EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2012 presentation on Innovation Through Introspection by Saksham Sarode. See more at: http://conference.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/

1. Innovation Through Introspection
Saksham S. Sarode
Cognizant Technologies
www.eurostarconferences.com
@esconfs
#esconfs

2. Innovation Through
Introspection
Saksham S. Sarode
Automation Center Of Excellence
Cognizant Technologies
Email: Saksham.Sarode@Cognizant.com
©2012, Cognizant

3. Questioning The Traditions
Optimization Through
Automation
Testers Test Black
Box
Independence of
Automation Testing
Automation is
Regression
3
Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction
- Pablo Picasso

4. 4
‘Testers Test Black Box’
Does our obsession with GUI makes us overlook efficient alternatives
for functionality testing?
Have we heard this before?
“Bad news!! there are changes in ‘Order Processing’ screen in the new build so our automation scripts are not
working. We need 3 days to fix and execute… ”

5. Time To Introspect
 Demand of working GUI for functional testing is a prerequisite or
Bottleneck ?
 Developers build the system in blocks then why only test the assembly?
 Is GUI based functional testing comprehensive to handle todays
complexity?
 Stability is more at front end or back end of system?
 Why not N tier test strategy to test N tier architecture?
5

6. Why Not
 Needs business case
 Technically demanding
 Increased complexity
 Pseudo development
 Multi-skilled test teams
 High initial investment
 High planning and
designing effort
Testing beyond GUI
Why
6
 No dependency on GUI
 High immunity to changes
 Increased test depth &
coverage
 Implicit automation
 Faster executions
 Faster data creation
 End to end automation
Traditional
Testing
Server Side
Automation
Middle Ware
Testing
Test Data
Management

7. 7
’Automation Is Regression’
By definition automation testing is use of software in testing, there never was
any addendum ‘only for regression’
Have we heard this before?
“for god sake how hard can it be to get one report ready on time and without any mistakes?”

8. Time To Introspect
8
 Is Regression the only Repetition in tester's life?
 How much of tester’s time is spent on defect detection?
 How much of tester's time is spent on peripheral work?
 Finding defects needs intelligence, is it the same for report
creation?
 How many of you really love data creation, test setup, reporting,
data comparison etc.?
 Today’s daily life is enriched by automation then how come manual
tester is still working in a stone age?

9. Automation Beyond Regression
Why
 Shifting the work to higher
intellectual levels
 Testers test
 Kills monotony
 Motivation
 Improved productivity
 Consistent reporting
What
 Smoke testing with auto reports
 Comparison with test oracle
 Auto notifications
 Synchronization
 Backups
 Reports
 …………
 …………
Automation Testing Vs. Test Automation
9

10. 10
‘Independence Of Automation Testing’
If automation is a blend of development and testing then why these
experts are not yet involved?
Have we heard this before………
“this Automation is a funny business –takes huge effort to deliver the tests you won’t execute and if you do,
it wont work”

11. Time To Introspect
11
 An automat expert is a tester or developer or both?
 Can we really 'Test Early' without involving developers?
 Can developer add any value to testing or automation and vice versa?
 Why not 'Automation driven testing & development’ to 'Automate Early’?
 First write test cases then create similar automation scripts - Rework?
 Is it high time for automation experts to handover the ownership of
regression automation to manual testers?

12. Manual Testers
 Qualification:
 Domain guru and know their way
with system
 Understands business priority
 Proposed role:
 Business consultant & automation
evangelist (user & owner)
 Give: script less automation
 Take: buy in and involvement
 To do:
 Consult on scope and priorities
 Execute and maintain automation
 Govern ROI
 Benefits:
 Optimized multi skilled teams
 Automation driven testing
 Effective automation
 Recommendation: long term projects
The ‘A-Team’
Developers
 Qualifications:
 Technology geek and compulsive
simulator
 First to know about the change
 Proposed role:
 Technical consultant & automation
partner (user)
 Give: automation frameworks
 Take: unit testing assets
 To do:
 Consult on impact analysis
 Create object repository with GUI
 Maintain unique objects properties
 Benefits:
 Enables early automation
 Strong & reusable library
 Quality of testing and automation
 Recommendation: best fit for agile
12

13. 13
’Optimization Through Automation’
Isn’t ‘Expensive Automation’ an oxymoron?
Test Automation (SwissQ Survey Testing Trends & Benchmarks Schweiz 2012)
)
 80% of respondents automated tests but 48% automated less than 10%
 Potential of cost savings through automation is assumed rather small
 Third Biggest Challenge of testing world

14. Time To Introspect
14
 Why automation is regarded as expensive affair?
 Where exactly all this money is going?
 What is ROI in test automation?
 What mathematics have to say about ROI equation?
 Does the cheapest automation qualifies as ROI friendly
automation?
 What are the trade offs involved ?
High Earnings
Low Investment
Higher ROI

15. Optimizing ‘The Denominator’: Investment
Infrastructure
Skills
Development
Alternatives
 Cloud Computing
Consolidation
 Leasing
TAAS
 Shift: Specialist to Generalist
Crowd sourcing
Early decision
 Selection: Tool & Scope
Pro-maintenance Design
Are you paying for?
Features you never use?
Shelf life?
 Idle time?
Unnecessary complexity?
Skills you already have?
 Idle time?
Rework?
Maintenance?
Ambitious coverage?
Automation Cost Pyramid
15

16. To Innovate or Not To?
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