Challenges with Functional Test Automation

Today automated functional testing is conducted in almost every software project. And as we've discussed earlier, a majority of these projects don’t deliver the expected benefits. Why do you think this happens? Some of the reasons include- a degree of isolation from the business needs, adding automation as an after-thought, etc. However, there is more to it than just these factors.  After speaking to several test automation experts and conducting an in-depth analysis, here's what we think are the reasons why functional test automation is rarely successful.

Why Functional Test Automation Isn’t Successful?

Mismatch in Expectations

Often the management has the wrong expectations from Test Automation projects. They expect of all sorts of miracles to follow. These expectations, in turn, have an impact on the design, development, and execution of the test strategy. And since the expected results are not clear, there are no criteria for measuring the success of the project.

Trying to Achieve 100% Test Automation

Most organizations focus their efforts in achieving 100% test automation. The truth is that not everything in testing can be automated and efforts to do so lead to failure even before they start.

Lack of a Test Automation Strategy

 Appropriate planning and a test automation strategy is essential for the success of test automation. Paying close attention to the approach, strategy, and the test automation software in use are critical factors.

Maintenance of the Test Automation Suite

Like any other product, the automation suite needs constant attention. However, maintenance is rarely considered as a crucial factor in test automation projects. Failing to make an allowance for the maintenance of the suite eventually ends up being problematic for the whole project.

Environment Issues

Environment issues such as difficulties with the test environment, the CI server, the deployment scripts, etc. have a severe impact on the development and test automation efforts. These issues consume a lot of time and slow down the deployment process, leaving little consideration for testing.

The challenge is that we invest a lot of effort in automating functional testing and completely disregard the factors that contribute to its success. To make functional test automation successful and get the desired ROI, organizations need to first be clear on the objectives of automated testing and then map the ROI with the objectives. Organizations need to understand that test automation is not a replacement for manual efforts or even for improving test processes. In reality, test automation is conducted for faster testing, reliability and a reduction in the overall cost.