How to Properly Plan Salesforce QA - Do’s and Don’ts

How to Properly Plan Salesforce QA - Do’s and Don’ts

Proper planning is crucial in Salesforce QA to ensure the quality and reliability of your Salesforce implementation. Whether new to Salesforce QA or looking to refine your process, this guide provides essential do’s and don’ts for effectively navigating its complexities.

What is Salesforce QA Testing?

Salesforce QA testing involves systematically validating your application to ensure it meets the defined requirements and functions correctly across various scenarios. This process is critical in identifying defects, ensuring data integrity, and verifying that the system behaves as expected under different conditions. Quality assurance in Salesforce covers various testing types, including functional, integration, performance, and security testing, to name a few.

Dos and Don'ts of Salesforce QA Testing

1. Do: Plan for Issues that Will Arise During QA Testing.

Planning for Potential Issues: Anticipate potential challenges and have contingency plans in place. This proactive approach includes:

• Buffer Time: Allocate extra time in your testing schedule for unexpected problems.
• Risk Management Plan: Prepare strategies to mitigate risks that may arise during testing.
• Team Preparedness: Ensure your team is ready to handle disruptions efficiently.

Planning for issues ensures that your QA process can adapt to unforeseen circumstances without compromising quality or deadlines.

2. Don't: Ask the Salesforce Solution Builder to Test.

Separate Roles: The roles of a Salesforce solution builder and a QA tester are distinct. A solution builder focusing on development may overlook issues due to familiarity with the system. Instead, have a dedicated QA team or specialist who can:

• Objective Evaluation: Conduct unbiased assessments of the system.
• Comprehensive Testing: Ensure all aspects of the application are thoroughly tested.

This separation of roles helps maintain objectivity and thoroughness in the QA process.

3. Do: Map Salesforce User Stories to Test Cases

Mapping User Stories: User stories define functionality from an end-user perspective. Mapping these stories to specific test cases ensures comprehensive testing:

• Verification: Ensure the system meets user requirements.
• Real-World Scenarios: Test functionality in realistic scenarios to validate the user experience.

This practice helps verify that the system performs as expected for the end-users.

4. Don’t: Get Smoked During Smoke Testing

Thorough Smoke Testing: Smoke testing involves preliminary testing to identify fundamental issues before more rigorous testing begins. Skipping or rushing through smoke testing can lead to missed significant problems:

• Initial Validation: Perform thorough smoke testing to catch glaring issues early.
• Prevent Resource Waste: Save time and resources by addressing fundamental issues before detailed testing.

Proper smoke testing sets a solid foundation for the subsequent QA stages.

5. Do: Document. Organize. Repeat.

Adequate Documentation: Documentation is the backbone of an effective QA process. Detailed records of test cases, results, and defects are provided:

• Progress Tracking: Monitor progress and identify recurring issues.
• Team Communication: Facilitate smooth communication within the team.
• Audit Trail: Maintain an organized audit trail for accountability and review.

Consistently updating and organizing documentation ensures transparency and efficiency in the QA process.

6. Don’t: Stick to One Type of Testing

Diverse Testing Approaches: Relying solely on one type of testing can leave gaps in your QA process. Incorporate various testing methodologies to cover all bases:

• Functional Testing: Validate the core functionalities of the application.
• Integration Testing: Ensure different components work together seamlessly.
• Performance Testing: Assess the system's performance under various conditions.
• Security Testing: Identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

A comprehensive testing approach uncovers different issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

7. Do: Prepare Sufficient Test Data

Adequate Test Data: Sufficient and realistic test data is crucial for thorough testing:

• Diverse Scenarios: Prepare diverse data sets that reflect real-world usage scenarios.
• Data Integrity: Identify data-specific issues and ensure the system performs well under different conditions.

Proper test data preparation helps identify a wide range of potential issues.

8. Don’t: Rely 100% on the Robots

Balanced Testing: While automated testing is invaluable, it should not be your only line of defense:

• Manual Testing: Essential for exploratory, usability testing, and scenarios requiring human judgment.
• Automation: Efficient for repetitive and large-scale testing tasks.

Balancing automated and manual testing ensures comprehensive coverage and optimal results.

