CELEBRATE SUCCESS
Pattern Summary
When you have reached an important milestone, it’s celebration time.
Category
Process
Context
This pattern is useful when you need support from management, testers, developers or other specialists, and where you are aiming to establish a long-lasting automation regime. It helps to keep the test automation team motivated to continue to improve the automation.
Description
When you have reached a milestone in your automation, it’s time to celebrate. A milestone might be automating your first test suite, establishing a level of coverage, or a number of unattended automated tests being run.
Implementation
Invite the team, the testers and all the people that supported you (for instance that database expert that helped with some special SQL statements).
Depending on what you celebrate, you can offer:
- Special treats for coffee time
- Drinks
- Pizzas
- After work party
- Dinner at a restaurant
- Other entertainment
- Small presents
- A bonus
Celebrations don't need to be large or expensive - put some thought into what would be appreciated - sometimes just some recognition of the effort that has gone into the automation is what is needed.
Recommendations
Invite your managers to every celebration. Show what you have already accomplished and tell them that you appreciate the support they have given you already. Share your plans for the future of the automation. (This can be a subtle way to remind them that you need their continuing support for further progress.)
Suggestions:
- calculate how much time has been saved by running automated instead of manual tests
- show how test coverage has grown due to test automation
- explain how your test automation solution works
- tell about an important regression defect that has been found by the automated tests before delivery of the new release
Potential problems
Remember that not everyone likes the same kind of celebration. Having a party might be fantastic for some, but others might prefer a quiet dinner or a gift voucher for books, for example.
Issues addressed by this pattern
Experiences
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