Hidden Challenges of Automation Testing

Introduction

Implementing automation in testing does not automatically guarantee comprehensive test coverage. Testers must be careful when selecting the right tests to automate and ensure that critical scenarios are covered. Without strategic planning, automation can overlook important areas of the application.

The Automation Testing State of the Art

Before proceeding, it's important to know that automation is a tool to help teams, not replace them. Skilled testers are still essential for writing test scripts, analyzing results, and performing manual tests that automation cannot handle. Automation provides testers the opportunity to focus on more complex and valuable tasks.

However, it's crucial to understand that automation is not a silver bullet to solve all your quality and delivery problems. Automation still struggles with scenarios that require human judgment, such as exploratory testing. These scenarios demand creativity, critical thinking, and an understanding of the application's context and user experience—qualities that machines currently lack.

User Interface and User Experience Testing

Automation testing is based on predefined scripts, which means it can struggle with unpredictable or dynamic inputs. Manual testing is often better suited to address these situations, where the human tester can adapt on the fly.

You might be thinking, "Hey, what about Artificial Intelligence? Aren't there generative AI solutions that can handle this?" Let's try a simple game using your favorite AI chat:

• You: "Let's play a game. I'll give you a scenario, and you'll try to solve it by asking me questions. I can only respond with 'yes,' 'no,' or 'irrelevant.' Confirm if you understand."
• Chat: Confirms its understanding.
• You: "If X hadn't seen the sawdust, X would still be alive."

Notice how many tries it takes without resolving anything.

You might say, "But that doesn't make any sense, you're not providing the full context!" And you're right! Try it yourself—the full story behind this game depends on your context and experience.

As you can imagine, user interface (UI) testing and user experience (UX) assessment are areas where manual testing excels. While automation tools can check UI elements, they cannot fully replicate the human experience of interacting with an application.

Testing in an Agile World In recent years, Agile practices have become important in many companies, leading to frequent software changes in fast-paced development environments. As a result, automation scripts must be updated to reflect these changes, which can be time-consuming and challenging.

The Balanced Test Strategy

Testing leverages the human ability to think creatively and critically. Testers can explore the application in ways that an owner, architect, or developer might not, discovering bugs that could be missed during the design phase. Remember, humans are so good at breaking things!

A balanced testing strategy that combines automation and manual testing is often the most effective. Automation handles repetitive tasks efficiently, while manual testing covers exploratory scenarios, UI/UX testing, and areas where human judgment is crucial.

Now you might ask, "What's the secret to a balanced strategy?" I'm not a guru, but as a pragmatic engineer, I always try to keep it simple:

1. Plan: Engage in collaborative, short interactions with product owners, developers, and testers. Ensure everyone is on the same page by confirming that all parties agree on the requirements and acceptance criteria. This step is crucial for aligning expectations and avoiding misunderstandings later in the process.
2. Prepare Your Testing Environments: Set up and configure your testing environments to mirror production as closely as possible. This includes ensuring that all necessary tools, data, and resources are available and properly functioning to create a realistic testing scenario.
3. Develop Test Cases: Create detailed test cases that cover all aspects of the application, including edge cases. Ensure these test cases are thorough and align with the agreed-upon requirements and acceptance criteria. This will serve as the foundation for both manual and automated testing.
4. Execute Tests Manually First: Begin by running your test cases manually. Carefully analyze and validate the results to identify any issues or discrepancies. This hands-on approach allows you to catch problems early and refine your test cases as needed.
5. Identify Opportunities for Automation: After manual testing, pinpoint repetitive tasks that are ideal candidates for automation. Focus on tasks such as release checklists, regression tests, or sanity tests that can benefit from automation by saving time and reducing human error. This step helps streamline the testing process and allows for faster, more reliable test execution.
6. Automate: Develop and implement automated scripts or tools to run your tests. Which tools are better? That often depends on the expert promoting the solution. However, I recommend making your decision based on well-defined architectural principles. For example, in my experience, we often choose tools that are Best of Fit rather than Best of Breed solutions.
7. Feedback and Evolve: Learn from mistakes, foster a culture of collaboration instead of blame, listen attentively, and focus on continuous improvement.
8. Enjoy the Process!

There's no bulletproof approach, but a hybrid method is a good starting point. For instance, some teams automate regression tests but rely on manual testing for new features and complex scenarios. This combination allows them to maintain high quality while remaining agile and responsive to changes.

Best Practices: To Automate or Not to Automate? That Is the Question

Not all tests should be automated. Automation is most effective for repetitive, high-volume tests that don’t require human judgment. Tests that are complex, infrequent, or require creative thinking are better suited for manual testing.

Identify Decision-Making Duties

Remember that automation speeds up the delivery process and provides insightful information about your product's quality. It also helps in decision-making. However, you don't want to automate all your decisions. If you don't have a clear and well-defined process, with clear agreements on what approval means and when to release, and most importantly, if you haven't socialized these processes as part of your best practices, then automation could become a creepy-fast machine creating hidden bugs even faster.

Prioritize

It's essential to prioritize test cases for automation based on factors like frequency, complexity, and criticality. High-priority tests that run frequently or impact critical features should be automated, while low-priority or complex tests may be better left to manual testing.

Regularly Update Test Scripts

To keep automation effective, test scripts must be regularly updated to reflect changes in the software. This includes modifying scripts for new features, bug fixes, and other updates.

Incorporate Manual Testing for Exploratory and Ad-Hoc Scenarios

Even in an environment with extensive automation, manual testing should be used for exploratory and ad-hoc scenarios. This allows testers to discover issues that might not be covered by automated scripts.

Conclusion

Automation testing is a powerful tool, but it's not a magic solution. The misconceptions surrounding automation testing can lead teams to overlook its limitations and overestimate its capabilities. A balanced approach that combines the strengths of both automation and manual testing is essential for effective quality assurance. By reassessing expectations and incorporating best practices, teams can harness the full potential of automation testing without falling victim to its myths.

FAQs

• Can automation testing completely replace manual testing? No, automation testing cannot replace manual testing entirely. Manual testing is essential for scenarios requiring human judgment, creativity, and exploration.
• What are the biggest challenges in maintaining automation tests? The biggest challenges include keeping test scripts up to date with software changes, managing the initial setup costs, and ensuring that automated tests remain relevant and accurate.
• Is automation testing suitable for all types of projects? Automation testing is best suited for projects with repetitive, high-volume tasks. It may be less effective for projects with frequent changes or complex testing scenarios.
• How can teams ensure their automation testing is effective? Teams can ensure effective automation testing by prioritizing test cases, regularly updating scripts, and combining automation with manual testing for comprehensive coverage.
• What future trends could impact automation testing? Emerging trends like AI-driven testing, increased use of continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and advancements in testing tools could significantly impact the future of automation testing.