Test automation should be an activity that benefits the entire project team, not just the testing department. Test automation is fundamentally a technical testing task, but it should not be limited to the test team. There are two modes of expanding this. Firstly the test team would benefit greatly from the assistance of others in the organization. For example, Project Managers can coordinate the effort and schedule. Business Analysts can manage technical test requirements. User Acceptance Testers can provide proper steps and screenshots for IT personnel. Developers can write code with testability in mind. DBA’s can manage the database used in the tests and check the database effects and impacts. Secondly, automation, usually with the assistance of the test team, can be applied to unit testing, integration testing, user acceptance testing as well as the normal functional domains of system and regression testing.
Jim Trentadue is a Software Quality Consulting Director at Original Software and has more than sixteen years of experience as a coordinator/manager in the software testing field. In his various career roles in testing, Jim has focused on test execution, automation, management, environment management, standards deployment, and test tool implementation. In the area of offshore testing, Jim has worked with multiple large firms to develop and coordinate cohesive relationships. As a guest speaker at the University of South Florida’s software testing class, Jim mentors students on the testing industry and trends for establishing future job searches and continued training.
