Blog

The New Role Of QA

A look into the evolving and increasingly important role of QA in organizations big and small.

5.3 Release Highlights

Here’s a rundown of 5.3 release highlights including loops & conditionals, neural net, extension actions, SMS send, and element miner.

Local vs Cloud Execution

Automated web tests can be run in different environments. This often leads to a debate — Should tests be run on local browsers or run in the virtualized cloud?

Breaking through the Salesforce Shadow DOM

The Shadow DOM is notorious for making Salesforce test automation nearly impossible. Find out how Functionize uses machine learning to break through the Shadow DOM.

Migrating from Test Project into Functionize

Functionize is a great fit for Test Project users looking for alternative options. Read on to learn why Functionize is the best solution to replace Test Project.

Software Testing For Organizations Without a QA Team

Many organizations are not able to hire QA teams. In these cases, you can still accomplish quality by enabling business and technology teams with the right tools.

In Sprint Automation

In sprint automation is an approach that is the most in tune with the core philosophy that governs workflows like Agile and DevOps.

Recent Release Highlights - August 2022

Here’s a recap of release highlights including expressions, role based access control, audit log, learning mode, and input encryption.

Implementing AI Solutions in a Down Economy

Despite economic unpredictabilities, AI solutions can help produce long-term gains, and bring major benefits to IT organizations.

What is Parallel Execution?

A closer look at parallel execution, which enables modern QA teams to speed up the testing process and improve efficiency.

Smoke vs. Regression Tests

A deep dive into smoke vs. regression testing, including common myths, basic functions, when, and how to use each for optimal software testing.

Why Shorter Tests Are Better

Learn why shorter tests are considered a software testing best practice, for faster, more resilient, and reusable test cases which positively impact your overall testing strategy.

Breaking DevOps’ Cycle Of Overcommitment With Better Testing

Learn how implementing modern testing strategies and AI-powered tools can help teams prevent DevOps overcommitment.

7 Principles of Software Testing

Understanding the seven principles of software testing help testers become more focused and enhance overall testing strategies.

Top Book Recommendations For Software Testing Leaders

See our favorite books for software quality leaders focused on testing strategies to organization-wide quality initiatives.

Why Software Testing Should Be Considered a 'Profit Center'

While software testing requires an investment, the approach you choose can positively affect your company’s growth and revenue in a variety of ways.

Why Low-Code Platforms Are Exploding in Popularity

Learn how low-code platforms help companies reduce dependency on skilled developers, break-down organizational silos, and accelerate innovation.

Top CI/CD Tools For 2022

Integrate Functionize with your CI/CD so you can run tests with your build process. Here are the popular tools that customers commonly integrate with Functionize.

What Needs To Be on CTOs Software Testing Roadmaps

Technology leaders should encourage their teams to build testing roadmaps. In this post, we explain what needs to include in software testing roadmaps.

Leadership: making your people feel part of something bigger

Leading a successful QA team will help you build a culture of quality. If you help the team members feel wanted and valued, they will help you deliver success.

Testers aren’t just testing

There is a myth that testers can and should only focus on testing. But that overlooks the high-level skills they bring that can transform your whole team.

How Functionize Tests 'Green' on Earth Day and Every Day

Functionize believes every day should be Earth Day. Protect our planet with environmentally friendly testing practices. Learn about how Functionize tests green.

Strategies to Scale Automated Test Suites

Modern applications need scalable test automation. Strategies such as using a test cloud, driving down test debt and intelligent test automation will help scale your automation practice and drive efficiencies.

Why Modern Testing Requires Orchestrations

Test orchestrations are necessary for modern teams who want to test faster. See how Functionize orchestrations help you plan your tests in bulk.

How Cloud Testing Reduces DevOps Infrastructure Costs and Enables Testing at Scale

Cloud testing reduces DevOps infrastructure overheads by saving time spent, eliminating fixed costs and servicing CI/CD needs for modern applications.

