Despite numerous technology advances in software testing, multiple challenges remain. The quality and functionality of business-critical apps is crucial for any organization. Many of the organizations we work for rely on apps for commerce, information and business operations, but no matter which testing software is used, common challenges often frustrate dev testers: 

1. Lack of alignment on overall business goals – Team members responsible for quality assurance sometimes do not share the same focus as those developing the software.
2. Dependency on a small highly skilled team - Testing automation requires high-level technical skills and not all roles can participate in the testing effort.
3. Inadequate collaboration - Lack of management features in testing tools and frameworks leaves business managers in the dark.
4. Inefficient processes - Under or over testing leading to varied efficiency.

Model-Based Testing (MBT) helps overcome challenges like these.

Understanding MBT

MBT is primarily a shift-right solution for functional testing that allows you to create a detailed model of all business processes within your application(s). These models become the foundation for generating test paths according to a predefined testing strategy. The core steps in MBT include the following:

1. Create a business process model: By mapping out every business process of the application, MBT provides a holistic view of the system's functionalities. There are three ways you can do this:
   1. Import an already existing BPMN file so you don’t have to start with nothing.
   2. Build a unit chest by mirroring a git repository, define those units, and .
   3. Draw an ideal model with placeholders, create the automated units (either manually or with ), and drag-and-drop onto the graphical canvas.
2. Generate test paths: A model can have a huge number of possible business processes. MBT lets you select a strategy that automatically converts your business processes to paths. You can then generate tests for the paths. This helps you plan your testing according to your business objectives. For example, if you select ‘sanity test,’ the test will cover all units in the model at least once. If you were to select ‘full coverage – simple,’ the test will display the combinations of all possible flows in the model.
3. Automate test execution: Tests are automatically created and executed on our cloud or on-prem (for OpenText UFT One users) based on the generated paths, ensuring comprehensive coverage.

Key Benefits of MBT from OpenText

Align functional testing with business requirements

MBT ensures that the testing efforts are directly aligned with the business requirements of the application. This alignment means that the most critical functionalities, as dictated by business needs, are always prioritized during testing. It bridges the gap between business objectives and technical execution, ensuring that the software meets the intended business goals.

Enhance collaboration

One of the standout advantages of MBT is its ability to foster improved collaboration between business and quality assurance (QA) teams. By providing a common framework and language for both teams, MBT eliminates communication barriers. Business analysts and QA engineers can work hand-in-hand, ensuring that the testing efforts are both comprehensive and relevant to the business context.

Achieve better testing coverage

MBT offers unparalleled testing coverage by ensuring that all business paths are considered during the testing process. This approach reduces the likelihood of overlooking critical functionalities and helps in identifying and addressing potential issues early in the development cycle. The result is a more reliable and robust application.

Get more team members involved

MBT is designed to get more than just dev testers involved, enabling anyone in the organization to participate in the test automation effort. From business analysts with deep domain knowledge to QA engineers, automation experts, and even teammates with limited technical skills, MBT provides tools and frameworks that are easy to use and understand. This shift-right technology ensures that insights from various stakeholders are incorporated, leading to more thorough and effective testing.

Easily manage automation assets

MBT adds a management layer over existing automation assets, ensuring focus on the right business paths. This management capability allows teams to prioritize testing efforts based on business criticality, thereby optimizing resources and improving efficiency. The graphical models used in MBT make it easy to map out application paths and ensure everyone is on the same page regarding testing priorities.

Choose smart coverage strategies

Another notable advantage of MBT is its smart coverage strategies. These strategies help organizations identify and prioritize the most important paths within the application, ensuring that testing efforts are focused where they matter most. This not only maximizes the efficiency of the testing process but also ensures that the application components that are most critical to business operations are thoroughly tested.

Why Transform functional testing with MBT

Model-Based Testing from OpenText is a powerful capability that can transform the way you approach functional testing. By aligning testing efforts with business requirements, fostering collaboration, and ensuring comprehensive coverage, MBT can solve nagging common ailments. Whether you are a business analyst, QA engineer, or automation expert, MBT provides the tools and framework necessary to achieve high-quality, reliable software that meets business needs.

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