Software Development Automation: Actions, Skills, Costs
Having over 15 years of experience in building software from scratch, Livyoung Realtech Enterprise helps businesses deliver software fast and efficiently.
Contact Us
Software Development Automation: The Essence
Automation in software development is a method of reducing errors, making the process faster and more cost-effective, and improving team collaboration and productivity.
Low-code development, test automation, and CI/CD implementation are the most prominent SDLC automation approaches.
Low-code development
- From 2 weeks to 1-3 months to build an app using low-code platforms.
CI/CD implementation
- 3-5 weeks to develop an efficient CI/CD process for a middle-size software development project with several microservices, an API layer, and a front-end part.
Test automation
- ~ 2 months to set up test automation.
Software Development Automation: Setup Journey
The software development automation setup procedure is determined by the automation option selected as well as the characteristics of the development project. We’ve included some general automation tips and roadmaps that we use in our projects below.
Hot to go low code:
To design apps and automate processes, the low-code approach to software development requires little to no coding. Low-code development is roughly four times less expensive than creating an app from the ground up with custom coding. The following are examples of low-code development technologies:
Low-code application platforms.
Business process management suites.
Multiexperience development platforms (MDXP).
Robotic process automation.
Citizen automation and development platforms (CADP).
Rapid application development (RAD), rapid mobile app development (RMAD).
A low-code application platform (LCAP) is currently the most popular low-code development technology. LCAPs (e.g., Microsoft Power Apps, OutSystems, Mendix) provide visual drag-and-drop modules that simplify and streamline building new apps.
The most common app types developed with low code are:
Employee-facing portals, intranets, productivity apps, internal resource planning and decision validation apps, audit apps, etc.
B2C and B2B portals.
Mobile apps for employees, customers and partners.
Software prototypes.
Low-code development is good for apps with few user roles, simple and specific business logic.
It usually takes from 2 weeks to 1-3 months to build an app using low-code platforms.
The key steps of setting up low-code development with LCAP:
- Analyze the technological requirements for a program, its functional complexity, and required integrations to determine whether low-code development is feasible.
- Choose a low-code application platform that meets your individual company needs, taking into account the following factors:
The goal of your low-code development project – increasing developer productivity (Microsoft Power Apps, OutSystems, Mendix), empowering business people to model, automate, and execute mission-critical business processes (Caspio, AppSheet), or allowing IT and business teams to collaborate to quickly and efficiently build a software prototype (Caspio, AppSheet).
The type of an application you want to develop (a customer-facing or an internal app; a web app, a mobile app, a portal).
Non-functional app requirements of security, scalability, performance, etc.
The core technologies the low-code platform uses.
Application components you plan to develop using low code – the front end, integration, the back end, database operations, data visualization.
Whether you want to have access to source code.
- Create a roadmap for the low-code development project.
- Set up QA, app performance monitoring and management processes.
How to implement CI/CD
The establishment of a pipeline that automates the building, testing, and deployment of software across staged environments is known as continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD). Within 2-3 hours, the most advanced CI/CD process can integrate, test, and deploy new software functionality.
Continuous integration (CI) is based on the concept of a shared repository, where code is updated and shared regularly across teams working in cloud settings. CI enables multiple developers to work on the same code at the same time. The code modifications have been seamlessly incorporated and are ready to be thoroughly evaluated in a variety of test settings.
The ultimate goal of continuous delivery or deployment (CD) is to fully automate the release of software to production.
The duration of the CI/CD system implementation depends on several factors:
Development project size.
Requirements for code integration.
Requirements for delivery of deployable components.
At Livyoung Realtech, we generally need 3-5 weeks to develop an efficient CI/CD process for a middle-size software development project with several microservices, an API layer and a front-end part.
The key steps of setting up CI/CD
Note: The architecture of the application under development should support iterative releases.
1. Using the existing software integration, testing, and delivery procedures to map expectations from CI/CD implementation (e.g., a 50% quicker release speed) (if applicable).
2. If you haven’t already, start implementing critical DevOps processes:
Creating self-contained teams with end-to-end accountability and the authority to make and act on decisions. DevOps teams are often nimble, operating in short sprints of two to three weeks.
