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Do I Need Test Automation for Dynamics 365 if I Already Use RSAT?

“We thought RSAT would be enough. But when the reality of updates hit us, we knew we needed a scalable solution.” 
 — IT Delivery Lead, Russell & Bromley 

 

Introduction: The RSAT Illusion 

For many enterprises operating in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) ecosystem, Microsoft’s Regression Suite Automation Tool (RSAT) appears to be the default path for automated testing. It's free, built by Microsoft, and tightly integrated with Task Recorder and DevOps. But is that enough? 

At first glance, RSAT offers an appealing entry point into test automation. However, when D365 environments become more complex, business process coverage deepens, and the need for regression testing scales across multiple updates, RSAT’s limitations start to show. 

This is the story of Russell & Bromley, a UK-based fashion retailer with over 40 physical locations and a multi-channel D365 implementation. They believed RSAT would meet their testing needs—until it didn’t. 

Act I: The RSAT Plateau 

Russell & Bromley began their D365 journey with RSAT. Their goal was simple: avoid manual regression testing during Microsoft’s continuous updates. They used Task Recorder to generate test cases and fed them into RSAT for execution. 

What worked initially: 

RSAT Advantage 

Description 

Native D365 Integration 

RSAT syncs easily with D365 via Task Recorder. 

Azure DevOps Connectivity 

Out-of-the-box integration with Azure DevOps test plans. 

Zero-cost Licensing 

As a Microsoft tool, RSAT comes at no additional licensing cost. 

But challenges began to surface: 

RSAT Limitation 

Impact on Russell & Bromley 

Non-functional coverage 

No ability to test- performance, cross-browser, or mobile. 

Code dependency 

Required PowerShell scripting and Excel manipulation. 

Lack of scalability 

Increased maintenance overhead with expanding test cases. 

No cross-module orchestration 

Tests could not span across Finance, SCM, and CRM processes. 

RSAT couldn’t cover our end-to-end use cases across Retail and Supply Chain. It also lacked the agility we needed during Microsoft's frequent updates.

- Stated in the IT team's note in the case study

RELATED READING: Continuous Testing of Dynamics 365: The Key to Seamless ERP Performance 

Act II: The Breaking Point 

D365 receives eight updates annually (plus optional monthly hotfixes), each one being a potential disruptor. Enterprises faced what many D365 enterprises encounter: the “upgrade fatigue”—continuous cycles of manual validations, broken test scripts, and failed deployments. 

This created: 

  • Delays in go-lives 
  • Low test coverage across modules 
  • Inability to validate third-party integrations 
  • Heavy reliance on functional SMEs 

Their IT team began evaluating purpose-built automation platforms that could scale, were no-code, and offered full-stack regression capabilities. 

Act III: Enter Avo Assure 

Enterprises like Russell & Bromley understood the need for better test automation and transitioned to Avo Assure, an intelligent, no-code test automation platform tailored for D365. 

Why Avo Assure? 

Feature 

RSAT 

Avo Assure 

Cross-module support 

No 

(Finance, SCM, Retail, CRM) 

No-code test creation 

No  

Drag-and-drop logic 

Integration testing 

No  

Web, desktop, mobile, APIs 

Smart test scheduling 

No 

CI/CD friendly 

Real-time analytics & dashboards 

No 

 Yes

AI-powered test maintenance 

No  

 Yes

 

Avo Assure allows us to automate more than 90% of our regression tests across D365 and custom apps, with zero coding involved. We went from weeks of testing to hours.

-— IT Delivery Lead, Russell & Bromley 

RELATED READING: Automate Your Dynamics 365 Regression Testing in Minutes 

Measurable Outcomes: Before vs. After 

Metric 

With RSAT 

With Avo Assure 

Regression Coverage 

~40% 

90%+ 

Test Case Maintenance Effort 

High 

Low (No-code, reusable flows) 

Testing Cycle Time 

5–6 weeks 

<1 week 

User Acceptance Testing Support 

Manual 

Fully automated 

Integration & UI Testing 

Not supported 

Fully supported 

Avo Assure’s pre-built D365 libraries allow to create test cases 5x faster than RSAT. Its parallel execution capabilities enabled Russell & Bromley to run over 1,000 test cases in a fraction of the time. 


 

Strategic Impact 

Transitioning to Avo Assure didn’t just reduce test effort—it transformed the entire delivery model: 

  • From reactive to proactive QA: Tests are now created before the update lands. 
  • Release acceleration: Microsoft updates now roll into production faster, with fewer hotfixes. 
  • Improved compliance: Better documentation and audit trails. 
  • Empowered business users: No-code interfaces let SMEs contribute to test scenarios. 

Avo Assure made testing accessible to our entire business—not just IT.

— Russell & Bromley Case Study

 

Related Reading: How to Improve the Efficiency of Your Microsoft Dynamics 365 System with Automation 

Conclusion: RSAT is a Start, Not the Strategy 

Using RSAT alone for D365 testing is like using a screwdriver to build a house. It may work for certain tasks, but it’s not scalable, resilient, or future-ready. 

If your organization: 

  • Relies on end-to-end scenarios across Finance, SCM, CRM, and Retail 
  • Needs to support frequent D365 updates and hotfixes 
  • Wants to automate beyond just regression 
  • Requires testing for web, desktop, mobile, and APIs 

…then RSAT won’t cut it. 

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Avo Assure proves that no-code test automation isn't just a buzzword—it’s a business enabler. Russell & Bromley’s experience is a testament to what can be achieved when you choose a platform that’s built for the complexity of enterprise D365 ecosystems. 

Related Reading: Unlock the Key Features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Importance of Test Automation 

Are you still using RSAT and struggling to scale? 

Schedule a demo with Avo Automation to see how intelligent test automation can transform your D365 delivery cycle. 

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