reusable asset• Keep it simple• Integration with Test

Management tools

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Example 1• 1 of World largest

petrochemical companies• Consolidation of

applications• 2000, €• Team of 20+ testers • 2 Automation engineers

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Example 1• Very little system

documentation available• All tests in BPT format

– Reviewed pre execution– Results signed off – Stored

• Mainframe WEB• >75% automated• “signature” Business

Process• 1% code ratio

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Example 1

Example 2• Short Message Service

Centre • Open VMS / UNIX• Terminal Emulator• Excel macro• HLLAPI• Minimal cost

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Example 2

Example 3• SmartNet• Tactical Access Unit• ATM switch• Radio / Ethernet /

Intercom / ISDN• MMI• Highly configurable

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Example 3• Nothing to record• First 5 months:

– Stub development– Framework development– Test case creation

• 1000x faster execution• CMM Level 3

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Example 3

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Lets Compare• Planning• Scalability• Platform independency• Transparency• Shared responsibility• Outsourcing• Ease of maintenance

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008

Questions?

IT@CORK - Business Process Testing April 3rd 2008