Confidently release new features to users with end-to-end automated testing across your entire tech stack.
Highlights
- End-to-End Codeless Test Automation: You don’t need to know how to code to write test scripts in ACCELQ – simply write your test scripts in plain English and let the system do the rest!
- AI Embedded into Testing: With AI embedded into the solution, users benefit from capabilities like self-healing, which means that test scripts can be automatically adjusted based on changes made to Salesforce.
- Improved Release Management: Release features on time and on budget with improved productivity and reduced time spent on testing.
- Reduced Downtime: Never worry about releasing features to production again, as ACCELQ gives you the confidence to know that all features will work seamlessly once released.
Testing is absolutely critical in Salesforce as it helps ensure that the platform is functioning flawlessly and meeting the needs of its users. However, performing this manually can be quite challenging for many reasons. Salesforce can sometimes seem like a tangled ball of yarn, and untangling the knots can leave you feeling overwhelmed when deploying new components.
That’s why having an automated testing tool is a real game-changer. It takes the burden off your shoulders, allowing you to efficiently test various functionalities, catch bugs, and maintain the overall health of your Salesforce instance.
Whether you’re just getting started with Salesforce or have been using it for years, the idea of codeless test automation is a tempting one. ACCELQ, a well known and trusted Salesforce partner, offers codeless test automation solutions to help streamline testing processes, reduce time and resources spent on manual testing, and ensure that Salesforce-based systems are working correctly.
Let’s take a look at what ACCELQ Codeless AI Test Automation for Salesforce can do for you!
Features
ACCELQ has numerous features that make it a no-brainer for Salesforce Admins. We’ll dive into the top features that will help you create a more efficient release management process within your organization.
No-Code Test Automation
No-Code Test Automation with ACCELQ is an innovative approach that streamlines the software testing process by eliminating the need for writing extensive code to perform tests. By harnessing the power of AI and advanced automation algorithms, ACCELQ simplifies the creation, execution, and maintenance of automated test scenarios. But why is this needed, and specifically, how will it help your Salesforce team?
Release Management
Comprehensive testing is an essential part of any release management process. Managing this manually, or writing ANT scripts, can be extremely time-consuming and ineffective.
Release management refers to the structured process of planning, deploying, and managing changes to Salesforce configurations, customizations, and applications. This process ensures a smooth transition from development environments to production. Release management for each Salesforce team may look slightly different, but as a minimum, a good release management process will involve at least three environments:
- Development sandbox (you may have multiple)
- Partial or full copy sandbox (where integrations are tested if applicable)
- Production
This is the absolute bare minimum for a good release management process, but it’s likely that you will have numerous development sandboxes in use at any given time – all of which feed into the partial or full copy sandbox where you have integrations connected for end-to-end testing, before deploying into production.
Release management also involves coordinating and monitoring the deployment of new features, updates, and bug fixes, while minimizing disruption to users and maintaining system stability. Releasing new features into production can give even the best Salesforce Administrators anxiety, but this is where the power of ACCELQ comes into play! You’re probably thinking that, while automating tests sounds amazing, don’t you need to know how to code to do this? With ACCELQ, the answer is no!
Defining Test Cases
ACCELQ’s natural language processing capabilities enable users to define test scenarios in plain English, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical users. This truly codeless approach not only reduces the time and effort required for test automation, but also empowers teams to focus on enhancing the quality and robustness of Salesforce, rather than spending time on endless, repetitive testing.
The ACCELQ interface allows users to define test scenarios in simple language, specifying the expected flow and resulting behavior. Within the interface, users can visualize the test paths to see exactly how each test case fits into the overall business flow.
Tests are written using an AI-recorder coupled with a natural language editor making it quick and easy to define your scenarios.
Once the test cases have been defined, they can be run over and over again in every environment, ensuring bugs are caught and fixed before they reach production. Test cases are also self-healing, meaning that AI autofixes the test cases (based on dev changes) at runtime.
ACCELQ self-healing autonomic test automation helps align with fast-release changes. Deep vendor alignment with live cloud link auto-updates automation assets without you having to worry about business process changes due to a new release.
True End-to-End Testing
We’ve talked a lot about Salesforce testing, but in many cases, Salesforce will be connected to other systems which make up the larger Lead to Cash landscape. These tools could be marketing automation/top-of-funnel tools such as Marketo or Hubspot, as well as ERP tools such as SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite. There may be additional tools in place that are native or partially native to Salesforce such as an eSignature solution, a CPQ tool, or any number of other third-party applications.
End-to-end testing means starting the process from the very first point (i.e. lead creation in a top-of-funnel tool) all the way through to the realization of the revenue (this usually occurs in the ERP tool) – and everything in between. When multiple tools are involved, testing becomes extremely tricky as there are usually different teams in charge of different systems, and each system admin will have their own way of working.
With ACCELQ, the testing process across each system is standardized. This means that if the SAP admin needs to make an update to SAP, they can do so and test it alongside every system that SAP touches in the process, removing the chance of their change impacting another system.
