Introduction
As products evolve into “Software-Defined Machines” (like autonomous vehicles or smart medical devices), the volume of code to be verified grows exponentially. Traditional manual testing is no longer sustainable; it creates a bottleneck that stifles innovation and increases the risk of human error.
Automated Software Testing within the PLM framework is the practice of using specialized software tools to control the execution of tests and compare actual outcomes with predicted results. When integrated into PLM, automation ensures that every change—no matter how small—is validated against the entire system architecture in real-time. This allows engineering teams to maintain the high-speed cadence of software development without compromising the stringent safety and quality standards of physical product engineering.
The Core Pillars of Automated Testing in PLM
To be effective, automated testing must be deeply woven into the product’s life cycle, following these three pillars:
1. Continuous Integration & Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
Automated testing is the engine of CI/CD. Every time a developer commits code, an automated suite runs to ensure the new “piece” doesn’t break the existing “puzzle.”
- Impact: Drastic reduction in the feedback loop from days to minutes.
2. Automated Regression Testing
In complex PLM systems, a change in a low-level requirement can have unforeseen consequences. Automated regression suites re-test the entire system to ensure that new updates haven’t reintroduced old bugs.
3. Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) Automation
Automation isn’t limited to pure code. In PLM, we use automated scripts to test how software interacts with physical components via HiL simulation, ensuring the digital-to-physical bridge is secure.
Strategic Benefits: Why Automate within PLM?
| Advantage | Description | Business Impact |
| Increased Test Coverage | Run thousands of complex test cases that would be impossible to perform manually. | Higher product reliability and lower risk of field recalls. |
| Consistency and Precision | Automated tests perform the same steps exactly the same way every time, eliminating human fatigue. | Guaranteed compliance with rigorous standards (ISO, FDA, FAA). |
| Early Defect Detection | Finding “bugs” during the design phase through automated simulation. | Massive cost savings by avoiding late-stage redesigns. |
| Reusability | Test scripts can be reused across different product variants and generations. | Accelerated time-to-market for new product iterations. |
The Challenge: Maintaining Traceability in Automation
The biggest risk in automated testing is the “Disconnect.” If your automated test suite lives in a silo, separate from your Requirements Management system, you lose traceability. You might pass 1,000 tests, but do you know which requirements those tests actually validated?
This is why automation must be anchored in an ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) platform that synchronizes with the PLM.
How Visure Solutions Powers Automated Testing in PLM
Visure Requirements ALM Platform provides the “Command Center” for automated testing, ensuring that speed never comes at the cost of visibility:
- Seamless Integration with Automation Tools: Visure integrates with industry-standard testing frameworks (such as Selenium, Vector, LDRA, or Jenkins). Test results are automatically pulled back into Visure.
- Requirements-to-Test Automation Traceability: Visure maps your automated test scripts directly to specific requirements. You can see at a glance the “Health” of your requirements based on real-time automated execution.
- Automated Suspect Link Management: If a requirement is modified, Visure automatically flags the associated automated test cases as “Suspect,” notifying the team that the script may need an update to reflect the new design.
- Unified Compliance Dashboards: Visure aggregates results from manual and automated tests into a single, audit-ready dashboard, providing a 100% transparent view of product readiness.
Conclusion
Automated Software Testing is the only way to master the complexity of modern, connected products. By integrating automation into the heart of the Product Lifecycle Management process, companies can achieve a “Continuous Validation” state where quality is built-in, not bolted-on at the end.
The goal of automation isn’t just to replace manual effort; it’s to empower engineers to focus on high-value innovation while the system handles the repetitive task of ensuring integrity. With platforms like Visure acting as the bridge between requirements and automated execution, the promise of a fast, safe, and fully traceable digital thread becomes a reality.
Check out the 14-day free trial at Visure and experience how AI-driven change control can help you manage changes faster, safer, and with full audit readiness.