To avoid confusion and accountability gaps, define the role of each member of the cross-functional teams in terms of DevOps activities.
To adapt working in a shared code repository, which includes Infrastructure as Coe (IaC). The application and infrastructure code are both stored in the same repository, allowing all teams to access it at any time.
Designing and implementing the containerization approach based on Docker, Kubernetes, Apache Mesos, etc.
3. Choosing the best development, testing, and deployment automation tools. Licensing costs, the prospect of seamless interaction with other technologies used in the software development project/projects, and the decision between a self-hosted tool (Jenkins) and a SaaS tool are all important elements to consider (Azure Pipelines).
Our tip: Some of ScienceSoft’s favorite tools to form a suite for CI/CD implementation are:
Source code repository: GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, AWS CodeCommit.
CI/CD: GitLab CI, Jenkins, Bamboo, CodeShip, TeamCity, Travis CI, Cloud Foundry, Tekton CI/CD, CircleCI, Azure Pipelines, AWS CodePipelines, AWS CodeDeploy.
Build tool: Gradle, Maven.
Automated testing: Selenium, Appium, Protractor.
Code infrastructure management: Terraform, Terragrunt, Pulumi.
Configuration management: Ansible, Chef, Puppet, SaltStack.
Monitoring tools: Amazon CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, Zabbix, Nagios, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack.
Collaboration: Jira
4. CI/CD tool implementation and integration.
5. The CI/CD pipeline is installed and launched.
6. Choosing and carrying out pilot CI/CD tasks.
7. Measuring the outcomes, which usually consists of 3-5 measures. Here are some examples of metrics:
The duration of the cycle.
The frequency with which new releases are made
The number of automated tests that have been run.
The number of production failures or regressions/rollbacks that are required.
The average repair time (MTTR).
The cost of deployment, as well as other factors.
How to set up test automation
Writing code-based test scripts to conduct all test stages automatically is what automated software testing entails. Test automation experts use specific test automation tools to create test scripts, validate, and manage test code.
The key steps of setting up automated testing:
Duration: ~ 2 months.
1. Defining your software development project’s test automation feasibility. The feasibility study takes about a week and evaluates the technical characteristics of the software, as well as its complexity, stability, size, frequency of modifications, and other factors.
2. Creating a test automation strategy (the scope of automation, the levels and types of testing required, the appropriate testing tools, and the test automation architecture); planning test data preparation, test development and maintenance, and test automation integration with CI/CD, among other things. It can take up to four weeks in most cases.
Our tip: Employ well-supported test automation frameworks that allow for maximum flexibility (support for multiple programming languages and browsers, a wide range of plugins, extensions and integrations with other tools, etc.). For automated UI testing, these include Selenium, Protractor and Appium. For automated API tests, we at ScienceSoft use REST-assured, RestSharp frameworks and Apache JMeter tool. Sometimes we also integrate Selenium with Cucumber to implement increasingly popular behavior-driven development.
3. Creating a list of test automation KPIs to monitor. Automated test coverage, cost per automated test, test run time, the percentage of passed and failed tests and other metrics may be included in these KPIs.
4. Setting up and configuring the test automation environment so that test cases can execute smoothly on all platforms, devices, and browsers that are being tested.
5. Scripting and maintaining automated testing scripts.
Our tip: To ensure maximum test code re-use, ScienceSoft’s test automation experts design an agile test architecture that allows for better test re-use and test maintenance even in case of frequent changes in app functionality and UI.
6. Continuous testing can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to run tests automatically after every change in the created application.
7. Establishing a unified company-wide test automation environment, establishing common software testing tools (test automation frameworks, bug, and issue tracking systems), and standardizing test coverage and quality metrics (optional).
Our Tip: To achieve maximum software quality while supporting frequent releases and remaining cost-effective, use a balanced combination of automated and manual tests.
Functional regression and integration tests, cross-browser testing, and performance testing are often automated by ScienceSoft’s team. Exploratory testing, one-time runs to offer fast response to developers following hotfixes, and testing from a user’s perspective are all examples of manual testing (simplicity, visual aspects).
What is Your Need in Software Development Automation?
Microsoft Power Apps services
Advisory services for Microsoft Power Apps (finding the ideal apps for low-code development, planning a low-code development project, etc.)
