Business Flow Testing Automation via Smart Match Algorithm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software testing automation for business flows is inefficient, requiring significant effort from automation developers and experts, and depends on the stability of the testing environment, with limited reuse of automation activities across projects.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that records and parses business flows into activities, using a smart match algorithm to identify existing automated activities in a test automation repository, generating an automated test that can utilize selected parameters for efficient testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automation scripts are manually built by developers and experts, then testing coverage and quality can increase, but development effort and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation by allowing business users to record their own workflows through UI interactions. The recording module captures user actions and automatically converts them into executable test scripts, eliminating the need for manual script writing by developers while maintaining high testing quality through the structured parsing and activity generation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-defining activity templates and parameters in the test automation repository. When a workflow is recorded, the system matches captured actions against these pre-defined templates, automatically generating standardized test activities. This preliminary structuring of test cases enables rapid automation generation without requiring developers to create scripts from scratch.
2Productivity
If more business flows are automated, then testing coverage increases, but dependency on automation experts and script maintenance effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments business workflows into discrete, reusable activities that can be independently managed and executed. Each recorded workflow is parsed into sequential activities with defined inputs and outputs, allowing individual activities to be maintained and updated separately. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity by breaking down large automation scripts into manageable units that can be reused across multiple business flows.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates universal activity templates that can serve multiple purposes across different business flows. A single recorded activity can be reused in various contexts with different parameter values, eliminating the need to create separate automation scripts for similar operations. This multi-functionality increases testing coverage while reducing the total number of unique automation artifacts that need to be maintained.
3Adaptability or versatility
If automation scripts are created for specific projects, then project-specific testing needs are met, but reusability of automation activities across projects is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses parameterized activity definitions where specific values can be changed without modifying the underlying activity structure. Each activity contains configurable parameters that can be adjusted for different projects and business contexts. This allows the same activity template to be adapted to various projects by simply changing parameter values rather than creating new scripts, significantly improving cross-project reusability while maintaining project-specific adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for efficiently automating software testing of business flows. In use, a business flow executed by a user is recorded by a testing system. The business flow is executed by the testing system utilizing a plurality of user selected parameters. Additionally, the recorded business flow is automatically parsed by the testing system into a plurality of activities associated with the business flow. Further, one or more existing automated activities in a test automation repository that correlate with one or more of the plurality of activities associated with the business flow are identified by the testing system (e.g. using a smart match algorithm). Moreover, an automated test for the business flow is generated by the testing system utilizing the one or more existing automated activities in the test automation repository. The automated test for the business flow is capable of utilizing a plurality of automatically selected parameters for testing the business flow.