What is the purpose of test automation?

The purpose of test automation primarily centers on supporting and enhancing test activities. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as regression tests, data setup, and performance testing, automation allows testers to focus on more complex, exploratory testing activities that require human intuition and creativity. This results in improved efficiency, consistency, and coverage in testing processes. Automation can facilitate faster feedback on the quality of the software, enabling teams to respond quickly to changes and defects.

Moreover, automated tests can be executed consistently across different environments, which helps in validating that the software behaves as expected under various conditions. This contributes significantly to the overall quality assurance efforts in agile projects, where rapid iterations and adaptations are common. The use of automation enhances the testing process rather than aiming to replace human testers, as human insights are indispensable for comprehensive quality evaluation.