Introduction
Imagine you're a car buyer, searching for the perfect vehicle online. You click through dozens of dealer websites, trying to find the right make, model, and price. But what if the website experience is glitchy or hard to navigate? That could be a huge turnoff, sending you straight to the competition.
That's why Dealertrack, a major player in the automotive software industry, knew they needed to get their website and app user experience just right. But managing all those testing workflows was a real challenge – until they found a solution that transformed their entire process.
In this article, we'll dive into the Dealertrack case study and see how they used Applitools, a cutting-edge visual AI testing platform, to streamline their UI testing and boost their confidence in delivering a top-notch customer experience.
The Dealertrack Story
Dealertrack was founded in 2001 as an all-in-one platform connecting car buyers, dealers, manufacturers, and lenders. Over the years, they've grown into a leading provider of automotive retail software, helping thousands of businesses manage everything from inventory to financing.
In 2015, Dealertrack was acquired by Cox Automotive in a massive $4 billion deal. This major milestone came with big expectations – the team knew they had to keep improving their products and services to stay ahead of the competition.
The Challenge: Manual UI Testing Slowing Down Progress
Before Applitools, Dealertrack's Quality Assurance (QA) team was spending a ton of time manually testing their website and app user interfaces. They'd go through various user workflows, checking every single screen and feature to make sure everything was working perfectly.
"We were spending about 10 hours per sprint just doing manual UI testing," recalls Dealertrack's QA Manager. "That's a huge chunk of time that could be better spent on other important tasks."
The manual testing process was not only time-consuming but also prone to human error. The QA team would inevitably miss little things here and there, which could then slip through to production and frustrate users.
Dealertrack needed a better way to test their UI – one that was faster, more reliable, and could scale as their business grew. That's when they discovered Applitools.
The Solution: Automating UI Testing with Applitools
Dealertrack first heard about Applitools at the 2015 Selenium Conference. They were immediately intrigued by the platform's AI-powered visual testing capabilities, which could automate the tedious UI verification process.
After evaluating a few different options, Dealertrack decided to integrate Applitools into their testing workflow. The implementation was surprisingly smooth, with the Applitools team providing excellent support every step of the way.
"The Applitools team was incredibly helpful," says the QA Manager. "They made it easy for us to get set up and start using the tool effectively."
Once Applitools was up and running, the Dealertrack QA team was able to start automating their UI testing. Instead of manually checking every screen, they could now rely on Applitools' visual AI to detect any changes or defects.
The Outcomes: Faster Delivery, Continuous Deployment, and Increased Confidence
Dealertrack's decision to partner with Applitools paid off in a big way. Here are some of the key benefits they experienced:
1. Time Savings
The most immediate impact was a massive reduction in regression testing time. What used to take days could now be accomplished in just a few hours, thanks to the automation Applitools provided.
"Applitools has allowed us to cut our regression testing time from multiple days down to just a few hours," the QA Manager explains. "That's a huge time savings that lets us deliver features and improvements to our customers much faster."
2. Continuous Deployment
Applitools played a crucial role in Dealertrack's transition to Continuous Deployment (CD). With the ability to automatically verify the user experience in real-time, the team could push updates to production with greater confidence.
"Applitools has been essential for our move to Continuous Deployment," says the QA Manager. "We can now deploy changes much more frequently without worrying about visual regressions slipping through."
3. Increased Quality Assurance
But the benefits of Applitools went beyond just time savings. The QA team also experienced a significant reduction in manual testing, from 10 hours per sprint down to a much shorter duration.
"Applitools has given us peace of mind with the automated UI verification," the QA Manager explains. "We know that any visual changes will be caught, so we can focus our efforts on other important testing tasks."
In the end, Dealertrack's partnership with Applitools has been a huge success. By automating their UI testing, they've been able to deliver a better customer experience, move faster with Continuous Deployment, and free up their QA team to work on more strategic initiatives.
FAQ: Applitools and UI Testing
Q: What is Applitools, and how does it work?
A: Applitools is a visual AI testing platform that helps companies automate their UI testing processes. It uses advanced computer vision and machine learning algorithms to detect visual changes and defects, allowing teams to catch issues early in the development cycle.
Q: How can Applitools help improve the software development process?
A: Applitools can streamline the software development process in several ways:
- Faster regression testing: Applitools can reduce regression testing time from days to hours, allowing for quicker feature delivery.
- Continuous deployment: Applitools' real-time visual verification enables teams to deploy changes more frequently with confidence.
- Increased QA efficiency: Applitools automates tedious manual UI testing, freeing up QA teams to focus on higher-value tasks.
Q: What types of companies use Applitools?
A: Applitools is used by a wide range of companies, from small startups to large enterprises across various industries, including technology, e-commerce, financial services, and more. Some of Applitools' customers include Verizon, Mastercard, and L'Oreal.
Q: How does Applitools integrate with other development tools?
A: Applitools seamlessly integrates with a variety of popular development tools, including Selenium, Cypress, Xamarin, and more. This allows teams to easily incorporate visual AI testing into their existing testing frameworks and workflows.
Q: What are the key features of the Applitools platform?
A: Some of Applitools' key features include:
- Visual AI-powered test automation
- Cross-browser and cross-device testing
- Intelligent locators for robust element detection
- Visual diffs and change detection
- Parallel test execution for faster results
- Integrations with popular CI/CD tools
Conclusion: Transforming UI Testing with Applitools
The Dealertrack case study is a prime example of how Applitools can revolutionize a company's approach to UI testing. By automating their manual testing processes, Dealertrack was able to achieve significant time savings, enable Continuous Deployment, and increase the overall quality of their software.
But Dealertrack's story is just one of many success stories in the Applitools portfolio. Across industries, companies are using Applitools to streamline their testing workflows, deliver better user experiences, and stay ahead of the competition.
If you're looking to take your UI testing to the next level, be sure to check out Applitools and see how it can transform your development process. With its powerful visual AI capabilities and seamless integrations, Applitools could be the key to unlocking greater efficiency, faster delivery, and uncompromising quality.
External Links:
Description: Explore Dealertrack's automotive software solutions and services.
Applitools Visual AI Technology
Description: Learn about Applitools' Visual AI technology and how it enhances UI testing.
Description: Discover insights and presentations from the 2015 Selenium Conference.
Continuous Deployment with Applitools
Description: Understand how Applitools supports Continuous Deployment with real-time visual verification.
Applitools Integration with Selenium
Description: Step-by-step guide on integrating Applitools with Selenium for automated UI testing.
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