The Importance of Test Management in Your Test Automation Strategy

Test management is crucial for test automation. This guide will help you build up automation quickly and maximize visibility into your testing process.

How AI-Based Testing Fits into Your Software Testing Maturity Model

Use Functionize’s Software Testing Maturity Model to assess the maturity of your testing ecosystem. If you are developing modern applications, is your testing up to the task?

4 Reasons Why Software Development Projects Stall or Fail

Software development teams are managing many moving pieces to meet the needs of rapid development of modern applications. Here are 4 common pitfalls that cause software projects to stall or fail.

Can automation fill the void left by labor shortages?

Labor shortages around the world are driving companies to adopt different automation technologies, but does automation really solve the problem?

Eliminate Test Debt to Increase Coverage

Contrary to popular belief, automation can slow down software testing. The key to test faster and increase coverage is to eliminate test debt.

3 Ways to Execute a Test Using Functionize

Functionize offers multiple ways to run a test including Live Execution, Live Debug, and Headless Run. Learn which is best suited for your everyday needs.

The Counterproductive Nature of Automated Testing

Automation is intended to cut manual effort of testing, but that’s not always the case. See how automated tests can lead to counterproductive results.

5.1 Release Highlights

Functionize 5.1 takes the intelligent testing platform to a whole new level with dramatic upgrades to the most used areas of the platform. We drastically improved the experience for editing tests and now give you more options to customize tests.

Functionize Product Showcase Discussion

An interview showcasing the unique advantages of Functionize to prospective clients. Covers real-life use cases and practical problems that Functionize solves.

Different Ways to Use AI to Augment Software Testing

A detailed look at how different software testing tools use AI to enhance testing, including visual testing, unit testing, quality optimization, and performance testing.

5 Considerations When Buying a Test Automation Solution in 2022

Selecting the best test automation tool for your project requirements is a huge challenge. Here are five things to consider to help you choose the right one.

Developers vs Testers: Turning The Friction Into Action With Jira

Lack of synergy between developers and testers can be detrimental to any development project. Similarly, lack of synergy between project management and test automation tools can add needless hurdles to important workflows.

Software testing has been outpaced by evolution of Cloud & DevOps technology

A look into the disproportionate advancements in DevOps technologies vs. software testing tools, and how a modern testing solution like Functionize can bridge that gap using AI and ML.

Why Scripted Test Automation Is Slow

Understand the factors that make scripted test automation slow, and how modern platforms like Functionize prevent testing teams from falling into costly maintenance cycles.

What is localization testing and why is it important?

Every application needs localization to maximize their return on investment in new markets. Functionize’s data-driven localization testing can help you do this effectively.

What is canary testing and why is it so useful?

Canary testing lets you validate a new feature by testing it in your live environment. This can show up server-related issues that are missed in testing.

What is data-driven testing and why should you use it?

Data-driven testing is increasingly common in test automation. Here, we explore some common scenarios for DDT and explain the impact it has on your testing.

What is dark launching and how do you use feature flags?

Dark launching means silently launching a new feature. This lets you test the feature with a small subset of users before releasing it widely.

What is cross-browser testing and how can you automate it?

People can access your website from any browser, so it’s critical to do cross-browser testing. Here’s an in-depth look at what it means and how to automate it.

What data does Functionize collect, and why?

Functionize is a world-leading AI-powered test automation platform. But this is only possible because we collect a vast volume of data. Read on to learn why.

Can you afford to not pay off your maintenance test debt?

Test debt comes in various forms, but by far the most important one to solve is test maintenance debt. Functionize’s philosophy is that test maintenance shouldn’t really exist.

Why is QA lagging behind software development in innovation?

Software developers can rely on sophisticated tools and methodologies that help them be more productive. But QA is lagging behind and it really shows.

Faster test creation sounds great, but does it solve your real problem?

People often believe the most important thing in test automation is creating as many tests as possible. But as we show, this can have unexpected consequences.

