Successful Test Automation: A Manager’s View

Many organizations never achieve the significant benefits that are promised from system level automated test execution. Surprisingly often, this is due not to technical factors but to management issues. In this overview, Dot Graham describes the most important management issues you must address for test automation success, particularly when you are in the early stages of automation, and helps you understand and choose the best approaches for your organization—no matter which automation tools you use. Focusing on system level testing, Dot explains how automation affects staffing, who should be responsible for which automation tasks, how managers can best support automation efforts to promote success, what return on investment means in automated testing—and what you can realistically expect. Dot reviews the key technical issues that can make or break the automation effort. Come away with an example set of automation objectives and measures, and a draft test automation strategy that you can use to plan or improve your own system level test automation.