The 4most common automated test challenges and countermeasures

Some say: " messy automationonly causes faster chaos."Not only is it faster, but it was more seriousand greater chaos. As used properly, automation can be a stunning productivitybooster and system quality enhancer in the testing team. The key to automatedtesting is to apply correctly, the most difficult part of the beginning. Below,we will learn about the most common automation test challenges andcountermeasures.

Challenge1: Get approval from management

Like any company department,employees always know what the budget allows and budget doesn't allow. testersmay already know the advantages of automation in both commercial and technicalaspects (shorten the time of this market, increase test coverage and accuracy,reduce hourly test costs, faster error discovery, etc.), but how do theyconvince finance and software development leaders to get the necessary time andmoney for automated testing?

"Automated tests improveproductivity and accuracy, which is where business cases have to be developed.The cost of a single defect... can offset the prices authorized by one or moretools.” ——Randall Rice.

We agree with Randall Rice thatautomation can recover costs. To prove to management that financial gains aresubstantial, show them the simple breakdown of the automated test ROI. It'salso important for us to be honest and open to others and other stakeholders.Not to lie about automation early work and resources are small.

Challenge2: Select and use the appropriate tool

For various reasons, many teamsfailed to pass this stage. They may be missing the expertise of specific tools,unable to find ideal tools, toolsets are not covered enough, etc. If there arenot enough basics on how to use the tools, there are several options:

· Take an online course

· Let the creators of the toolstrain you

· Hire a consultant to a bettergrasp

· Outsourcing may also be apractical approach when all other methods fail

If existing tools cannot meetyour needs, consider finding a multi-tool solution. Domestic tools are oftenthe most suitable option for domestic work. Remember, it is impossible to fullytest everything, but you can use the tools to test the most important parts.

Finally, if the tool costs beyondthe budget, quickly conduct the cost and earnings analysis and show it. Thismeasures losses from previous errors and shows how much time and money can besaved if using the tool.

Challenge3: Determine the startup policy

Okay, now you have all the toolsand support to start automating, but what automates it? What is it done? Thetools themselves don't tell you what to automate, as frustrating as noviceparents find their kids not born with a parenting manual. Will it produce agood generation of excellent automated tests, or will it be destroyed and nolonger manageable? Of course, we must hope that the former! But there is no wayto automate everything, so you must have a strategic vision. There are two waysto help solve this problem: risk-based testing and an automated pyramid.

Risk-based,automated testing

It prioritizes the elements thathave the most risk of failure, which also have the greatest negativeconsequences if the described failure occurs. It should be considered here:

· Theeconomic impact of potential errors

· Probabilitiesof failure (better ask developer ideas here)

· Service Level Agreement (SLA)

· Isthere any danger of property

This should give you a good wayto prioritize automated test cases.

Automatethe test pyramid

Another approach that we highlyrecommend is to follow the automated pyramid. In a recent article, we have abroader discussion of this topic, here for a quick and quick overview.

Fig.theprocess of Automate the test pyramid and icecream cones methods.

Source: the Open Source Software Supply Chain LightingProgram-Summer 2021 event.

Ice cream cones taste sweet andtempting, but using ice cream cones can disrupt the automated process!Following the ice cream cone method will result in a high rate of error as itemphasizes that UI level automation while the UI level uses more disruptivetesting. But if you put your energy into automated unit testing, errors can befound and eliminated almost immediately during software development.

Challenge4: Set the realistic expectations for automation

No matter how great your toolsand processes are, remember that the test will never be done. Automation testsare not a silver bullet to solve flawed systems, and should not replacenon-automated tests, but should be used in combination with non-automatedtests. There are tests simply not automated, but there are automated tests thatuncover errors beyond other methods.

Automation tests are justautomatically checking the system and still require manual non-automated tests.Also, remember that the value of the test comes from the information itprovides, not the number or frequency of tests performed. We care most aboutgetting the right information to make the best decisions when improving thequality of the system.

Ensure that the team andmanagement agree to and understand the expected results of the automationscheme so that consensus can be reached!

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