Test automation, in software testing, is the use of separate software from the software being tested. This allows for the control of the execution of the tests and the comparison between actual and predicted outcomes.
Test automation can automate repetitive tasks within a formalized testing process or perform additional testing that would prove difficult. Test automation is essential for continuous delivery and continual testing.
Software testing is key to improving the quality of software products that are developed by developers. Software testing is crucial to ensure that the final product is reliable and meets the specifications. Software testing is an important part of the delivery process for the final product. You must have a firm test strategy and test cases.
The quality of the end product will be affected by how well it is covered. A thorough and efficient test coverage should cover all areas that are often overlooked. Test coverage must include test scenarios that address latency, speed, and security as well as usability. Organizations are always looking for testers who understand testing with precision, effectiveness, and speed.
In this blog, we will come to know about the common mistakes that can be avoided in the automation testing journey.
7 Mistakes That Can Be Avoided In Test Automation
1) Driving The Entire System Through The User Interface
Google will return a dozen results for “test automation” when you search the term in the SERP. These examples show how to drive the entire system through the interface. This means that you need to open a browser or mobile emulator and connect to the back end via the Internet. However, this is slow. For the first few weeks, this approach is fine. Running checks takes only five minutes.
However, this approach becomes more time-consuming as five minutes quickly turns into an hour and then two or three. Before you know what, testing has locked down the tester’s computer and test environment for an entire day. You start automated testing, at any specific time and receive the results the following day. All the results can be corrupted if something goes wrong very early in the process. This slows down the feedback loop, causing wait states and reducing the effectiveness of the work.
Programmers are often multitasking while they wait for feedback. Someone eventually re-skins a user interface. Without some kind of business logic layer, all checks will fail, and there will be no way to modify the system. Teams try to get things done. The automation gets more out-of-date and will eventually be destroyed.
Worst of all, testers can spend their time fixing automation false failures and adapting the code to the current system before rerunning the tests. While this might be of some value, it can also prove to be very costly and inefficient if programmers make changes that cause real failures. This is a problem that you must fix and not just cover up with a band-aid of testing tools.
2) Identifying What Can Be Automated & What Not
Understanding the purpose of automation and the benefits it will bring to the organization is the key rule for success in test automation. It would be a waste if a tester doesn’t understand the main purpose of automating a process, and the benefits it will bring the organization.
It can be difficult to know which tasks should be automated and which ones you need to do manually if you don’t have any experience with automation. It’s also dangerous to go in without a plan. It is important to understand automation and how it will impact daily tasks, costs, and time over the long term.
3) Lack Of Training To The Testing Team
Many organizations fail to grasp that while making changes is easy, making people accept them and learn from them is difficult. This is where businesses have problems. Businesses struggle when they adopt automation without bringing their employees on board. They don’t get the value of their employees, who can make or break the deal.
Basically, two phases can be considered when your testing team is with you:
- Training and adaptation
- Implementing and testing the automated solution.
Proper training is required for any tool that is being introduced. The tool should not be handed out to everyone and then asked for a hit and test. It is important to make the tools familiar to several people, and then train them once they have mastered it.
Offering training is the best way to accomplish this. Make sure you have a written training plan and hold multiple workshops and meetings before you implement your automation strategy. To ensure that your staff understands the automated processes, it’s a good idea to hold a test session.
4) Avoid Automating Large Tasks
A common belief is that larger tasks should be automated first. It is better to automate small tasks first, and then focus on more complex tasks later.
It is likely that automating larger tasks will be more difficult and take longer to complete. It is also possible to make serious mistakes and disrupt your entire process. It could result in a loss of funds.
Consider what to do if you are overwhelmed by multiple large projects. Automating them may be the only way to go. Instead, organize and prioritize your tasks into smaller pieces. You can automate parts of the task that you find repetitive, and continue working independently on other parts.
5) Avoid Record & Playback Tools For Scripting
Complex scripts are generated by record and playback tools. They can be difficult to read and maintain. Record and play should not be used to create skeletal scripts. This should not be used to create automated scripts. Many testers rely on recording and playback to create test scripts when automation is new in an organization. They are not familiar with the process and methodology.
Automating effectively and efficiently requires a good understanding of the system as well as the creation of simple scripts. Simple scripts make it easier for everyone to understand. These scripts are easy to update and maintain for those testers who are familiar with the module.
6) Lack Of Supervision
Supervision does not just include managing your staff during the automation process. Supervision includes the management of the entire project and the automation process. The inability to control your automated processes can result in loss of control and adversely impact sales. To ensure that all automated processes run smoothly, supervisors must always be on the lookout for problems and report them to the appropriate authorities.
7) Focusing On Your Return on Investment (ROI)
Automating a process does not require a license purchase only. It may also require additional investment, such as:
- Installation and implementation costs
- Additional tools and services
- Specialized staff are available for hire
- Running costs
Some Of The Basic Principles That You Need To Follow To Succeed In Automation Testing In 2023
These are some simple tips to keep in mind when implementing automation.
- Keep it simple. Only do what you need. Do not try to make things look complicated or fancy.
- Automating simple tasks does not necessarily mean automating complex tasks. You should take small steps to reach your automation goals. Automating may begin with a simple feature but the final implementation may be more complex.
- Cross-functionality is important for the team. The automation work should not be restricted to the developers or testers. To automate the project, each discipline must step into the shoes of the other. This gives everyone a deep understanding of the project as well as the ability to address any technical issues.
- It is important to take the time to fully understand the application you wish to automate. It is important to plan it carefully in order to avoid making technical errors.
- To ensure that the product is built correctly, clients and testers should continue to provide feedback.
- Use proper coding practices and standards. It is important to make the design simple and keep the tests separate. Think about factors such as the “maintenance” of the test suit.
- Automation is more than just maintenance and implementation. It also includes integration of the automated suite for Continuous Integration (CI). This requires that testers learn new skills, tools, and technologies.
Conclusion
Automation is a great tool in a competitive marketplace where clients demand high-quality products and fast delivery. Understanding the requirements and identifying the limitations is key to automating any process.
The most important part of tool selection is after the requirements have been fully understood. When selecting the right tool for automation testing, keep in mind the return on investment, the time-savings, cost-savings, and overall benefits to the organization.
When we talk about selecting the right tool for automation testing, LambdaTest comes at the top of the list. With LambdaTest, you can perform automated and cross-browser testing using Selenium, Cypress, Playwright or Puppeteer on 3000+ real browsers and operating systems.
LambdaTest, a digital experience platform, allows enterprises to test for omnichannel experiences using a custom-designed, robust, and high-performance infrastructure. This enables them to accelerate digital transformation. You can now choose from live or automated cross-browser, real device testing, visual regression testing, and OTT app testing, ensuring that coverage covers all omnichannel options. The continuous testing cloud features innovative features that allow testers/developers to focus on test creation, rather than execution and orchestration. With 120+ integrations, our digital experience testing cloud integrates seamlessly into the CI/CD pipeline.