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 (joseph.beale@huntington.com) Title: Enterprise Quality Automation Lead at Huntington National Bank What is essential to know about me: 18 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.

The Manual Approach

The Automated Approach The tag line to the promo featuring Scottish racing driver Gordon “Flash” Shedden in the seat says: “What do you get if you take one lazy Sunday afternoon, one British Touring Car champion and the world’s fastest lawn mower? Well here’s your answer.”

Arguments in Favor Automation will save you time Automation gives you more power Automation eases your pain Automation helps you move forward

Automation Will Save You Time 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 Gives You More Power 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 Eases Your Pain 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 Helps You Move Forward TDD and ATDD Continuous Integration Continuous Delivery

Continuous Integration (CI) http://blogs.collab.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Git_gerrit_jenkins.png

The Result of Not Using CI The song “One Piece at a Time” was Johnny Cash’s last number one song, hitting the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Singles Chart on May 29, 1976. Photo is from Wikipedia. “One Piece at a Time”

Continuous Delivery http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/Continuous_Delivery_process_diagram.png

Arguments Against 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

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?” Prove the concept. “We’ll plan for the next release.”

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 some of your time. Partner with one resource who has caught the vision. “We’ll plan for the next release.”

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.

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.

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.”

If you are part of an IT group, Automation is What You Do. Closing Argument If you are part of an IT group, Automation is What You Do.

We are living in an IT World Closing Argument We are living in an IT World

Embrace your Inner Nerd! Closing Argument Embrace your Inner Nerd!