Developing a Robust Salesforce Testing Strategy

Quality remains the fundamental element in the success of any organization, let alone a digital one. With digital technology playing a discerning role in improving the quality of our lives, ensuring the quality of such technology is of primary importance. This calls for software application testing and fixing the bugs early in the development (and testing) cycle. The enterprises of today are increasingly using CRM or ERP solutions to manage operations and other processes seamlessly. Salesforce is one such CRM software suite, which along with SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft, is witnessing a steady growth in its adoption. The reasons for the popularity of Salesforce can be attributed to its ease of customization, implementation, flexibility, and scalability. Further, Salesforce is leveraged by the industry in managing leads, contacts, clients, and opportunities. However, not everything is hunky-dory when it comes to implementing the software. For starters, everyone’s concurrence is necessary and the objectives of business need to be clearly defined. Thereafter comes Salesforce testing.

Why test Salesforce?

Since codes can play a critical role in integrating various business processes and functions within an organization, they need to be tested for Salesforce. Salesforce testing would ensure the underlying codes are performing, reliable, and qualitatively superior. The test validates the customizations and configurations done to the software to develop a quality product. The product in the form of software ought to support the client’s business processes. There are two types of testing in a Salesforce testing framework - manual and automated.

In manual Salesforce testing, the application is tested manually with focus on regression, system, integration, and functional testing. However, Salesforce automation testing is about validating the software using a test tool like Selenium.

How to develop a robust Salesforce testing

A business needs to work on automating salesforce application testing to get the best results. However, the steps to validate the applications developed on Salesforce are as follows:

·       Business objective: The various CRM features of Salesforce should be aligned with the business objectives. The main purpose of developing and implementing a tool on Salesforce should be understood by the testers. To cite an example, by knowing the purpose of automating the sales process, one can formulate a robust testing strategy.

·       Test case scenarios: While creating a Salesforce testing framework make a list of the possible test case scenarios and exceptions. The list should also contain the expected outcomes for each test case scenario and action. Based on the same, the test data need to be collated for each scenario.

·       Test drive: The Salesforce platform comes with a program called ‘pre-release trial,’ which allows the testing of any application before entering the production area. Since this is not linked to the production area there would not be any danger of manipulating the real-time data. This gives an ideal opportunity to check various applications if they meet the expected outcomes.

·       Functional testing: To ensure maximum test coverage and enhance the quality of the code, testers should go for rigorous Salesforce functional testing. This will help them validate various functions from the users’ perspective.

·       Test management:While conducting tests, the testers should ensure the application, function, or feature is in alignment with the operations or business objectives. Therefore, the test results should be checked against the reference data to ensure quality.

·       UAT testing: With Salesforce automated testing, care should be taken to conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT). This way glitches or vulnerabilities inherent in the software can be identified and fixed before the software is released into the market.

·       Maintaining test records: This is the most crucial aspect of Salesforce testing as it offers stakeholders a dashboard to understand any underlying issues with the software. Whether it is Salesforce automation testing or manual testing, test records help administrators to identify, understand, and mitigate risks. The records document various failure scenarios and help in further escalation to responsible persons to fix the issues.

Conclusion

Implementing a successful test strategy for Salesforce can help businesses to identify the bottlenecks or glitches and streamline their operations. Since a lot is at stake, the applications developed on the platform should be thoroughly tested for various parameters. It is only after following a successful Salesforce testing that organizations can remain competitive.

The need for Salesforce Automation Testing

Customer satisfaction lies at the core of an enterprise’s quest for success. Today, an enterprise with multiple branches and departments spread across geographies may struggle with managing its affairs or taking care of its customers unless it is backed by a CRM platform. The platform would help an enterprise to effectively communicate with its existing and potential customers and manage operations. It would go further in establishing and sustaining customer relationships through various initiatives and stages. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software or platform is a conglomeration of systems, techniques, strategies, and practices that helps enterprises to manage customer data and communication during the entire business lifecycle. It reduces bottlenecks in customer communication and helps enterprises meet their business objectives by strengthening customer relationships.

When it comes to CRM software, Salesforce remains the preferred choice. This cloud-based platform is used by 88% of Fortune 100 companies and its associated ecosystem is expected to grow five times its own by 2022. Further, Gartner affirms Salesforce as a leading CRM software platform in terms of sales revenue and customer support. And in the marketing segment, it is placed third in revenue. With so much at stake, the software (and the apps within its ecosystem) needs to deliver top-notch quality outcomes. 

The answer to what makes Salesforce a popular CRM platform lies in its ease of implementation, agility, scalability, and various customization features aligned to the divergent business needs. Salesforce offers a slew of activities based on its integration with various applications such as web portal, data loader, web services, outbound messaging, and social media, among others. However, with constraints of time, cost, and other business exigencies, the integrated applications are not often tested. The result gets manifested in terms of poor quality products, delayed communication, increased costs, and low customer satisfaction. To get around these issues, enterprises should go for salesforce test automation.