With Microsoft Power Apps, you can create custom business apps, portals, and modern UI & UX for your apps.
Connecting Power Programs apps to data stored within Microsoft's ecosystem (SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, etc.)
Using Azure functions to extend the capabilities of Power Apps.
Deployment, support, and administration of Microsoft Power Apps apps.
Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI are all integrated.
CI/CD implementation services
Creating a CI/CD strategy, as well as selecting and configuring CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GoCD).
Creating a test automation strategy and incorporating continuous testing into the CI/CD pipeline
Integrating infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and configuration management tools (Ansible, Chef, Puppet) with continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) tools (GoCD, Jenkins, Bamboo).
Configuration and deployment of CI/CD and test automation tools.
Test automation services
Development of a test automation plan.
Setup and configuration of the test environment
Test data generation that is automated.
UI and API testing that is automated.
Migration of test scripts from other platforms (e.g., UFT) to Selenium.
Continuous testing as part of the CI/CD pipeline (in cooperation with DevOps).
Establishment of an internal Testing Center of Excellence (optional).
Development automation consulting
Identifying potential for software development automation and calculating investment and return on investment.
Creating an automation strategy and timeline.
Choosing and configuring the appropriate automation software.
Key Skills for Software Development Automation
Software Developer (trained in the target low-code platform)
Training and mentoring citizen developers.
Building low-code apps.
Integrating the new apps with data sources and other enterprise apps.
CI/CD engineer / DevOps engineer
Developing CI/CD pipelines.
Reviewing and modifying CI/CD pipelines.
Maintaining CI/CD tools and platforms (if applicable).
Developing and maintaining CI/CD pipeline configurations.
Test automation architect
Designing a test automation architecture.
Selecting and configuring test automation tools and frameworks.
Managing test automation engineers to improve the maintainability and granularity of automated tests and decrease test execution time.
Test automation engineer
Setting up the test environment and test data generation.
Developing, executing, and maintaining automated test scripts.
Reviewing automatically generated defect reports.
Collaborating with other cross-functional team members to improve the maintainability and granularity of test scripts.
Sourcing Models for Software Development Automation
IN-HOUSE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AUTOMATION PROCESS SETUP
Pros:
Complete control over the automation process and team output.
Cons:
It may be necessary to hire specific resources that are not feasible to hire for a one-time job.
All of the recruiting and management
FULL OUTSOURCING OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AUTOMATION PROCESS SETUP
Pros:
A vendor is fully responsible for the formation and management of the team, as well as the quality of the software development automation process setup.
Frameworks for test automation, CI/CD pipeline introduction, and management have been established.
Cons:
Vendor risks are high.
A MIX OF AN IN-HOUSE TEAM AND OUTSOURCED CONSULTANCY
Pros:
Internal processes and the software environment are well-understood by an in-house team.
Outsourced consulting offers experienced advice, guides you through the most difficult aspects of software development automation setup, and fills in the gaps in specialised technical abilities.
Cons:
The dangers of choosing a consulting firm.
Establishing effective collaboration and communication between the in-house and consultancy teams takes time and experience.
Cost and Benefits of Software Development Automation
Low-code development
Cost factors and costs
Low-code platform licensing.
Developers’ rates.
Benefits
4 times lower development cost.
10 times faster software development.
CI/CD implementation
Cost factors and costs
Software licensing.
Rates of CI/CD engineers, DevOps engineers.
Benefits
Reduced development costs by up to 78%.
~40 times faster lead time.
Test automation
Cost factors and costs
The number of automated test cases.
The time to develop a test script.
Test script maintenance efforts per project.
Cost of employed software, e.g., CI/CD engines.
Test automation team members’ rates.
Benefits
In our recent project, test automation helped achieve the following results:
Test design costs reduced by 20%.
90-95% test coverage.
After two years of development, pre-release user acceptance testing revealed only 2 bugs.
Contact us to know more!
We’re just a call away!
With the unique SEO techniques Balaji implements, my blog posts have moved to Google page 1 from page 3. My web pages have difficulty ranking for my targeted keywords. I was able to bring high-quality SEO traffic within a few months.