Discover why test automation often fails: from unstable tests to inadequate tooling. Understand common pitfalls, ensure robustness, and achieve consistent, scalable test results.
Whenever someone recommends automating testing, they always talk about the many benefits it can bring: it is faster than manual testing, can cover a wider range of features, ensures consistency and reliability of results, saves time and increases efficiency. However, focusing too much on its advantages can generate too many expectations, leading you to think that the sole implementation of automated tests is enough to enjoy these benefits.
This is far from true. Automation tests can often fail, especially if you don't pay attention to some of the most common reasons why this happens. Want to know what they are?
#1 Expectations impossible to meet
Many people think of automation testing as some kind of magical testing technique. In their opinion, all tests can be automated by the QA team and run on their own. However, as incredible as this is, it is impossible to do in reality. There are tests that necessarily require some manual human intervention to check aspects that a machine could not check (or that would take a long time or cause avoidable errors).
User experience testing and smoke testing are undeniably manual in nature, which means automating them seems truly unrealistic.
#2 Indecision about when it is best to use automation
Given that it is not possible to automate all testing, you will need to define when automated testing is the most appropriate alternative and when you should choose a manual route. Unfortunately, many people can't really tell the difference, which ends up using manual testing when automated testing would be a better choice – and vice versa.
As a general rule, automated testing is always best when you are testing a stable element that requires numerous repetitions of the same action. For example, automating tests that check a software feature is a good choice, but doing so to test for rendering issues is not.
#3 Neglected reports
Automated tests (like all tests, to be honest) result in detailed reports about the process. Basically, this means that you will get a comprehensive account of what happened during the automated test, along with all the findings. While it's obvious that your engineers will act on issues found in these tests, it would be wiser to take a closer look at these reports to identify any potential issues that may be impacting the way you test.
Reports from automated tests are easy to ignore, especially when they pass or fail for something seemingly minor. However, neglecting reporting implies that you are leaving out valuable feedback that can provide insights to improve not only the software in question, but also to improve your testing practices as a whole.
#4 Applying the same automated tests to different projects
Developing automated tests can be a time-consuming task, which is why some teams like to recycle them across different projects. While this may be possible to some extent, the truth is that the level of automation you use on each project will depend on individual requirements. Believing that a single automation testing approach will work for everything is wrong and will lead to many failed tests.
Believe it or not, this is a fairly common problem, especially in companies that don't have large budgets or in companies that want to save time and money by reusing automated tests that have worked in the past. The solution is simple – automated tests depend on each project, so they cannot be reused without thinking twice.
#5 Tools that are not suitable for projects
Automated testing has become essential for QA and testing teams everywhere, which explains why there are so many automation tools available on the market (both off-the-shelf solutions and custom testing tools). While this is great news for testers, it also brings a challenge: choosing the right tool for the project at hand.
It is quite common for test teams that do not have experience and knowledge with automation solutions to end up choosing tools that are not suitable for their project goals and requirements.
#6 Parallel execution does not exist in the testing structure
Automated tests can sometimes become extremely complex, performing countless actions with each run. Additionally, sophisticated software often requires a series of automated tests to cover all requirements. This leads to a large test queue in the test framework, something that can be efficiently resolved through parallel test execution.
Unfortunately, many teams do not include parallel execution, mainly due to a lack of experience and knowledge. Using it allows you to run different tests in different environments, making better use of your time and avoiding potential timeout issues that cause automated tests to fail.
#7 Lack of adequate experience
Finally, there is a widespread belief that any engineer or tester can design automated tests for virtually any project. This is never the case. Creating automated tests requires a specific set of skills that not all engineers necessarily possess.
In addition to the technical knowledge required to design, configure and implement automated tests, engineers need to have excellent communication skills to prevent managers and stakeholders from having the wrong expectations of their work.
Automation testing done right
Automating your tests is essential to improving your productivity and efficiency and, at the same time, improving the final quality of the products you develop. This is why you should always aim to have automated tests in your testing framework. This doesn't mean you have to adopt these tests blindly.
Our testing team can help you design, configure, and implement any level of automation your testing framework may need. Our test engineers can ensure proper integration of any automation tool into your testing environment and ensure the best results, adding value from day one. If this is what you are looking for, don't hesitate, contact our experts today.
