The Yin and Yang of Test Automation: Shift Left and Shift Right

Test automation has become an increasingly popular approach for organizations looking to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve software quality. However, there are many different strategies and methodologies when it comes to test automation. In this post, we'll take a closer look at two of the most popular approaches: shift left and shift right.

Shift Left

Shift left is an approach to test automation that involves moving testing earlier in the development lifecycle. Ideally, testing should be integrated into the requirements gathering and design stages. By catching defects earlier in the development process, shift left can help reduce rework and accelerate time-to-market. In addition, because testing is integrated into the development process, developers can receive instant feedback on the quality of their code, allowing them to make necessary changes more quickly and effectively.

Shift Right

Shift right, on the other hand, is an approach to test automation that involves moving testing later in the development lifecycle, ideally to the production stage. By testing in production, organizations can identify defects that were missed earlier in the development lifecycle and can gain a better understanding of how their software behaves in real-world scenarios. This can help improve the overall user experience and can lead to increased user satisfaction.

Complementary Approaches

While shift left and shift right may seem like opposing approaches, they are actually complementary. Testing earlier in the development lifecycle can help identify and prevent defects from ever reaching production while testing in production can help uncover defects that were missed earlier in the development lifecycle. By adopting both approaches, organizations can create a comprehensive test automation strategy that covers the entire development lifecycle.

Benefits

The benefits of combining shift left and shift right approaches to test automation are many. By catching defects earlier in the development process, organizations can reduce rework and accelerate time-to-market. By testing in production, organizations can improve the overall user experience and gain valuable insights into how their software performs in real-world scenarios. In addition, because testing is integrated into the development process, developers can receive instant feedback on the quality of their code, allowing them to make necessary changes more quickly and effectively.

Conclusion

Test automation is an essential component of modern software development. By adopting a comprehensive test automation strategy that incorporates both shift left and shift right approaches, organizations can reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve software quality. So whether you're just starting with test automation, or you're looking to optimize your existing approach, be sure to consider the benefits of shift left and shift right. Your software, and your users, will thank you.