Test Automation Problems Plaguing QA Teams

Even after almost three years of its mainstream adoption, test automation continues one of the leading popular trends in software testing. it’s the one surefire method for any business to realize true Agile approaches and CI/CD methodologies but despite its obvious prowess, it’s a fact that a lot of companies still struggle with. a number of the foremost qualified QA technicians also can encounter many problems when implementing and dealing with test automation. Today, we’ll be discussing a number of these problems, what causes them, and the way you’ll solve them.

MOST COMMON TEST AUTOMATION PROBLEMS TODAY

What are a number of the foremost common problems that are plaguing modern QA teams in test automation?

1. Unrealistic expectations for automated testing
2. Utilizing the incorrect tools
3. Automating useless tests and ignoring important test cases
4. Selecting the incorrect testing time
5. Lack of proper testing

Let’s check out this one by one and understand what goes on behind the scenes for these problems to exist in the first place.

1. UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR AUTOMATED TESTING

Most QA and testing companies are well versed in the benefits of test automation. a number of the more notable benefits include the saving of your time, resources, and efforts. therefore the natural conclusion one can draw is that if test automation maybe a bandaid to assist with the efficiency of your test, shouldn’t you automate as many processes as you can? Not in the least. Unrealistic expectations like these can falter the whole test process and you risk having too many test cases directly.

Here’s why you shouldn’t believe automated testing on its own: Manual testing remains relevant. In some situations, manual testing works better than automated testing. Like for instance:

• UI and usefulness testing
• Quick compatibility testing on one or a few devices.
• One-time testing
• Ad-hoc testing
• Localization and internationalization testing.

Non-automated aspects of testing still exist. Automated test scripts require people that support them. You’ll still have non-automated pieces of labor remaining albeit you’re persistent in automating your testing the maximum amount as possible.

Solution: a transparent and concise testing strategy.

The primary cause for unrealistic expectations for automated testing is nearly always a scarcity of clarity in your testing strategy. Asking yourself these questions can assist you better understand your test automation requirements:

• Why does one or your team/project/company require test automation?
• What are your test automation goals?

Having these answered, you’re on your thanks to planning a transparent test strategy. the rationale why this could be the foremost important aspect is that this is often what guides your testing process from start to end. And don’t forget to stay updating it from time to time.

2. UTILISING THE INCORRECT TOOLS

Without the proper tools to assist you, test automation simply won’t be as effective as you’d like. And it’s easy to finish up confused about selecting the proper one simply thanks to the plethora of options available within the market today. this will cause scalability problems and put the completion of your test automation goals in danger.

Solution: Select your tools properly.

Solving this issue means you’ll get to remember your exact needs. You’d ideally want to line the goals and requirements you’re getting to achieve with the tool before selecting it. These qualifying questions can further narrow down the choice:

• Does this tool meet your current goals?
• How affordable is that this tool?
• How well does it support integration with the technology stack your team practices?
• What are your requirements criteria for the tool?

It can take time to pick the simplest candidate for this purpose but understand that that’s normal. If as an example, you’re requiring a purpose-built and reliable mobile UI testing tool, TestUnity could be an honest place to seem. Pen testing companies, short for penetration testing companies, like TestUnity, also can be great alternatives if you’re trying to find load testing tools.

3. AUTOMATING USELESS TESTS AND OVERLOOKING IMPORTANT TEST CASES

Unfortunately, when it includes automation, QA teams usually start by randomly automating test cases. This leaves them with low test coverage and tons of useless tests. Moreover, with this approach, you furthermore may run the danger of not covering the important scenarios and leaving gaps in software quality.

Solution: Determine what’s worth automating.

Before writing test scripts, researching is mandatory. attempt to determine beforehand what’s worth automating then start implementing automation where it’ll have the foremost impact. Select an accurate testing approach, mind your test metrics and reports.

Take a glance at Mike Cohn’s test automation pyramid for reference. It’ll assist you to know where automation is most beneficial. according to the pyramid, it’s better to start out out with unit tests: they’re easy, cheap, and fast to end. Then transition to API, integration, and component testing. Lastly, automate UI tests and make just a couple of them.

Another approach would be to estimate the potential risks then proceed with automated testing accordingly. Define the foremost vulnerable spots within the system and start with testing there. Pick those where failures would be the foremost destructive to your business.

4. SELECTING THE INCORRECT TESTING TIME

Today, most teams still view testing as something that occurs after development. just one occasion the whole build is ready is when QA technicians start doing their job. This outdated approach can’t guarantee the highest quality of software. It doesn’t allow QAs to see all the layers properly and it doesn’t leave much time for testing.

Solution: Run automated tests in conjunction with the event process.

Testing shouldn’t happen only within the ultimate stages. If you’d like test automation to be effective, begin by running tests from the primary stages of the event and still do so through the software development life cycle (SDLC). It’s also important to recollect that testing is a crucial part of the continuous delivery pipeline. Without test automation, you can’t have successful CI/CD implementation.

5. LACK OF PROPER TESTING

Among the test automation problems, this is often one is that the trickiest. The shortage of proper testing occurs when QA technicians believe automation an excessive amount and concentrate on test passing rather than discovering bugs. The thing is, automation gives a false sense of security. With automated tests running repeatedly, it’s tempting to reduce human intervention and responsibility for the results. Such an approach can have disastrous outcomes like poor test design, inconsistent and ineffective testing.

Solution: QA team training.

Before implementing automation, train your team properly. Confirm that they know their roles within the method and have enough technical skills to support the tests. Also, enforce test automation with exploratory testing to understand more precise results.

TO CONCLUDE

While many businesses see test automation because the one-stop fix for nearly all their problems, it’s important to recollect that it isn’t always easy. beginning the method with unrealistic expectations in mind can effectively dismantle the entire process. Fortunately, all of those test automation problems are solvable. What’s perhaps most vital is to understand that automating tests can’t be the sole solution for many, if not all, of your problems. Understanding the wants, where they are often effective, and running it in parallel with development after selecting the proper testing tool can all have you ever maximize your testing efforts while meeting your business goals.

Need some guidance in automation testing?  We provide the testing services on-demand, serve with projects of any scale, and are ready to start with a few days’ advance notice. Choose to team up with a QA services provider like TestUnity. Our team of testing experts specializes in QA and have years of experience implementing tests with different testing software. Get in touch with a TestUnity expert today.

TestUnity

Testunity is a SaaS-based technology platform driven by a vast community of testers & QAs spread around the world, powered by technology & testing experts to create the dedicated testing hub. Which is capable of providing almost all kind of testing services for almost all the platforms exists in software word.