Automation is What We Do

Why Test Automation is Perfectly

Logical in an IT World

Who am I and why am I here?

Name: Joseph E. Beale

Title: Enterprise Quality Automation Lead at Huntington National Bank

What is essential to know about me:

• 17 years of experience in IT; 12 years in QA/testing; 10 years in leadership.

• I have a passion for efficiency in testing through the use of automation.

My Goal: to eliminate every tedious manual process that exists in IT.

What I hope to accomplish today:

• Extol the virtues of test automation and defeat all of the objections to it.

• Enlighten, encourage, and inspire.

2

The Manual Approach

The Automated Approach

• Automation will save you time

• Automation gives you more power

• Automation eases your pain

• Automation helps you move forward

Arguments in Favor

5

• Comparison of table extract vs. mainframe output file:

Time to test manually = 5 minutes

Time to test using automation = .483 seconds

Test efficiency increase: ~ 60,000%

• Web services production smoke test:

Time to test manually = 60 minutes

Time to test using automation = 12 seconds

Test efficiency increase: 2900%

• Web test script – happy path of online bill pay functions:

Time to test manually = 3 min., 54 sec.

Time to test using automation = 58.24 seconds

Test efficiency increase: 300%

Automation Will Save You Time

6

• An increase in efficiency of 100% doubles your testing

capacity.

• Scheduling tools allow you to test during non-working

hours.

• You can run your regression suite weekly, daily, or hourly

depending on hardware, number of tests, and the needs

of the system.

• Automation of functional tests builds your regression

suite by default.

• Explore!

• Train!

Automation Gives You More Power

7

• Running through the same scenarios over

and over again is tedious. Let the machine

do it for you!

• You can get more testing done earlier in

the cycle, thus avoiding the long days and

weekends typical of “release week”.

• Earlier volume testing = more defects

caught early when they’re easy to fix.

Automation Eases Your Pain

8

• TDD and ATDD

• Continuous Integration

• Continuous Delivery

Automation Helps You Move Forward

9

Continuous Integration (CI)

10

The Result of Not Using CI

“One Piece at a Time”

Continuous Delivery

12

• It takes too much time

• It takes resources away from testing

• The business won’t pay for it

• The maintenance costs are too high

• We don’t have the technical skills

Arguments Against

13

It takes too much time

Typical quotes: “I have too much testing to do.” “I don’t have time to build

automation.”

What’s really behind the objection:

• Fear of the unknown.

• No confidence that automation will make a difference.

How to defeat it:

• “How long will it take?”

• Let them take it for a spin.

• “We’ll plan for the next release.”

14

It takes resources away from testing

Typical quotes: “I don’t have anyone I can spare for this task.” “All of my

people are already busy with testing.”

What’s really behind the objection:

• Unit is already understaffed.

• Fear of losing control.

How to defeat it:

• Give them a head start.

• Partner with one resource who has caught the vision.

• “We’ll plan for the next release.”

15

The business won’t pay for it

Typical quotes: “I don’t have any hours for this task.” “I can’t justify the cost to

my business partners.”

What’s really behind the objection:

• The manager is not willing or not able to make a business case.

• No confidence that automation will make a difference.

How to defeat it:

• “How much will it cost?”

• Do it anyway.

• Start small.

16

The maintenance costs are too high

Typical quotes: “Every time the app changes all the tests break and I have to

fix them.” “We’ll spend more time fixing them than they will save.”

What’s really behind the objection:

• Experience with a record-and-play automation strategy.

• No awareness of hidden risks in the current strategy.

How to defeat it:

• “Are you familiar with Ruby/Cucumber?”

• TDD/ATDD

• Regular exercise is good for tests.

17

We don’t have the technical skills

Typical quotes: “I’m a tester, not a developer.” “Training is too expensive and

we don’t have time for it anyway.”

What’s really behind the objection:

• Fear of difficult challenges.

• No appreciation for what they have already learned.

How to defeat it:

• It’s a team effort.

• The internet is an incredibly rich resource.

• “In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”

18

Closing Argument

If you are part of an IT group,

Automation is What You Do.

19

Closing Argument

We are living in an IT World

20

Closing Argument

Embrace your Inner Nerd!

21