Test Case Management
Any admin or developer can attest that test case management can be cumbersome when done manually. Test case management involves defining, documenting, and maintaining every scenario that requires testing in your systems. As you can imagine, even for simple processes, this can be time-consuming and inefficient.
When a set of test cases need to be established, such as the example of lead conversion, it is imperative to document each of the steps involved – this can become very complex very quickly. If there are additional complications such as validation rules or automated flows, this can increase the volume of test cases exponentially. On top of that, secondary procedures that hinge upon lead conversion (such as creating an account, contact, and opportunity) create additional test cases, each with varying degrees of complexity.
ACCELQ allows users to manage their scenarios directly within the platform. It’s also easy to update test scenarios based on changes in the development. Let’s say you updated a validation rule on the lead object so that before conversion of a lead, the system requires a lead source to be filled in. ACCELQ will automatically update the test case based on this new logic, without you ever needing to make the updates.
With ACCELQ, users are able to set up a combination of test cases that run based on specific components of the release – this means you can test the areas of the system impacted by your changes to ensure minimal to no downtime once you deploy your new features.
Parallel Test Execution
Because not every component in the release is dependent on another, parallel test execution is crucial for reducing the amount of time and effort spent on test cases. This is common with objects such as cases and opportunities, for example, which may not have a direct relationship.
Because each test case in ACCELQ runs as an independent flow, it is possible to enable parallel execution of test cases. ACCELQ collates the results from multiple parallel threads, and provides a single report for the entire test job. Although there is a maximum of three parallel threads that can be run at one time, this is still handy in making the process more productive.
Use Cases
Sprint Automation Testing
If you’ve worked with Salesforce for any length of time you may be familiar with Agile Methodology, or at the very least, developing in sprints. In short, agile methods break tasks into small increments with minimal planning. Iterations are done in sprints that typically last from one to four weeks. Each sprint involves a cross-functional team working in all functions: planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, unit testing, and acceptance testing.
As you can imagine, testing during sprints can be chaotic, especially when multiple functionalities are being built and tested alongside one another. A piece of code developed, tested, and passed today may not pass tomorrow when another element is deployed into the testing environment. This can be extremely frustrating for teams as they may not discover errors early enough, and end up having to do double the amount of work on their configurations/code.
Extensive Regression Testing
Regression testing involves testing existing functionality to ensure that changes or updates have not introduced any new bugs or issues. Even if you don’t make a single update to Salesforce yourself after going live (very unlikely!), you would still have to do quarterly regression testing when Salesforce releases new functionality.
Without an automated solution, regression tests need to be carried out manually by admins or developers, or by an ANT script, which would need to be written and updated regularly by a developer. Both options are extremely time consuming, not to mention error-prone. By automating this process, Salesforce Administrators and development teams can save time and reduce errors by automatically completing comprehensive regression tests in every environment.
Let’s look at a simple lead conversion process in Salesforce and break it down into key steps:
- A new lead record is created, either manually by a user (maybe from a cold call) or automatically by another tool such as Pardot or Hubspot.
- The lead is qualified by a user, and information is entered onto the lead, such as the industry the prospect is in, what their need is for your product or service, and if they have a budget in mind to spend.
- During our qualification process, it’s essential the user qualifying the lead enters the details about why a prospect needs our product or service, otherwise it will become harder to sell to them. A validation rule has been set up by the Salesforce Admin to check this field is filled in prior to converting the lead.
- Once the lead has been qualified, it can be converted into Account, Contact, and Opportunity records.
- Upon conversion, the system should copy over the discovery information the user entered during the qualification step to both the Contact and Opportunity records.
- The user should open the contact and opportunity records to check the information has been copied over.
Now, this is a very basic process, and you may think it will be simple to test by hand, but when you break it down, this one process will need to be tested multiple times with different variables. You’ll need to consider the following questions:
- Was the lead created manually or by another tool?
- Did the user try to convert without filling in the required fields, and if so, did the validation rule fire?
- Did the user fill in the required fields and did the validation rule fire incorrectly?
- Did the user attempt to create a new contact and opportunity but attach the lead to an existing account?
- Did the user attempt to create a new account and contact, but not an opportunity?
The list could go on and on!
Now, imagine this multiplied by all of your processes and all of their variations! Being able to automate all testing, but specifically regression testing is truly essential.
End-to-End Integration Testing
By definition, integration testing involves evaluating how different components of an application work together. With ACCELQ, testers can automate integration tests for Salesforce applications, ensuring that all components work as expected and that data is correctly passed between them. The added benefit of using a single tool for all test cases across your entire tech stack is a huge advantage and allows for seamless testing to occur across every tool you use in your processes.
Okta noted that, on average, their customers are using 88 applications across their organization. Even if just a quarter of those applications are integrated with each other in some way, this creates an extremely complex web of applications that must work together in the background seamlessly. This doesn’t even take into consideration whether these applications are used for internal processes or external, customer-facing processes, but any application that touches external processes needs to be tested extensively prior to deployment.
