In software development, speed is important. Every development team wants to release updates quickly, but this often conflicts with testing and quality processes. Manual testing is still common, even in large teams, but is it slowing your team down? And if it is, what can you do about it?
What is manual testing?
Before deciding if manual testing is slowing your team, it’s important to understand what it is. Manual testing means that a person needs to run tests, check the results, and find bugs. Unlike automated testing, it requires human effort.
Manual testing can slow down projects because it takes time to set up the tests, run them, record results, and check if everything is working. Humans can make mistakes, get distracted, or miss details, leading to inconsistencies. However, manual testing isn’t bad – it has its place. The real question is when to use it and when to avoid it.
How easy is automation?
Many teams use automated testing to speed up their work. Automated testing brings consistency, reduces mistakes, and can be done repeatedly with little extra effort. But not all tasks are easy to automate.
For tasks like regression tests, unit tests, and some integration tests, automation is very useful. If your team spends too much time manually testing routine tasks or finding the same bugs, it’s a sign that automation is needed.
Setting up automated tests can take time and resources, but it can save a lot of time later. Once automation is in place, your team can work faster. Tools that support automation make it easier to get started, reducing the need for manual setup.
What Else Can You Improve?
While focusing on manual versus automated testing, don’t forget the big picture. Your dev team’s processes, tools, and feedback cycles all affect how fast you release updates.
For example, think about how version control and data tracking impact testing. If your team isn’t using the same data or version of an app, testing can become messy, even with automation. PlatformManager helps by tracking data and versioning, making it easier to spot problems early. This means no more scrambling to find the right data during testing, and it’s easier to roll back changes if needed.
PlatformManager also shows differences between two versions of an app. This makes it easier for developers to see what has changed and fix bugs faster.
Good teamwork is also important. Dev teams, whether in one office or spread across the world, need tools to stay connected. Testing errors often happen due to poor communication. A tool that improves collaboration can help prevent mistakes and allow your team to focus on building and improving.
Balancing Speed and Quality
It’s easy to focus only on speed, but it’s more important to balance speed and quality. Rushing updates and having to roll them back due to bugs wastes time. The goal is to know where manual testing adds value and where it slows things down.
Manual testing is useful when understanding context is important. But automated testing should handle the repetitive tasks. This leads to faster and more reliable releases.
So, is manual testing slowing your dev team? It depends. The key is finding the right mix of automation, teamwork, and manual checks to keep quality high. Tools like PlatformManager can help your team work at its best by reducing manual work and letting your experts focus on what they do best.
Looking to improve your DevOps and take the manual work off your team’s plate? Reach out to PlatformManager today to find out the best way to do it.