The Future of Manual Testing in the Age of Automation

Introduction

Testing has always been one of the most crucial parts of software development.

With the development of testing automation tools, the first question which came to my mind: will automation replace manual testing? And looking deeper into that question, what are the pros and cons of manual testing when weighed against the growing popularity of automated testing?

To start things off, let’s compare them.

Manual testing has its pros: flexibility, intuitive approach, and the ability to adapt to changes in the project.

However, it also has its cons. Everyone is a human, right? Humans can make mistakes.

Another consideration is time dependencies. With the role of automation in testing, it can significantly improve the testing process. Most importantly, it reduces time for test execution. It can increase test coverage and give a bigger reveal and accurate results. For example, with Performance testing, which is tough to do manually.

But — there’s always a but — not all types of testing can be fully automated. Manual testing is still necessary for some types of testing such as user interface testing, manual testing of new features, and user experience testing. 

Impact of Automation on the Role of Manual Testers

Automation can evolve very fast, and so, too, the requirements for the role of a manual tester. There are now higher expectations in terms of test skills, analytical abilities, and the ability to work with automation tools.

One thing which is also important is collaboration between automators and manual testers. Manual testers can assist automators in prioritizing automation and testing new features, as well as validating the results of automated tests.

Career prospects in QA

For manual testers, this is a time of challenge, but also opportunity. They can strengthen their position by expanding their arsenal of skills, including knowledge of automation tools and developing analytical skills.

On the other hand, there are great opportunities for test automators. As the demand for automated testing increases, experts in this field will be very popular. And, if they can expand knowledge of development by figuring out and learning new programming languages with test automation frameworks, it will be the hottest cake on the job market.

Conclusion

In my opinion, manual testing will not disappear in the automation era, but the roles will change a bit. Testers must be prepared for these changes and expand their knowledge and skills to remain competitive in the fast changing world of software development.

Swan Software Solutions prides itself on delivering high-quality software to our clients. To discover more about our custom solutions or quality assurance services, schedule a free assessment.