CRM regression tests, SFDC regression tests and MOps regression tests are all designed to do the same thing: make sure that when you make a change in your system, the upstream or downstream systems that are dependent on that function still work.
Every time a Salesforce admin pushes a change to a required field, all the other teams do regression test on their systems to make sure everything still works.
In theory, running a Salesforce regression test is obvious. In practice, it is a pain in the butt. The biggest challenge is simply an organizational one: How does a Sales Ops person know what to test in the marketing automation system? How do they even know something was affected? If you are cross functional, do you plan releases and testing weeks in advance, slowing things down even further?
For a proper revenue technology regression test, each team (typically website, campaign ops, marketing ops, analytics, sales ops and sales enablement) should set up use cases or scenarios of how their system is used. I like to use branching logic or brainstorming visualizations in Miro, but spreadsheets work great too. Then, you define what should happen as an outcome of that scenario, and what the variations are that could change the outcome.
Don’t worry if you don’t have comprehensive scenarios—one test is better than zero. The more complete the tests you have, the better off you are. Regression testing is better than documentation in that way—if 10% of the documentation is outdated, all of it is worthless.
Where do you get started with regression testing your marketing or sales technology stack?
When I try to get test coverage in place for a new customer, we try to start broad—are the systems connected? Are demo requests passing through systems? Are leads being created with any value in “lead source?” When you find that an analytics dashboard breaks because someone used hyphens instead of underscores, you add tests to make validation more complete and rigorous.
What is the difference between regression testing and automated regression testing?
Anyone can create testing scenarios by listing out all the use cases you can contemplate, then creating fake data and simulating those use cases. But to be thorough (like, thorough enough to satisfy the GDPR regulators or to be able to tell your CEO that the entire marketing and sales ops stack is working flawlessly), you’ll be here all day.
That’s where automated regression testing for your Hubspot or Salesforce CRM tech stack comes in. With automation, a week’s work of manual tests can be run in a couple of hours. By automating those tests, anyone can can run a full suite of tests without understanding what they are testing, or even needing access to the systems.
Regression testing in software development
In software testing, a regression test focuses on verifying that changes or updates to code in a software application do not introduce new defects or issues, and that the existing functionality continues to work as intended. It is performed to ensure that the software remains stable and reliable after modifications have been made.
The purpose of regression testing is to catch any unintended side effects or “regressions” that may occur as a result of code changes, bug fixes, or new feature implementations. These regressions can arise when modifying one part of the software inadvertently affects other parts of the system.
Regression testing typically involves retesting the previously-tested features and functionalities of the software to ensure that they still work correctly. It can be done manually, where testers follow a predetermined set of test cases, or through automated testing tools that can execute the tests and compare the actual results with the expected outcomes.
Regression tests are commonly performed during the software development life cycle, such as after bug fixes, system upgrades, or enhancements. By conducting regression tests, software teams can identify and resolve any issues that may have been introduced, thereby maintaining the overall quality and reliability of the software.
