In software development, speed has become the defining characteristic of product launches.
It sets the standard we cant really escape anymore.
Meet the deadline or lose a vitally important partner/client.
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The pitch is: why choose between quality and speed when automated testing can ensure quality at high speed?
I know thats quite the mouthful, but its essentially true.
Is it worth it?
Will I spend more than I get back?
The truth is… automated testing isnt that different from any other business investment.
It all comes down to calculating the returns heres how I do it.
Beyond that point, we have a constantly increasing positive ROI.
Next, theinvestmentcategory of the equation can be vastly different in each specific implementation case.
Another phantom point to factor into your analysis is what happens if youdontinvest.
The cost of lost opportunity, as it were.
To correctly evaluate the opportunity (i.e.
investing in a streamlined process), you have to consider the downsides of the commonplace alternatives.
This impacts your delivery velocity, deadlines, team dynamics, stress, and employee burn-out.
Thats only half the issue though.
Any in-house department influences other departments.
The company is a living, breathing organism.
If your managers dont have to deal with that yet, its only a question of time.
Theres also regression testing.
Consider what happens when youve been working for years on a software product.
Dozens of engineers and developers leave, new ones arrive.
Its a multi-layered cake of code created by different people.
What happens when your team has to do continuous regression testing of each new feature?
Thats right everything slows down painfully.
Burn-out, stress, and missed deadlines ensue.
However, none of us can run from innovation forever and not ultimately fall behind.
A lot of the value of automated testing stems from running these tests multiple times and not every scenariorequiresautomation.
Being discerning where to apply one or the other will save you money.
Ive already outlined the potential problems with manual in-house testing.
No doubt you have your own insights into these (and others) since you know your team well.
Will automated testing solve more issues than just QA time in the long run?
Will it open up new opportunities?
Will it improve the quality of development and product launches?
These are all things to consider in long-term ROI calculations.
Ignoring test maintenance
Automated tests are still code.
Theyre still processes that need to be maintained and updated if you want them to provide value for years.
This is a factor you better investigate in your ROI equation.
Is your team ready to handle the maintenance?
Or do you have a partner/outsourcing firm thats proficient in this?
How do you wish to handle maintenance in the long-term?
Ignoring records/documentation
This is where you address the knowledge leakage parameter in automated testing ROI calculations.
Its a short and vital directive:
Document everything you might.
You may even encounter entirely new pitfalls as the technological environment changes.
Yet keeping these points in mind will help you stay flexible and vigilant.
However, its components may vary depending on your company.
Furthermore, the metrics, cases, and best practices to pay attention to may also be different.
The two rules of thumb are: gradual introduction and long-term planning.
So, what are the three main points to consider during actual implementation?
As I mentioned before, manual testing has its place.
Which of the advanced ROI parameters listed above is the most vital for you?
Where should you start?
In most cases, this is the go-to direction for most development and QA teams.
Conclusion
Automated testing has the potential to take most companies to a new level of efficiency.
In todays competitive markets, speed and quality of delivery are vital factors of survival and success.
The synergy between human expertise and automated tools is what defines the most dominant market players.
Story byMax Zorian
Max is a member of the IT Committee European Business Association.
He’s got 20+ years of experience in the IT industry, profound business development, and management expertise.
