Top Test Automation Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Most software-developing companies have left manual testing far behind and switched to full-fledged automation testing. As per Truelist, 24% of organizations saw an improvement in their ROI after they implemented automation testing, proving that the benefits of automated testing are too significant to ignore. 

Automation testing is enabling organizations to speed up their testing efforts and decrease the duration of the overall development process. It empowers companies to scale their testing efforts to meet the rising demands of users and deliver products on time.

Key benefits of automation testing over manual testing processes include:

• Saves time and money: Often, many tests have to be repeated during development cycles to ensure quality, especially when there are changes in source code. Manually repeating these tests can be time-consuming and costly. Contrarily, by automating, you can run such tests over and over again at no extra cost.

• Increase test coverage: Automation increases the depth and scope of tests. You can run lengthy tests unattended, which are often avoided in manual testing. Automation testing software dives deep into applications to check memory contents, data tables, and internal program states to assess if the app is behaving as expected.

• Improves accuracy: Manual test processes can be monotonous and subject to human errors. However, in automated testing, the same steps can be performed precisely every time to get the best results.

• Frees testers’ time: By automating repetitive tasks, testers are free to focus on other crucial testing tasks that deal with complex features

If implemented in the right way with the right tools, automation testing can provide these benefits to organizations. There is no doubt that automation testing is crucial if software quality is to be enhanced and made to meet the standards expected by users. However, it is not always smooth going with automation testing. In their enthusiasm to get more tests automated, testing teams often make mistakes that often cost time, money, and resources, derailing their progress.

However, it is possible to avoid most of these mistakes by knowing what they are and being careful. 

Common Mistakes In Automation Testing And Solutions To Avoid Them

We shall examine the top mistakes that occur in automation testing and ways to avoid them:

1. Forgetting to define your goals

The success of test automation lies in knowing what areas to automate and how it will benefit your organization. Testers should know what risks they are trying to mitigate through their tests and how automation can help achieve that. Going without a plan will be a mistake that can prove to be costly and lead to a waste of time and resources. 

Solution: So, before you begin automating, develop a clear understanding of how automation will impact your daily tasks and other factors like time and costs in the long run.

2. Automating wrong tasks

Another common mistake is automating larger tasks instead of the small ones. By automating the larger tasks, you will find it challenging and time-consuming to complete. You are also at risk of making serious mistakes that can derail your entire testing process. Also, in the case of many large projects, prioritize the tasks into smaller parts. 

Solution: The ideal way is to automate small tasks first, and when there are large projects, automate parts of the task that are repetitive and work separately on the others. 

3. Your testers are not skilled enough to use your selected tool

Before picking an automation tool, you need to ensure your testing team has the skills and knowledge to effectively use it for your project. If you introduce a tool with which your testers are unfamiliar, they may struggle in the middle of critical tasks, resulting in your project getting stalled.

Solution: Before rolling out a tool into your project, ensure your testers are skilled to use it, and if not, provide the requisite training to others who need it. Conduct workshops and training sessions to ensure your staff understands the automation process.

4. Not supervising the project

Supervising your test project is essential, even if you are automating your project. It is crucial to manage your automated processes, and neglecting to do so can lead to losing control of your project. 

Solution: Supervisors need to monitor each step of the automated process, ensuring their success, and in the event of issues arising, they should know of it and rectify it at the earliest. 

5. Not considering the ROI

If you do not consider all the investments made into automating your testing process, you might end up incurring losses in the long run. There are many costs other than the licensing costs that you need to consider.

Solution: While automating, you need to consider all the investments you make, including the cost of installation and implementation, additional tools and services required, operational costs, and the expenses associated with hiring specialized professionals.

6. Opting for only open-source tools

Testing managers often choose only open-source tools for their projects as they are cost-effective. However, cost savings should not be the only criterion when selecting a tool. Open source tools have their limitations, such as the requirement of technical skills to use them. Moreover, they may have limited functionality and are unable to provide the features needed for your specific requirements. 

Solution: One way out for testing teams is to use a mix of both open-source and commercial tools. Commercial tools can fill in the functionality that your open-source tool cannot offer while adding more value to your testing.

7. Not fostering a culture that accepts automation

Before introducing an automation tool, it is advisable to ensure that your organization has a culture oriented to automation. Companies without a proper culture can find some of their team biased toward automation.  

Solution: Shifting your team’s culture will not happen overnight and will require a lot of training. You will have to create an environment that encourages experimentation and innovation and applauds success. One of your team will have to explain the benefits that can be derived from automating your testing process and what it means to your organization in the long run.

Wrapping Up

By now, you must be well-versed about what you need to avoid to ensure your automation testing project runs smoothly and provides the benefits you want. The next logical is to zero down on a suitable automation testing tool that meets your expectations of efficiency, reduced costs, and faster delivery to market.

TestGrid is the platform that continues to impress companies globally with its powerful codeless automation testing capabilities and other advantages. TestGrid and its AI-driven features are designed to simplify the testing of even the most sophisticated web, mobile, and desktop applications. 

With its cloud-based secure infrastructure, TestGrid gives access to hundreds of real devices and browsers to remote testing teams anytime they require, ensuring comprehensive testing and high levels of efficiency.

Moreover, it is one of the rare platforms that fulfills all your testing requirements under one roof, be it cross-browser testing, API testing, or obtaining performance metrics. Elevate your testing experience with TestGrid and achieve your goals of accelerated testing, lower costs, and higher ROI, plus an edge over your competitors.

‘