Fortest vs Selenium: Best Infor ERP Testing Tool

Last week’s global IT outage, caused by a security update from CrowdStrike that affected Microsoft’s Windows operating system, brought operations across multiple industries to a standstill. The recent incident highlights, among other things, the importance of balancing the need for rapid updates against the necessity for thorough software testing. Amid economic downturns, companies often tend to reduce the size of, or altogether eliminate their software testing efforts to reduce costs.

However, as seen with the recent outage, the necessity of implementing testing cannot be over-emphasized. Instead of eliminating testing, companies can instead opt for test automation solutions to ensure release cycles are sped up, and software systems operate at peak reliability. This efficiency also frees up valuable resources, allowing your teams to prioritize innovation and strategy. This blog compares two test automation solutions, Selenium and Fortest, to help IT teams find the right fit for their business needs.

Selenium is a widely-used open-source framework that enables the automation of web browsers, providing tools to facilitate the creation and execution of tests across various web browsers and platforms. Fortest, developed by Fortude, builds on the capabilities of Selenium by offering a more user-friendly interface and additional automation commands. These are specifically designed to reduce complexity and increase efficiency in testing processes, especially for Infor M3/CloudSuite applications.

When it comes to automated testing, choosing the right tool is of paramount importance in navigating efficiency and effectiveness. While Selenium has long been a staple for web automation, Fortest takes automation to the next level with its enhanced capabilities and user-friendly features. Here’s a quick comparison:

• Comprehensive Testing Support: Fortest supports a wider range of testing types including Web, API, and Database (DB) testing, whereas Selenium is primarily focused on web browser automation.
• Enhanced Reporting: Fortest offers more detailed reports presented in a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI), making it easier for users to understand and act on the test results compared to Selenium’s more basic reporting capabilities.
• M3 UI Component Support: Fortest includes support for M3 UI components, allowing for more efficient and targeted testing within Infor M3 applications, a feature not natively available in Selenium.
• Predefined Business Functions: With predefined M3 business functions, Fortest significantly reduces the time and effort required to develop automation scripts, streamlining the testing process and enhancing productivity, a convenience that Selenium does not inherently provide.

Understanding the practical applications of your automation tool should guide your decision-making. While Selenium remains an important tool in web automation, Fortest extends its capabilities to address broader testing needs. Here’s how Fortest performs in real-world scenarios:

• Efficient Regression Testing: Fortest excels in regression test automation and allows for remote execution on scheduled cycles, ensuring continuous and reliable testing without manual intervention, unlike Selenium’s more manual approach.
• Versatile Data Handling: Fortest can be used to create test data or facilitate data migration processes by running APIs, offering greater flexibility and utility in various testing scenarios compared to Selenium.
• Significant Effort Reduction: By running Food & Beverage (F&B) test cases on MCP upgrades, Fortest achieves a 90% reduction in test effort, streamlining the testing process and saving valuable resources, a level of efficiency that Selenium test automation does not typically provide.

The right testing tool not only impacts immediate productivity but also influences long-term project success. Fortest stands out by offering ease of use and seamless integration, making it an excellent choice for diverse testing environments. Take into consideration its:

• User-Friendly Learning Curve: Fortest offers a simple and easy learning curve for new users, making it accessible and quick to adopt, whereas the Selenium testing tool often requires more extensive training and technical knowledge.
• Seamless Integration: Fortest is highly compatible with popular development environments and CI/CD pipelines, ensuring smooth and efficient integration into existing workflows, while Selenium might require additional configuration and customization.