Building Your Own AI-Testing Tool: Pros and Cons

AI is here to stay, but should you build your own solution or buy one off the shelf? Here, we look at the pros and cons of building your own AI testing tool

Learning from its mistakes. How the Functionize AI really works

AI lets us deliver the most reliable test automation platform out there. But as we explain, this is only possible because our system learns by making mistakes.

Automated testing turned inside out with Xray and Functionize

Both Xray and Functionize are designed for modern software development and they also work seamlessly together. Taken together, this will help you speed up testing and delivery.

Cloud. The transformative technology that enabled AI.

80 years ago, people were discussing AI, yet it only became reality in the past few years. This was mainly thanks to the power of the cloud as we shall see.

Cloud. The great enabler for digital transformation.

Cloud computing has become ubiquitous in the last decade. But what actually is it, and why is it so transformative? Read on to find out.

Boom! When QA (could have) saved the day!

History is littered with catastrophic software failures. Often they happened because of poor testing and QA. Learn how bad it can get when your QA fails.

AI-powered testing. Why every CTO should leap at the opportunity.

CTOs have a hard job delivering digital transformation. Often, test debt is the blocker. Learn how AI cuts test debt to deliver faster digital transformation.

5 Reasons Why You Should Supplement Jira for Testing

Jira is great at issue tracking but is it all you need for test management? Here, we show why you need to look beyond Jira for a complete test solution.

What AI test automation means for me as a QA manager

QA managers have a tough job. Here, we explain how using an AI-powered test automation tool can transform things for the better.

Why you need e2e solutions for e2e testing

End-to-end testing is a must for modern applications. Here, we explain why this requires you to create e2e testing tool stacks to achieve the best results.

Automated regression testing: what it is and how AI helps

Automated regression testing verifies that known bugs haven't recurred. Here, we see why it is so hard to get it right and show how Functionize helps.

Intent: understanding what a test really does

Testing involves following a set of steps to get a result. But you must understand the intent behind the test. Here, we explain why this is also true for AI.

AI test automation sounds great, but what’s in it for me?

AI test automation can transform testing for your company. But you might feel worried about your career. Here, we show why you needn’t stress about it.

Serverless computing — a testing concept for DevOps

Serverless computing helps you deliver applications without a conventional backend. But how do your DevOps team test them and ensure they keep working?

Why and How To Implement Agile Test Automation

Agile allows you to deliver new features faster and more efficiently. Here, we show you how to upgrade your QA to deliver agile test automation.

3 reasons to switch from Selenium to Functionize (and 2 reasons to stick)

Selenium remains popular for test automation. However, it hasn’t kept up with modern software development. Here, we give 3 reasons to switch to Functionize.

Save DevOps time with a cloud-first testing strategy

As a DevOps engineer, you have a tough job ensuring everything works. Here, we see how cloud-first testing can help you save time and avoid nasty surprises.

How a cloud testing methodology enables faster GTM

You want the fastest, smoothest GTM for your new product. But shipping a buggy product isn’t an option. So, you need a cloud-first testing methodology.

5 Questions the VP of Quality Needs to Ask

Machine learning and AI have made quality assurance more sophisticated. QA leaders need to know what to prioritize and how to empower their teams.

The DevOps Guide to Functionize Integrations

Functionize integrates with a multitude of DevOps tools. This enables organizations to leverage the best DevOps practices and release faster.

The new skills every QA engineer needs in the era of AI-powered testing

Testing is and always will be a highly skilled job. But as we move to a world dominated by AI-powered testing, how do these skills need to change and evolve?

5.0 Release Highlights

Functionize 5.0 is here! This release brings new features to boost DevOps productivity and overall performance. It also enables new integrations, such as Jira.

Beyond the Testing Pyramid – Are Unit Tests Enough?

Automation and machine learning have made shift-left testing easier. But which adds more value, unit testing or end-to-end testing? Read on to find out more.

DevOps: Make the most of your error budget with AI-powered end-to-end testing

DevOps is a critical part of modern software delivery. But how can AI-powered testing help your DevOps engineers deliver the best service possible?