9. Do: Negative Testing

Robust Negative Testing: Negative testing involves testing the system with invalid input to ensure it can handle errors gracefully:

• Error Handling: Verify that the system responds appropriately to invalid inputs.
• System Robustness: Ensure the application remains stable under adverse conditions.

Including negative test cases in your strategy ensures the robustness and reliability of your Salesforce application.

10. Don’t: Rush the Process

Quality assurance requires time and attention to detail:

• Sufficient Time Allocation: Allocate adequate time for thorough testing, review, and remediation.
• Detail Orientation: Avoid rushing through the process to prevent missed defects and ensure high quality.

A deliberate and meticulous approach to QA enhances the reliability and quality of your Salesforce implementation.

The Problem With Manually Testing Salesforce

While valuable, manual testing has several inherent limitations that can hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of your Salesforce QA process. Understanding these limitations is crucial for identifying opportunities for improvement and ensuring the overall quality and reliability of your Salesforce implementation.

Time-Consuming Nature

Manual testing requires a significant amount of time and effort from QA testers. Each test case must be executed individually, often involving repetitive tasks that can become labor-intensive and tedious. This time-consuming process can slow down the development cycle, delaying the release of updates and new features.

Prone to Human Error

Human error is an unavoidable aspect of manual testing. Testers may overlook defects, misinterpret requirements, or inconsistently execute test cases, leading to unreliable results.

Scalability Issues

Manual testing struggles with scalability, especially for large Salesforce implementations with complex workflows and numerous integrations. As the application grows, the test suite must expand to cover new functionalities, making manual testing increasingly impractical.

Challenges in Repeatability

Manual tests lack repeatability, crucial for maintaining consistent quality across multiple test cycles. Test results can vary based on who performs the tests and under what conditions, leading to inconsistent outcomes.

Finding the Right Solution for Automating Salesforce Testing

Automating Salesforce testing can significantly enhance efficiency, accuracy, and coverage. Automated testing tools can:

1. Rapid Execution

Automated testing tools can perform a wide range of tests quickly and consistently, reducing the time required for test execution.

Speed: Automated tests can run much faster than manual tests, allowing for completing extensive test suites in a fraction of the time.

Efficiency: Scripts can execute repetitive tasks efficiently, freeing up testers to focus on more complex and critical testing activities.

2. Frequent Testing

Automation Salesforce QA testing enables more frequent and thorough testing cycles, essential for maintaining high-quality standards in dynamic and iterative development environments.

Continuous Testing: Automated tests can be integrated into the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, allowing regular testing with every code change.

Regression Testing: Automated regression tests can be run frequently to ensure that new changes do not introduce defects in existing functionality.

3. Seamless Integration

Choosing the right automation tools is crucial for seamless integration with Salesforce and support for various testing types.

Tool Compatibility: Select tools that are compatible with Salesforce and can easily integrate with its APIs and data structures.

Diverse Testing Types: To ensure comprehensive coverage, look for tools that support functional, integration, performance, and security testing.

Prioritizing Features in Automation Tools

When selecting an quality assurance services company, prioritize tools offering robust reporting capabilities that align with your specific testing needs.

1. Robust Reporting Capabilities

Effective reporting is essential for tracking test results, identifying defects, and making informed decisions based on the test data.

Detailed Reports: Ensure the tool provides comprehensive test reports with insights into test coverage, execution status, and defect trends.

Real-Time Analytics: Look for real-time reporting and analytics features to monitor the QA process and identify issues promptly.

2. Alignment with Testing Needs

The automation tool should align with your Salesforce implementation's requirements and workflows.

Customizable Frameworks: Opt for tools that allow you to customize test scripts and frameworks to fit your unique testing scenarios.

Scalability: Ensure the tool can scale with your application, supporting growing test suites and increased complexity over time.

Final Thought

Effective Salesforce QA involves strategic planning, diverse testing methodologies, and continuous improvement. By following these do’s and don’ts, you can enhance the quality and reliability of your Salesforce implementations and ensure they meet user expectations and business requirements. If you are looking for a reliable partner to assist with your Salesforce QA needs, QASource is here to help.

As a leading quality assurance services company, we offer comprehensive QA solutions tailored to your requirements. Contact QASource to learn more.