Salesforce Testing Process

This Blog post requires basic understanding of Salesforce platform. In this blog Post we will cover following topics related to Salesforce testing process:

 

• • Applying STLC to Salesforce Testing
  • Challenges in Salesforce Testing
  • Best Practices for Salesforce Testing
  • Roles and Responsibilities of Salesforce Testers
  • Benefits of Using Salesforce Testing Tools
  • Common Salesforce Test Scenarios

Effective Salesforce testing process involves meticulous planning and designing of tests for both standard and custom features. Salesforce testing process typically begins in a Sandbox environment, where all code and configurations are thoroughly validated before moving to the production environment. If we segregate as per Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC), the key steps in the Salesforce testing process include:

Requirement Analysis

Objective:Understanding business requirements and identifying critical functionalities.

Activities:

• • Gather detailed requirements from stakeholders
  • Identify key functionalities, integrations, and customizations.
  • Define acceptance criteria for each requirement.

Outcome:A clear and comprehensive requirement document that serves as the foundation for test planning and case design.

Test Planning

Objective: Creating a comprehensive test plan that outlines the scope, objectives, resources, schedule, and deliverables.

Activities:

• • Determine the testing scope and objectives.
  • Identify resources (human, tools, environments).
  • Define the test strategy and approach.
  • Develop a detailed schedule for testing activities.

Outcome: A detailed test plan document that guides the entire testing process, ensuring alignment with project goals and timelines.

Test Case Design

Objective: Developing detailed test cases that cover various scenarios, including positive and negative test flows.

Activities:

• • Write test cases for each requirement and functionality.
  • Include different scenarios, edge cases, and boundary conditions.
  • Review and validate test cases with stakeholders.

Outcome:A comprehensive set of test cases that ensures thorough validation of the Salesforce implementation

Environment Setup

Objective: Configuring the Sandbox environment to mirror the production setup.

Activities:

• • Set up the testing environment, including required data and configurations.
  • Ensure the environment replicates production conditions as closely as possible.
  • Install and configure necessary tools and software.

Outcome: A fully prepared Sandbox environment that supports accurate and reliable testing.

Test Execution

Objective:  Running tests to validate the functionality, performance, and security of Salesforce implementations.

Activities:

• • Execute the test cases as per the test plan.
  • Log the results and any deviations from expected outcomes.
  • Conduct various types of testing (functional, integration, system, user acceptance).

Outcome: A set of test execution results that indicate the functionality, performance, and security status of the Salesforce application.

Defect Reporting

Objective: Documenting and tracking any issues or bugs found during testing.

Activities:

• • Log defects in a defect tracking system with detailed information.
  • Prioritize and categorize defects based on severity and impact.
  • Communicate defects to the development team for resolution.

Outcome: A defect log that provides a clear record of issues, facilitating efficient resolution and retesting.

Retesting and Regression Testing

Objective: Re-testing fixes and ensuring that new changes do not affect existing functionalities.

Activities:

• • Re-test the defects once they are fixed.
  • Perform regression testing to ensure that changes do not introduce new issues.
  • Use automated testing tools for continuous integration and regression testing.

Outcome: A stable and reliable Salesforce environment that meets all specified requirements and performs as expected.

Salesforce’s complexity and high degree of customizability present significant challenges in testing. Common challenges include:

 

• • Dynamic Pages: Salesforce Lightning components often include dynamic elements(like shadow elements) that are not easily captured by traditional testing tools.
  • Hidden Elements: Certain elements may be hidden or conditionally displayed, making it difficult to create comprehensive test scripts.
  • Integration Complexities: Salesforce integrations with various third-party applications need rigorous testing to ensure seamless functionality.
  • Frequent Updates: Regular Salesforce updates can introduce changes that necessitate continuous testing and validation.
  • Performance Testing: Ensuring the system performs well under load and meets performance benchmarks is critical but challenging.

To achieve optimal results, Salesforce testing should follow best practices that enhance efficiency and accuracy:

 

• • Simulate Real User Profiles: Create test scenarios that mimic real user interactions to ensure the system works as intended.
  • Comprehensive Test Coverage: Include various testing types, such as functional, integration, system, and user acceptance testing.
  • Data Validation: Ensure test data is accurate and representative of real-world scenarios.
  • Positive and Negative Test Flows: Plan for both expected and unexpected user behaviors to validate system robustness.
  • Choose the Right Tools: Utilize testing tools that support AI-driven, no-code automation to streamline testing processes and reduce manual effort.

Salesforce testers play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and reliability of Salesforce implementations. Key responsibilities include:

• Test Case Development:

  • Detail-Oriented Planning: Creating comprehensive and detailed test cases based on specific business requirements and processes to ensure all scenarios are covered
  • Requirement Analysis: Collaborating with business analysts and stakeholders to understand the requirements thoroughly and translate them into test cases.
  • Traceability: Ensuring that all test cases are traceable to the requirements to facilitate coverage analysis and impact assessment.

•  Test Execution:

  • Boundary Value Analysis(BVA): Performing tests at the edge of input ranges to identify potential defects at the boundaries.
  • Smoke Testing: Conducting preliminary tests to verify that the basic functionalities of Salesforce are working as expected after a build or update.
  • Equivalence Partitioning(EQP): Dividing input data into equivalent partitions to reduce the number of test cases while ensuring effective coverage.
  • Functional Testing: Using Various Testing techniques like BVA, EQP, smoke and exploratory testing to cover functional aspects of Test execution

• Apex Testing:

  • Unit Testing: Writing and executing unit tests for custom Apex code to ensure that each unit of code performs as intended.
  • Code Coverage: Ensuring that Apex tests provide sufficient code coverage, as required by Salesforce, to maintain code quality and deployment readiness.
  • Continuous Testing: Integrating Apex tests into continuous integration pipelines to detect and address issues early in the development process.