Why salesforce automation testing?

Since various applications that are part of the Salesforce ecosystem help enterprises perform a series of functions, they should be validated through an automated salesforce testing framework. Among the benefits to be accrued by this exercise are:

·       Boosts efficiency: Manual testing has its challenges with testers not checking every aspect of the software due to the fatigue factor. Also, besides slowing down the testing process it impacts the overall quality of application adversely. However, with salesforce test automation, aspects like regression testing can be accelerated, glitches can be identified quickly, and software implementation can be done within shorter turnarounds. And with effective Salesforce implementation, enterprises can derive benefits like

§  Quick deal closure

§  Increase in growth opportunities

§  Upselling opportunities

§  Strong customer experience

·       Better test coverage: The implementation of a cloud-based CRM platform like Salesforce entails tackling changes related to various applications. However, this would require the execution of hundreds of test cases and creating user scenarios. With data-driven Salesforce automation testing, the compatibility of applications and their consistent performance across digital elements (devices, browsers, operating systems, and networks) can be validated.

·       Quick detection of glitches: Automation testing can be conducted 24 x 7 without the need for constant supervision. Since hundreds of test cases are checked in iterations, glitches can be identified quickly. This, in turn, ensures the quality of features and functionalities of applications within the Salesforce ecosystem to remain top-notch. And sooner the glitches are identified the quicker they can be fixed.

·       Better documentation: Salesforce test automation generates log reports detailing the success and failure of test cases. These serve for documentation purpose and guide the team to understand the causes of failure and apply correctives.

·       Better ROI: The error-free outcomes generated through automated testing help saving money and resources, improving the quality of applications, enhancing customer confidence in the brand and product, and generating a higher ROI.

·       Decreasing production defects and increasing CX: The identification and mitigation of defects in various applications of Salesforce are accelerated through automated testing. This results in enhancing the quality of products and delivering a superior customer experience.

·       Adhering to quality or security protocols: The security protocols like ISO/IEC 27000, Sarbanes-Oxley, and others require strict adherence by enterprises. This is to ensure the products turn out to be robust, qualitatively superior, compatible, and secure. Automated testing can relieve testers from mundane testing jobs to focus on tasks like adherence to protocols. It builds customers’ trust, reduces vulnerabilities, and preempts enterprises from censure or penalties.

Conclusion

Salesforce implementation helps an enterprise to add value, build customer loyalty, and distinguish itself from peers & competitors. Through Salesforce automation testing, QA specialists can eliminate routine errors that are often left unidentified during manual testing. If done diligently, automation testing can enhance the quality of applications in the Salesforce ecosystem and deliver superior customer experiences.

How to carry out a successful Salesforce Testing?

Salesforce is by far one of the most preferred CRM platforms. The popularity of Salesforce as a CRM platform owes mainly to the software’s flexibility, scalability, ease of application and cost effectiveness. Its ability to bring about a seamless integration of different business functions can result in better business intelligence. The best part of using Salesforce is in developing bespoke applications quickly. These applications can help in strengthening the customer interface with an aim to deliver the expected customer experience. This is important to ensure and propogate one’s brand value in the competitive business environment.

So, be it accounts, admin, campaigns, leads, opportunities or contacts, Salesforce integration of applications can do a world of good to the business. However, the pace at which such applications are developed requires the same to be thoroughly tested for bugs or to address the performance issues.

When it comes to testing, carrying out manual testing of applications on Salesforce can lead to issues such as inconsistent monitoring, cost escalation in terms of man hours spent, and lesser test coverage. To get over the shortcomings of manual testing, it is advisable for businesses to go with Salesforce test automation.

At the same time, writing codes for Salesforce automation testing is a skilled task, for any small change to the system would mean writing the corresponding Salesforce test automation code all over again. This complexity can certainly be a deterrent unless appropriate tools to undertake test automation for Salesforce are implemented.

To implement successful Salesforce test automation, these are some key essentials;

#1 Choose the right Salesforce automation testing tool: Salesforce test automation would require use of a code free tool. The focus should be more on using a tool with a point and click interface. There are quite a few Salesforce automation testing tools such as Salesforce Lightning Inspector, Provar and Apex Interactive Debugger, etc. These include features such as flexibility and automatic generation of reports amongst others.

#2 Cover the entire test area: As opposed to manual testing, Salesforce test automation should cover the entire test area with all the positive and negative test cases. Run Salesforce automation testing to include any possible update that the organisation might have undergone since the last test automation for Salesforce. Also, take into account the code lines, for any addition or alteration of these can change test coverage patterns.

Article originally published at Medium.com: 
Check out this checklist for a successfulSalesforce Testing