Test debt explained. Why your team has no spare test capacity.

Test debt is a real problem for most QA teams. It eats your capacity and results in less and less productive testing being done as I explain here

4 winning approaches to migrate to AI powered testing

Transitioning to a new test framework is a big step for any team. Here, we give you the knowledge you need to successfully transition to AI-powered testing.

The top 10 test cases that benefit from AI power

Modern web applications need a different approach to testing. Here, we see how AI-powered solutions increase the number and type of tests you can automate.

Rediscovering the true purpose of QA

Test engineers focus so much time on test scripts that they often lose sight of the main goal of quality. In this blog, we explore why this is the case.

The true costs of Selenium: why we chose Functionize instead

Selenium helped me and my team for years. But now my team has moved on from Selenium and adopted Functionize instead.

Data-Driven Testing: Why it's not Overkill for Your App

Data-driven testing simplifies the test process by splitting test logic and test data into separate files. Learn how Functionize enables data-driven testing.

The test automation paradox: how it slows your team down

Test automation is a no-brainer for Agile development and CI/CD. But there’s a paradox. The more tests you automate, the less time you have to automate more.

Test automation strategies: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Right?

Test teams often follow the mantra if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Here, we show why this is a fallacy and see how to improve your test automation strategy.

Functionize as a User Part 4: Test Management Through Machine Learning

In the final blog in this series on learning to use Functionize, I look at how I can debug and edit my tests while they are running live

Salesforce Testing: Empowering your whole team with smart testing

Do you rely on Salesforce for your back office? Here, we explain how Functionize makes Salesforce testing straightforward for your whole team.

Functionize as a new user 3: Viewing Test Health Reports

This is the third part of my blog series exploring Functionize as a new user. Here, I look at the tricky subject of test health and test maintenance.

Luddites, saboteurs, and the real reason people distrust disruptive technology

Luddites tried to derail the industrial revolution because they distrusted technology. Here, we see how this distrust can derail your digital transformation.

Functionize as a new user 2: Using the Slider View

Functionize: Modern Test Automation for TestRail

Functionize’s AI-powered suite of products makes it the modern test automation solution for TestRail. Learn how testers can rapidly increase their automation coverage, save precious time from test maintenance, and scale their tests in the cloud using Functionize.

4.2 Release Highlights

Functionize 4.2 is our biggest release yet. Read about all the new features we added to simplify and streamline your automated tests.

Functionize as a User Part 1: Creating and Running Tests

Using integrations in your Salesforce instance? Here’s why testing is critical.

The Functionize manifesto for modern test automation

The Functionize testing manifesto set out our motivations for revolutionizing test automation. Now we are proud to publish a new version.

Testing—the vaccine to reduce risks for your software releases

Workday testing solved the easy way with Functionize

Do you really know if your CRM integration is working?

Look at any marketing website today and you find dozens of embedded forms and CTAs. But how do you know your CRM integrations are working?

AI Assist—smart help for Functionize Architect

Use case: testing complex web applications with Functionize

Applications like AI platforms are considered to be complex web applications, so it is no surprise that testing them is a real challenge.

How green is your testing? Software’s dirty secret revealed.

Automated tests have to run somewhere. Often that means old servers rejected by your dev team. But how green is that, and can you do better?

Why AI is essential for continuous digital experience monitoring

Digital Experience Monitoring focused on metrics like availability and backend performance. But do they guarantee your customers' constant positive experience?

A beginner’s guide to creating tests with Functionize Architect

Learn how Functionize Architect makes it really easy for you to create automated tests. An essential step towards continuous quality.

Progression testing matters too! Why you should expand your (regression) test automation.

Learn the difference between progression testing and regression testing. And see how easy it is to automate progression testing with Functionize.

How AI helps you improve software testing productivity

The software market is highly competitive, so you need any edge you can get. QA productivity may be a blocker. We show you how AI improves it.