“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. |
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:
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 |
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:
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:
…then RSAT won’t cut it.
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.