What are the most common test execution challenges and how can you overcome them?

Test environment issues are a thorn in the side for many development teams. Automating the setup with containers, and virtual environments can drive efficiency and reduce errors. Using cloud-based environments also offers flexibility and scalability. These practices not only streamline processes but can also lead to more reliable outcomes.

Test environment inconsistencies or unavailability can hinder test execution. Overcome this by implementing infrastructure as code to automate environment setup, using containerization for consistency, and establishing clear processes for environment management and provisioning.

Ensure that the test environment is stable, properly configured, and consistent with the production environment. Use virtualization or containerization techniques to replicate production environments easily. Establish clear procedures for setting up and maintaining the test environment to minimize downtime and ensure reliability.

Test data is often a hidden bottleneck for testers and developers across the software development lifecycle. 1 - In regulated industries compliance means production data needs to be anonymised through techniques like masking & synthetic generation. 2 - You can only test as good as the data you have available. Teams require rich covered sets of data to execute their scenarios against. If you don't have the data for a scenario, you can't test it! 3 - Environment refreshes & data can cause havoc on de-stabilising automation. False negatives are pretty common when a good test data strategy & tooling are not in place.

Test automation may face challenges such as flaky tests, maintenance overhead, and tool limitations. Address these by prioritizing test stability, implementing robust test maintenance strategies, regularly reviewing and updating automation scripts, and investing in training and tools to enhance automation capabilities

A lot of teams try to run before they can walk with their quality efforts. Automation is a great example where a bad thing is often made faster and has a negative effect on quality. Some examples would be - more time spent on maintaining automation, than providing assurance. Automating happy paths, and not focusing on coverage driven tests. It is often good to start with why are we automating this scenario and what value we hope to add to the software delivery process.

Address challenges related to test automation, such as script maintenance and scalability. Adopt best practices for test automation, including modular test design, parameterization, and error handling. Regularly review and refactor automation scripts to improve readability, maintainability, and reliability. Leverage continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to automate test execution and integration into the development workflow.

Collaboration is often overlooked - In any enterprise organisation there are silo's of knowledge, different team members bring diverse sets of knowledge and experience. The key is how to present the tests so they can be easily peer reviewed. We have found modelling to be a great way to visualise and help people get a fast digestible understanding of how a process is being tested

It is important to think back to the goal of the test documentation, and who the intended audience is. If the reporting is built for automation engineers then it should have all the stack traces, and debugging information embedded. If the report is for project stakeholders on the business side, it should provide higher level reports and tie back to the business impact / risk of a release.

Improve test documentation and reporting practices to provide transparency and visibility into the testing process and outcomes. Develop comprehensive test plans, test cases, and test scripts that are well-documented, organized, and easily accessible. Use test management tools to track test execution progress, record test results, and generate informative test reports. Incorporate metrics and KPIs to measure testing effectiveness, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Consider factors such as training and upskilling testers on testing techniques and tools, investing in infrastructure and resources to support testing activities, and fostering a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the organization. Regularly review and adapt testing processes and practices to address evolving challenges and meet changing business needs.