Are you ready to transition to functional test automation? Yes, but before you begin, be aware that it is not necessary to automate everything. So, which tests should be prioritized?
Embarking on a test automation strategy is undoubtedly a long-term investment, provided it is carefully considered beforehand and a selection is made. It is not useful, nor advisable, to automate everything. Because in reality, automated tests, while quite sophisticated, are not sufficient on their own to provide a complete and relevant evaluation of an application. It is necessary to combine manual and automated tests to ensure the quality of web or mobile application development and thus achieve optimal return on investment. But how does one determine which tests to keep for manual execution and which to automate? By considering four criteria: frequency, criticality, coverage, and complexity.
1. Frequency:
It is essential to automate the most recurrent and repetitive tests, i.e., tests that will be executed with each deployment. These generally include non-regression and acceptance tests. The question to ask is: when I deploy my application, what must I test every time? The most frequently recurring tests should be prioritized for automation to achieve significant time savings.
2. Criticality:
It is relevant to target functional tests that pertain to critical user journeys and functionalities, i.e., those that pose a significant risk to the business, whether financial, legal, or reputational. For instance, on an e-commerce website, if a payment page is non-functional, the user will be unable to complete their purchase, directly impacting the company's revenue. The ROI is therefore more significant in this specific scenario.
3. Coverage:
Consideration must also be given to test coverage, which is expanding with the proliferation of channels. If tests need to be conducted across multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE) and various devices (smartphone, tablet, computer), the number of executions quickly escalates, and automation can provide substantial time savings.
4. Complexity:
Some tests are more challenging to automate than others due to their technical complexity, involving numerous actions, and thus requiring more development and maintenance time. Typically, when initiating automation, it is advisable to prioritize simple and quick-to-execute tests that enable rapid identification of critical bugs. This does not preclude subsequent automation of more complex scenarios, which can leverage existing test cases to generate longer and more specific user journeys.
Conversely, some tests are not suitable for automation, such as those involving evolving functionalities, but this will be the subject of a future article…
Further Reading
FAQ
Should we automate everything?
No. We prioritize automating tasks that are repetitive, stable, and critical. Exploratory or highly variable tests are often more effective when performed manually.
Which Tests to Prioritize for Automation?
Business-critical workflows, non-regression tests, and frequently run scenarios. That’s where automation pays off the most.
What isn't worth automating?
Cases that are rarely executed, highly unstable, or one-time occurrences, where the maintenance costs exceed the benefits.
How should you prioritize which tests to automate?
By cross-referencing business criticality and execution frequency. The more critical and frequent a workflow is, the more it warrants automation.
How does Mr Suricate with targeting?
By simplifying the automation of critical workflows using no-code tools, so that efforts can be focused where they matter most—for both business teams and key accounts.
