So here’s a silly question: Why do we need test automation?
I’m going somewhere with this, work with me.

Testing and test automation are tools to reach a goal. The goal is to have a picture of quality of our system, or our product. There’s a lot going into this picture, including the level of testing, testing the important stuff, the right stuff, over time.

A lot of things.

Test automation gives us a better picture. It’s a broader picture, or deeper resolution, depending on where you want to take the metaphor. Whatever image size we can reach testing “manually”, with test automation, we can get more image information.

Now, here are a couple of things to ponder. First, does your testing effort give you a good picture? Second, does automation give you a better picture?

If the answer is yes to both, then you can ask: Is my automation effort worth it? Including the writing, the maintenance, the whole shebang.

Is all the work worth it?

Because, if you don’t get that value, you better change direction. If you’re hell bent on more tests, but they are flaky on end up fixing them all the time, it may not be worth it. 

Maybe you should stop digging.

I’m not saying drop automation. But first, know your goal. Then, see if the road leads you there. And then see if you got the coin to get there.

And speaking of coins, if you want to get some coins in the webinar box, check out the next webinar on “10 Expert Postman Testing Tips”. It’s going to be wild.


1 Comment

David V. Corbin · October 18, 2022 at 1:07 pm

First and foremost, I agree with “Stop Digging” (unless your actual goal is something involving the preparation of a hole)…

But mainly I DESPISE repetition. of manual effort. I a human does something “definitive” (i.e. it can be defined as “do this expect that”) more than once I see that as the worst kind of waste…

So, thinks like “flaky tests”…. Yup, a REAL problem…. but experience has shown that it is almost invariably tied to other “flakiness”, perhaps in the code base, perhaps in the work planning, perhaps in…

So, dont stop testing because your tests are flaky, get to the root of the issue as to why you cannot have a solid stable platform.

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