There is nothing worse than disrupting a customer’s experience with your application, website, etc. Having a tool that reduces the likelihood of downtime is not only a time saver, but also a smart investment in your ability to conduct business.
Data Validation
Data validation testing involves testing that the data entered into Salesforce applications is correctly processed and stored. ACCELQ can automate data validation tests, ensuring that data is accurately entered, processed, and stored in the Salesforce database. By testing this in advance, the likelihood of errors occurring is reduced, and data quality is improved across your applications.
Performance Testing
Performance testing involves testing the speed and reliability of Salesforce applications. With ACCELQ, testers can automate performance tests to ensure that applications meet expected performance levels and can handle expected loads. This is particularly useful for testing high-traffic applications or those that require fast response times.
Impact
ACCELQ has a positive impact on Salesforce Admins and their productivity as it drastically reduces the amount of time they spend on testing for release management. Without having to write test scripts or manually test their changes in multiple environments, admins can spend their time focused on post-release tasks. They also have more time and energy to address any defects found via the ACCELQ tool.
Because ACCELQ can partner with other release management tools such as continuous integration apps, releases can be completed in days rather than weeks. All of this allows internal teams to reduce the likelihood of human error, and it also provides a more efficient experience!
Salesforce Admins have a more diverse role than ever within their organizations. By giving time back for other activities, such as requirements gathering, release planning, and designing solutions, you are ensuring that your Salesforce team is working as efficiently as possible.
Reduced Costs
In addition to the efficiency that comes with using ACCELQ, with a 7.5x faster test cycle and 72% less effort on automation, teams can reduce costs in other ways. A smaller headcount will be required to get changes out the door, or you can reallocate the headcount to other team members where more support is needed, such as development or business analysis.
Not only does regression testing in ACCELQ shave off a tremendous amount of time, but it also ensures previous work coexists with new changes, thus providing a reduction in costs from admins inefficiently reworking previously released solutions. Whether your QA or admin team comprises three people or 300 people, the savings can be significant.
Release Features Faster
Depending on the size of the release and the number of environments in the org, change management can burn a lot of time, providing bottlenecks that reduce the speed at which changes can move to production. Because regression testing does not have to be recreated by developers or admins manually, the amount of time that changes sit, ready to be released, is reduced.
The dashboard provides a visual breakdown of regression testing execution success, along with defects and coverage percentage, which allows for a faster understanding of what needs to be addressed before the next release.
Setup
The setup is incredibly easy as the web application is “plug and play”. Once logged in and authorization has been granted between ACCELQ and Salesforce, admins will need to learn how to set up Contexts, Actions, and Scenarios. Once you get the hang of this, you’ll be creating test cases in no time!
Being knowledgeable on the procedure you want to test is beneficial (knowing the complete set of steps required to perform each test case), so having this documented beforehand can be a huge help. You can also import test cases from a spreadsheet, which can further reduce setup time.
Overall, the setup can be easily completed by proficient Salesforce Admins, however, a step-by-step understanding of scenarios will aid in setting up tests efficiently. So, if you have a team member responsible for Quality Assurance on your team, they should definitely be involved, if not the owner of this tool.
Separate steps for setup must be taken to build and execute tests on iOS or Android mobile phones, but ACCELQ has provided documentation for this kind of setup and it only requires a few simple steps.
ACCELQ also has an extensive library of videos on YouTube, which is useful in helping users get to grips with building test automation on the ACCELQ platform. The documentation and resources for setting up the application are all self-service, but the ACCELQ team is also available if you do need a bit of extra help getting started!
Pricing and Licensing
ACCELQ has four different license offerings on their website. These cover different use cases, with various features for specific use cases. It really depends how extensive your testing needs to be – for example, if you want to do only regression testing in Salesforce Web, you may only need the Web plan to start with. However, if you intend to test other applications in addition to Salesforce, such as your top of funnel tool and/or ERP solution, you may require the API package as well.
Each plan comes with a free trial so you can test the software before buying it – a really useful offering! There is also the ACCELQ Unified plan, for an AI-based, unified platform for continuous delivery. This also includes full-stack automation and test management, automate web, mobile, API, desktop, and more. It’s the full suite of tools for your most comprehensive testing needs!
The team at ACCELQ will work with you to determine the best plan for you based on your specific needs, and pricing will be offered based on the number of users and the features required. Get in touch with the team today for more information.
Summary
All in all, ACCELQ will transform the way you develop, test, and release features into production, and it will give every admin peace of mind knowing they are releasing useful and bug-free features to their users. Improving efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing reliability helps bring stability to your entire tech stack, while reducing the complexity of developing and releasing new features to users.
Contact the ACCELQ team today for a demo and get started with a free trial to see how you can transform your release management process with truly automated and intelligent testing!