Why You Need Test Automation for Software Testing in Agile

The many benefits of agile methodology have made it the most sought after and widely used software development methodology today. In fact, according to the VersionOne’s State of Agile Report 2017, close to 94% of organizations have switched to the agile methodology with success. This makes one wonder about the features of the agile methodology that makes it distinctly stand out from the other software development approaches. The answer lies in the very core principle of agile which is the ‘ability to adapt to change’. So, agile is all about continuous improvement and the ability to respond to change quickly and effectively.

The Need for Test Automation in Agile

There are several benefits of test automation that perfectly complement the key objectives of the agile methodology.

1] Testing Process Made Faster

Agile is an approach that focuses on continuous testing throughout the development lifecycle and the word that lies at its core is speed. It is all about identifying and resolving bugs and issues earlier in the software development lifecycle to reduce the costs incurred. Test automation in agile environment is the way to go as it increases the speed and makes it possible for testing to keep up with the speed of software development. This prevents any unnecessary delays.

2] Higher Accuracy as Compared to Manual Testing

Test automation in agile increases the accuracy of test case execution, thus ensuring defects and bugs are never missed out. This way, quality standards are adhered to and the risk associated with software development is reduced – both primary goals of agile. A manual approach simply cannot keep up with the demands of an agile environment that calls for quick testing with zero scope for errors.

3] Significant Reduction in Efforts

Agile emphasizes on continuous testing. This calls for the QA team to adopt methods that help them accomplish the testing goals in the shortest time and still adhere to the highest quality standards. An end-to-end test automation solution can be used to automate the repetitive set of test cases, which significantly reduces the efforts required.

4] Complex Testing Made Easy

With an array of platforms and devices to test on, application testing can be more than just time consuming – it can be complex to say the least. Also, agile requires testing after every new code is introduced. So many parameters for successful execution of test cases, make test automation in agile the ideal solution for enterprises.

5] Integrated Testing

One of the key principles of agile philosophy, integrated testing involves testing the different units of a product or application as a single group. Its purpose is to test the interaction of the different units with each other and identify faults if any. This is only possible with modern test automation software that offer an integrated and agile platform.

The new-age test automation tools with integrated platforms, such as Cucumber, QARA Test, Appium and Watir, are the solutions that enterprises need in order to achieve the multi-faceted benefits of agile. These platforms offer end-to-end test management for collaboration, which is also an essential component of agile.

Why HR Management System is What your Organization Needs

The advancements in technology has resulted in organizations operating differently, focusing more on greater operational efficiency with automation of the business processes. Today, there are tools available for the effective analysis of data for insights that help drive business decision making, and helping enterprises gain that competitive edge. A successful business is one in which all the departments function in tandem with one another towards the achievement of the common business goals. This applies to every business, big and small.

While the other departments get their fair share of the latest technology upgrades, it is often the HR department that is overlooked. In fact, there are still organizations out there that have their HR personnel carrying out the operations manually. However, it’s time we realized the importance of HR management systems to organizations and here are few key reasons why it’s a must-have.

1] Increased Efficiency & Productivity

Perhaps the biggest advantage of implementing human resource management systems is the resulting increase in productivity and efficiency in the operations of the HR department. The automation of a majority of the HR processes helps the HR team in an organization to achieve more in less time. This also allows your HR personnel to focus on more important tasks, such as recruitment.

2] Seamless Employee Attendance Management

The one process that arguably takes up most of the energy of the HR personnel in an organization is the management of leave and attendance of the employees. Managing such a complex process manually can be more than just time consuming – there is also the possibility of errors and inaccuracies. The implementation of a HR management system, on the other hand, is designed to automate the entire process to make it work seamlessly with almost negligible possibility of errors.

3] Access to Valuable Insights

The changing dynamics of a highly competitive market requires businesses to constantly collect and analyze data to execute important business decisions. With a HR management system in place, it becomes easier for the HR department to analyze the large amount of employee data, generate reports that are easy to understand and deliver them to the management as and when required.

4] Controlled Access to Organizational Data

One of the biggest advantages of implementing a human resource management system is the security that comes with controlled access to organizational data. In the traditional paper-based system, even the most sensitive information is in danger of landing up in the wrong hands. Controlled access to data allows organizations to define which employee has access to which information. This ensures a tamper-proof environment for the safety and security of data.

5] Enhanced Employee Morale

Human resource management system brings about automation of the process of benefits management and allows the non-HR employees to access and manage their benefits online by logging in to the portal. This creates a level of transparency that makes the employees feel in control. This helps to boost employee morale and improves the work culture within the organization.

There are several other benefits of a HRMS system that make it a must-have for enterprises today. There are quite a few high value HRMS systems available today, such as BambooHR, DigitalHRMS, and Beehive, which are designed for simple as well as complex business processes.

How to choose right mutual funds?

How to choose the right mutual funds?

While investing in mutual funds, you have to remember that you must choose the mutual fund based on your risk profile. If you are an aggressive investor then you will have to pick up such aggressive mutual funds which will have high risk and at the same time high returns. If you are a very moderate risk taker then you should look for those mutual funds which carry moderate risk and moderate return.
Look at the expense ratio: A lot of mutual funds come with a very high expense ratio which means though those mutual funds offer you high returns, you will end up it losing all that because there is a very high outflow of expenses.
Invest based on time horizon: There are many mutual funds that will give you a good return in the long run but if you are investing in the short term those are not the mutual funds for you. If you invest in mutual funds just because you want to make a profit without considering the time horizon, at the time of taking out the money, your money or portfolio may be slope down and you will lose a lot of money.
Choose small-cap funds and mid-cap funds based on your risk-taking ability: Small-cap funds and mid-cap funds are not for everyone. It should not happen that everyone invests in small-cap and mid-cap funds. Small-cap funds come with high risk. If in case, you invest in small-cap funds and if you trying take out your money at the same time when the market is down, you will be lost. Hence, it is important that you don’t invest in small-cap and mid-cap funds without analyzing your risk-taking ability because if you are someone who can’t take so much risk then you should not invest in such funds.
Look for diversification: Look for those funds which have diversification within the funds. If you don’t look that kind of diversifications then it may so happen then after you invest money, in case if that sector goes down then you will lose money.
Consult Financial Advisor: If you are a new investor and still have hesitation to choose the right funds for your investment, you can contact your nearest financial advisor. They are professionals who can provide you the best advice on your investment and help you to strategically manage your funds.