Testing Automated Processes: How to Avoid Errors?

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In this article, you will learn:

• What testing automated processes should look like
• Why testing automated processes is so important
• How to correctly identify exceptions in RPA
• What benefits regular audits of automated processes can bring

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Moving away from repetitive, manual tasks in favor of digital efficiency allows companies to save thousands of hours and completely eliminate costly errors in key processes. Comprehensive office process automation, utilizing intelligent RPA robots, is becoming the foundation of modern management, drastically reducing operating expenses and standardizing document workflows. By using the right automation tools, such as macros or task management platforms, you will transform daily operations into a coherent and highly predictable mechanism. Check out how to wisely integrate these technologies to effectively unburden your team and build an intelligent enterprise ready for scaling.

Testing Automated Processes

Testing automated processes is simply verifying that they function correctly, meet expectations, and do not produce erroneous results. Tests also allow you to check if the effects of robotization are already visible, but to be effective, one must understand what has been automated, for what purpose, and whether it has been properly documented. It is also important to remember that not all tests are the same, and different types will be applied to different tasks:

• Unit tests focus on checking the smallest, independent components of a process, which helps in detecting errors at an early stage.
• Integration tests check the interactions between different components and modules to ensure they work together correctly.
• Functional tests are used to evaluate whether an automated process meets functional requirements.
• Regression tests ensure that new modifications have not negatively affected existing functionalities.
• Performance tests check how a process performs under load and whether it meets requirements regarding execution time and resources.
• Load and stress tests are used to evaluate process behavior under extreme conditions.
• Acceptance tests verify whether the automated process meets end-user expectations and business requirements.

Regardless of the chosen type, every test follows a similar path – it begins with developing test scenarios, both positive and negative, followed by checking each one. Once testing is complete, the results are sent to the project team, which analyzes them and, if errors are found, identifies the source of the problem and develops solutions.

The Importance of Monitoring Automation Results

To move from simple robotization to full automation, you must constantly monitor automation results – this is the only way to ensure long-term process reliability. Even the best-tested automations can fail or encounter unexpected problems, so monitoring results allows for the almost immediate detection of errors, deviations from the norm, or unexpected behaviors before they become major issues. Validating automated processes is also important for improving efficiency – through testing, you can, for example, find bottlenecks such as long processing times or low performance, and then optimize them. This way, you can also regularly check whether automated processes meet specific quality standards. Monitoring automation results also allows you to track effectiveness in terms of time savings, costs, error rates, or quality improvements. This helps identify areas that require expansion or a change in approach. It is also significant for process improvement – testing automated processes provides valuable information that can be used to implement enhancements. Monitoring systems can also send automatic notifications (alerts) in the event of errors, allowing for better responses to potential security threats. This can also help protect the company’s most important data and resources.

Identifying Exceptions in RPA Processes

Identifying exceptions in RPA processes is one of the elements of maintaining business process automation (e.g., accounting). What are exceptions? They are all erroneous results, downtime, and reductions in process efficiency; the following types are distinguished:

• Application exceptions are errors resulting from unexpected states in applications that the robot interacts with (e.g., lack of access to the application, connection errors, or application crashes). They often require refreshing the application or restarting the process.
• Business exceptions result from non-compliance with business rules or incorrect input data. Examples include missing fields in forms, exceeding limits, or incorrect data formats. They often require human intervention or additional validation.

Exceptions can be identified using the following methods:

• RPA process automation scripts should include logic for handling exceptions, such as `try-catch` blocks, so the robot can detect an error and take appropriate steps.
• Verification of data correctness before and after processing should include checking formats, value ranges, or data integrity.
• Implementing monitoring tools to track robot activity ensures that if a robot encounters an exception, the monitoring system can immediately send a notification so the team can react quickly.
• Robots should record detailed logs with information about steps performed in the process, errors, exceptions, and processing times.
• Some errors, such as temporary connection issues, can be easily fixed by restarting the action.

Defining validation rules triggered when incorrect data is detected and monitoring KPIs and Service Level Agreements (SLA) can also help in identifying exceptions – in the latter case, exceeding acceptable values may indicate a need for intervention.

Regular Audits of Automated Processes

Regular audits are, alongside creating a process map, one of the methods ensuring the effectiveness, compliance, and security of automated processes. During these audits, it is assessed, among other things, whether activities achieve expected results and whether they operate in accordance with legal regulations, industry standards, and company policies. Audits also allow for the quick discovery of potential problems and gaps, and serve as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of automation and its management mechanisms. It must also be remembered that, as with testing, not all audits are the same – sometimes operational audits are needed to check if automated processes are working as expected, while at other times it will be necessary to conduct an audit of technological infrastructure, software architecture, code, security, and system configuration. Regardless of the type of audit, everyone should follow similar practices. First and foremost, they should be conducted regularly, e.g., quarterly or semi-annually, depending on the complexity and criticality of the processes. It is also good to audit various elements of the enterprise’s operations to get a comprehensive picture. It is beneficial to involve as many employees as possible in audits – combining the perspectives of teams responsible for business processes, IT, security, and compliance not only ensures the comprehensiveness of the audit process but is also a good starting point for improving business processes.