Manual vs. Automated Testing in a Warehouse Management System

Testing is a key factor in the implementation process. If you work with a software like a warehouse management system (WMS), it can determine if your project will be a success or a failure. As you may know, it’s a critical step for ensuring that the product you’ve purchased works well and will indeed help you become more efficient in your supply chain operations.

It's important to perform the tests properly to try out your Blue Yonder WMS or TMS as they help you to:

• Make sure functionality is correct with user and business requirements

• Ensure that the WMS or TMS works in accordance with functional design specifications and with other systems (integration)

• Detect and correct errors and deficiencies before Go-Live

• Provide WMS quality and reliability.

Did you know a software testing process takes about 20% of the time in an implementation? However, thanks to the technology advancements, testing no longer needs to be manual, but can be automated to make the process more efficient.

Manual vs. Automated Testing

Many people wonder which type of testing is better, here are the main characteristics of each so you can answer this question yourself.

Some of the main features of performing tests manually are the following:

• It’s exposed to more human error

• It requires a large amount of time to be executed

• It reduces the productivity of your employees, because it will take them a lot of time to perform the tests and they will leave other tasks aside.

Some of the main features of performing tests automatically are the following:

• They are more accurate, as they are performed using scripts and technology

• Increases test coverage, as the solution can simulate multiple scenarios for different customers

• They’re more agile and faster because they are executed by a system

• Increases the productivity of your employees, as they can focus on higher priority and less repetitive tasks.

Don’t forget that no matter which option you choose to define, a good test matrix that covers all your use cases is essential to the success of manual tests such as automated ones.

What system can help me with the automated testing?

Cycle Labs is a platform that can help you perform the tests automatically. This solution consists of the following features.

• An engine that runs the tests with a single click

• A framework to program everything you need to test your WMS

• A library of 200 pre-built test cases. This means that the script of the 200 most frequent cases in a WMS is already done. With this, you have 80% of the work done and 20% remains to be scripted/programmed for the more specific cases of your operation. This is cumulative, that is, you will only have to do it once.

• Natural language to program (script) tests and cases

In addition, at the end of the tests it provides you with a report in which you can see what went right and what went wrong. So that the Go-Live goes as planned and without any mistakes, you should fix the configuration settings.

How can Cycle Labs help you?

• Get new sites or customers faster and with more confidence. The system allows you to help your clients implement their testing process faster and more efficiently

• Saving time which translates into money. Staff that used to do manual testing can do other higher priority tasks, instead of a repetitive task that can be solved by technology

• Increased employee satisfaction as there will be fewer errors and they will be able to work better

• Increase in customer satisfaction as they will see that their operations are more efficient, and that the implementation of the system is easy and fast

• 20% increase in defect and error detection

• Ability to deploy systems faster. That is, if you need a change or improvement in a process, this system is responsible for running the tests quickly

• Keeping up to date with updates and patches will be a minimum effort.

Cycle Labs is perfectly suited for 3PL operations because every time they have a new customer, they have to configure it in the WMS. Because of this, instead of taking a month to test, it will take them a week and they will be able to correct mistakes quickly.

Testing as a service with Netlogistik

Take your WMS testing to the next level. At Netlogistik we can help you, because Testing as a service is a service, we provide so that you never have to worry about your tests again, because we take care not only of automating them, but of your entire testing cycle. The only thing you will have to do is the test matrix, showing all the scenarios in which, your operation may incur and therefore need to be tested. Thanks to this you will forget about:

• Scripting the processes that are not yet configured

• Review the reports and make the corresponding fixes to eliminate errors.

• Have the test environment ready

• Among other things.

In other words, we are dedicated to help you with everything related to the testing of your logistics solutions.

What specifically does our service consist of?

1. We configure the cycle labs and perform the scripting or programming of all scenarios or cases that are not in the library mentioned above.

2. We prepare and update your test environment with the necessary data so that you don’t have to do it yourself.

3. We perform integration, acceptance, and performance/stress tests.

4. We help you with hardware or software configuration problems.

Remember that the testing process is an important piece in the implementation of a software, which can give you many problems in case of being poorly executed, or on the contrary make your implementation more efficient. If you have more questions or you’re interested in our testing as a service to leave your testing process in our hands, don’t hesitate to contact our experts for advice.

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