• Integration Testing:

  • Seamless Integration: Validating that Salesforce integrates smoothly with other systems, such as ERP systems, marketing automation tools, and third-party applications.
  • API Testing: Testing Salesforce APIs to ensure correct data exchange between Salesforce and external systems.
  • End-to-End Scenarios: Executing end-to-end tests to confirm that data flows correctly through the entire business process and across integrated systems.

• Defect Management:

  • Identification and Reporting: Identifying defects during testing and reporting them in a detailed and structured manner.
  • Tracking and Resolution: Using defect tracking tools to monitor the status of reported defects and working with the development team to ensure timely resolution.
  • Retesting: Performing retests to verify that defects have been fixed and that the fixes do not introduce new issues.

• Collaboration:

  • Cross-Functional Teamwork:Working closely with developers, business analysts, and stakeholders to ensure thorough testing and clear communication.
  • Feedback Loop: Providing actionable feedback to developers and participating in review meetings to discuss testing progress and issues.
  • Documentation: Maintaining clear and detailed documentation of test cases, test results, and defect reports to support transparency and future reference.

By fulfilling these responsibilities, Salesforce testers help ensure that Salesforce implementations are reliable, high-quality, and aligned with business needs.

Utilizing the right testing tools can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Salesforce testing:

• Time Efficiency:

  • Speed of Execution: Automated testing tools can execute tests much faster than manual testing, allowing for quick validation of code changes and updates.
  • Parallel Testing: Many automated tools support parallel execution, enabling multiple tests to run simultaneously across different environments, further speeding up the testing process.
  • Continuous Integration: Integration with CI/CD pipelines allows tests to run automatically with each build, ensuring rapid feedback and early detection of issues.

• Accuracy and Reliability:

  • Consistency: Automated tests execute the same steps precisely every time, eliminating variability and ensuring reliable test results.
  • Reduced Human Error: Automation reduces the risk of mistakes that can occur during manual testing, such as missed steps or incorrect data entry.
  • Detailed Reporting: Advanced tools provide detailed logs and reports of each test run, making it easier to identify and diagnose issues.

• Comprehensive Coverage:

  • Wide Range of Scenarios: Automated testing tools, especially those powered by AI, can simulate a vast array of scenarios, including complex and edge cases that might be missed in manual testing.
  • Regression Testing: Tools can automatically rerun a full suite of tests to ensure that new changes do not break existing functionality, providing comprehensive regression testing coverage.
  • Scenario-Based Testing: Tools can be configured to replicate real-world user scenarios, ensuring that the application behaves as expected in various conditions.

• Self-Healing Tests:

  • Adaptability: Advanced testing tools offers self-healing capabilities, where tests automatically adjust to changes in the application’s UI or data structures.
  • Reduced Maintenance: Self-healing reduces the need for manual updates to test scripts when the application changes, saving time and effort.
  • Intelligent Adjustments: These tools use AI to understand changes in the application and adjust test paths accordingly, ensuring ongoing test reliability without manual intervention.

• Re-usability:

  • Reusable Test Scripts: Test scripts created for one environment or release can be reused across different environments and future releases, enhancing test maintainability and consistency.
  • Modular Testing: Automated tools often support modular test scripts, where common test steps are encapsulated into reusable components, simplifying test maintenance.
  • Version Control: Integration with version control systems allows test scripts to be managed and versioned alongside application code, ensuring synchronization and traceability.

By leveraging these benefits, Salesforce testing tools can significantly improve the efficiency, accuracy, and coverage of the testing process, leading to more reliable and robust Salesforce implementations.

 

Effective Salesforce testing involves a variety of common test scenarios, including:

 

• • Lead Capture and conversion: Ensuring leads are captured correctly from various sources. On lead conversion, Account and Contact Objects data should be verified
  • Information Capture: Validating the accuracy and completeness of information entered into the system.
  • Classification: Checking the proper classification and categorization of records.
  • Quotation Validation: Verifying the accuracy of generated quotations and pricing.
  • Communication Failure Checks: Ensuring the system handles communication failures gracefully.
  • Billing Audits: Confirming the correctness of billing and invoicing processes. Especially used for Salesforce B2B and B2C commerce
  • Mobile Workflow Audits: Testing workflows on mobile devices to ensure compatibility and functionality. Fucntionalities should be verified on Salesforce mobile app
  • Unauthorized Access Prevention: Ensuring robust security measures are in place to prevent unauthorized access. User , Roles and profile level access verification
  • Duplicate Record Checks: Identifying and preventing duplicate records in the system. Default and Custom conditional matching of records data.
  • Third-Party Integration Verification: Ensuring seamless integration with third-party applications. API, UI and Data testing for the connected apps

Salesforce is a widely used cloud-based CRM system, and effective testing is essential to ensure its reliability and performance. This guide provides a foundational understanding of Salesforce testing process, highlighting the importance of planning, the challenges faced, and best practices to follow. By implementing robust testing strategies and utilizing the right tools, organizations can ensure their Salesforce deployments meet business needs and deliver a high-quality user experience.