4 Common Automation Testing Mistakes You Must Avoid | ComputingForGeeks

Many organizations are increasingly adopting automation testing instead of manually testing their systems and processes, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Test automation has plenty of benefits when compared to manual testing. 

However, quality assurance teams and professionals can make some mistakes when they perform test automation. These errors will lead to the test automation’s failure and reduce its return on investment (ROI). 

You have a massive responsibility as an automation tester, and one of them is to reduce the mistakes that negatively affect the system’s performance. The following are common automation testing mistakes to avoid: 

Clarify Test Automation Purpose

The biggest mistake that test automators make is to jump right into test automation without asking themselves why they are doing it. Having a purpose for the test automation process is key. 

Many testing engineers make the transition to automatic testing because it is more efficient and quicker. It also reduces human error significantly and makes the testing process more accurate producing better results.. One of the essential elements of learning automation testing and implementing it is knowing its reason. 

Therefore, as test automation, start by creating a list of questions for you and your team that will clearly define the goals and expectations for each automation action. Ask yourself what risk you are trying to avoid by automating the tests and how automation will help. 

You should remember that every automation action should result in positive feedback that is measurable. By making the list of questions first and clarifying the purpose for test automation, you will save yourself plenty of hassle later.

Wrong Tool Selection

Another common mistake made in automation testing is using the wrong tools. When you use the wrong tools, you will be unable to achieve the desired efficiency level, and you will make many bad decisions. 

You will choose the wrong tools for test automation if you do not thoroughly analyze the application’s requirements under test. You will also use the wrong tools if you do not test their requirements sufficiently. 

Moreover, you need to evaluate the tool vendor and the capabilities of the tools before using them. Conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the tools is paramount for proper tool selection. Do not simply choose a tool because it was open-source. 

You can avoid this mistake by conducting a conclusive vendor and tool evaluation process. A detailed process will ensure that most of your test automation needs are met. 

Inadequate Test Validation

A significant mistake that test automation makes is conducting insufficient validation of the test data. Data validation is essential in testing automation for a business adapting its processes for the future. 

Test automation must ensure that they validate data and scenarios at every level. It is the only way to ensure that there are cracks in the testing process. 

To avoid this error, test engineers must develop test automation scripts that validate functionality at all levels. If they only restrict validation testing to visible user interface elements. Buk leakage will always be a possibility in AUT production. 

Lack of Automation Maintenance

All test automation processes require regular maintenance. The tool itself can take care of the maintenance automatically or via manual updates. 

The mistake test engineers make is to disregard the importance of maintenance when choosing a maintenance tool. Moreover, they do not design the automation scripts with the objective of keeping maintenance of the tool at a minimum. 

Doing so will reduce the automation’s coverage and progress. 

Test engineers must consider maintenance overhead when selecting an automation tool. An automation tool that can address its maintenance is better than one that cannot. However, the test automation must ensure automation script updates by staying abreast of any application changes.  

Test automation is something many organizations can benefit from in the long run. The above are some of the most common mistakes test engineers make in test automation. You can avoid these mistakes by using the advice offered.