Benefits of Test Automation Adoption for Life Sciences

Efficiently ensuring software quality is a critical step in a life science organization’s journey to stay competitive. Test automation is a strong enabler in achieving this goal, as it can improve testing efficiency and coverage, assure software quality, and reduce costs.

Test automation is a key element of the concept digital transformation. Its implementation is often a part of an organization’s strategies to increase the digitization of processes and systems. In fact, this is considered a core principle in Computer Software Assurance for Production and Quality System Software, the FDA’s draft guidance intended to drive a risk-based approach to validating computerized systems that are part of the production of medical devices or an organization’s quality system.

Before test automation was introduced in life sciences, nearly all testing was performed manually – which often meant extended project timelines, an inability to extensively test all relevant scenarios, inconsistent results (especially with data verification) and higher costs. Since the early 2000s, test automation has been a central part of how organizations perform test-execution activities. Below, we cover the top reasons for adopting test automation within your organization.

Reasons to Adopt Test Automation

Increased Testing Efficiency

• Faster Execution: Automated test scripts can be scheduled to execute at any time and run much faster than manual scripts. It can manage both new feature testing and repetitive regression tests, enabling organizations to release systems and modules for production use quicker than with traditional testing methods.
• Consistency: By adhering to a set of predefined instructions, automated test scripts minimize human variability and enhance reliability. This consistency ensures uniform results, which are crucial for a robust testing process and are especially valuable in data verification-type activities.
• Exploratory Testing: Via automation of repetitive and time-consuming manual scripts, testers can focus on more value-added, exploratory testing activities in the testing process – leading to increased coverage and earlier identification of potential risks that automated test scripts alone might miss.

Increased Quality

• Improved Test Coverage: Automating this allows for testing at a scale that would be impractical manually. Test suites can cover multiple test combinations, reduce “missed defects” and establish a higher quality standard for the final product.
• Early Defect Detection: Automated tests that are incorporated into continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines catch defects as soon as they’re introduced. Running automated tests at every stage of development, from unit tests to integration and system tests, ensures that defects are identified early and resolved quickly. This approach minimizes the risk of critical issues emerging at later project stages, where they are often more costly and complex to fix.
• Increased Reusability: Well-designed automated test scripts are reusable across different projects or modules, enhancing efficiency and reducing cost over time. Additionally, automated tests can be used to validate code changes repeatedly, providing regression testing with minimal effort.

Decreased Costs

• Codeless Development: One of the key barriers to entry when automated testing materialized was the high cost of the technical upskilling and support required to programmatically automate manual scripts. Test automation solutions have rapidly advanced and now offer much more cost-effective “codeless” methods of developing automated test scripts, including via optical mapping of the system’s user interface (UI).
• Reduced Testing Time: The increase in testing efficiency drives significant labor hour savings that translate into lower operational costs over time.
• Lower Maintenance Costs: Automated test cases can be reused across multiple system versions and environments with minimal maintenance. Automation frameworks allow for quick updates to test scripts, making it easier and more affordable to adapt to changes in the software and ensuring the software is aligned to the latest regulations and best practices.

Main Takeaways

Test automation is more than just a tool – it’s an investment that transforms an organization’s testing framework. It empowers organizations to meet the demands of modern software development and implementation with quality assurance seamlessly integrated throughout the entire process.

Test Automation Potential

Adopting test automation is an essential step in the digital transformation journey for leaders in life sciences. Please reach out to our IT quality & compliance team to discuss your unique digital path and learn more about our best practice-based insights.

About Our Authors

For over a decade, Suneetha Bellamkonda has delivered global solutions for Enterprise Quality Management Systems, designing TrackWise and industry best practices in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific. As a validation manager, Suneetha offers validation services of TrackWise and TrackWise Digital systems from multiple enterprises and global customers. She is instrumental in validating global systems for Fortune 500 organizations in both pharmaceutical and life sciences companies.

With nearly a decade of experience validating global, regulated systems, Mike Hulbert is the client engagement manager in Sikich’s IT Quality & Compliance practice. A former CSV consultant, he aligns client needs with ITQ&C services to implement risk-based solutions. Mike has consulted for multiple Fortune 500 life sciences companies and is passionate about client success.