Automated testing can be a touch overwhelming when you first approach it. The good news is that with a methodical approach to automated testing you can quickly reap the rewards without losing your way. Here’s a simple guide to the main considerations when you want to get started with automated testing:
Choose which Test Cases should be Automated
You can’t automate everything overnight, so it pays to be selective when you begin. Focus your efforts on automating some of the following:
• The most repetitive tests
• The tests most prone to human error
• The most complex tests
• Tests that cover high-risk areas
• Tests that can’t be done manually or require a lot of effort to perform manually
Start Testing Quickly and Do it a Lot
ROI comes from using automated testing. The faster you start testing and the more often you do it using an automated system – the faster the ROI will be apparent. That’s important for creating buy in within the test and development teams. It changes test automation from a theoretical concept to a practical exercise. The best time to implement unit-testing is at the design phase before you begin a project because your automated test suite grows in synch with your code base. However, if you’re starting later don’t put off writing tests and executing them regularly.
Choose the Right Tool for Automation
Automated testing works best with the right tool for your development team. Make sure your chosen testing tool supports all your platforms and technology. Ensure that the tool is flexible and that it’s accessible to a wide-range of testing skill sets. Have a play with the test tool before you buy it – is it easy to create tests? Will it support your development process? Is there enough functionality to cover your testing needs? The right tool for Joe’s Software down the road may not be the right tool for your people.
The Right People for the Right Work
Automated testing ranges from creating simple scripts to hugely complex scripts. Make sure you have the right resources for the right tasks. Setting up junior test engineers to develop the most complex tests is a bad idea.
A Data Driven Approach
Create good quality data for testing. Don’t stint on this process and ensure that your test automation package can read this data and utilize it intelligently. Creating good data is a touch boring but it brings much more meaningful test results at the end of the process.