INADEQUATE TEAM

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Issue Summary

Either there is no test automation team and it must be built from scratch or you do not have all the roles you need on board or some or all the members of the test automation team are not suited to do test automation

Category

Management

Examples

1. Test automation is currently done by a "lone cowboy", but management wants to broaden the scope by creating a test automation team
2. Test automation doesn't proceed because nobody really has command of the current tool or of some other technical issue
3. The person who had started some automation has now left the company, and no one wants to take it up (often associated with a tool becoming "shelf-ware".)
4. A tester that has no aptitude for development is supposed to develop automated scripts
5. A developer that doesn't want to, is forced by management to do automation
6. There is a team, but nobody is in charge, so people do just what they like
7. Scripts are written by people with minimal domain knowledge, resulting in tests that are not reflecting reality. (Patrick de Beer)

Questions

How is the automation team selected? By whom?
Do you have a team yet? Who is on it?
What roles do you have? Which are missing?

Resolving Patterns

Most recommended:

• AUTOMATION ROLES: this pattern helps to select the right people with the right skills for automation
• SET CLEAR GOALS: Apply this pattern if you are just starting with test automation
• WHOLE TEAM APPROACH: if the development team uses an agile process, then this pattern will help even unsatisfied people to better integrate

Other useful patterns:
FULL TIME JOB: this pattern helps the automation team work more efficiently

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