View source for STALLED AUTOMATION

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=<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">'''Issue Summary'''</span>=
<span style="font-size: 16px">Automation has been tried, but it never "got off the ground" or has now fallen into disuse.</span> 
=<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Category'''</span>=
<span style="font-size: 16px">Process</span><br /> 
=<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">'''Examples'''</span>=
# <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">The automation tools were tried, but are not used efficiently or have already become shelf-ware. </span>
# <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">The current tools are no longer supported or don't fit the current version of the Software Under Test (SUT).</span>
# <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">The automation has been implemented by a lone champion without any support from management and he or she has left the company.</span>
# <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Testers are expected to do the test automation, but cannot use the tools efficiently (see ''[[NON-TECHNICAL-TESTERS]]'')</span>
# <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">You wanted to automate everything and got stuck with not automatable features.</span>
# <span style="font-size: 16px">The SUT changes so fast that you just have time to fix the current automation, but have no resources to do new stuff.</span>
# <span style="font-size: 16px">In order to automate new functionalities you need resources or specialists that are not available.</span>
# <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">No one is adding new automated tests, so only what already exists is used, and no one is looking at it. </span>
# <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Existing tests are being run, but if there are problems with a test, it is more likely to be removed than the problem to be fixed.</span>
=<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">'''Questions'''</span>=
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Who is doing the automation?</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Is someone coordinating the automation efforts or is everyone on their own?</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Who has selected the tools and how?</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Are the current tools being used? If not, why not?</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Has all existing and previous work in automation been documented?</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 16px">What has changed since the automation was originally developed?</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 16px">Can you quantify the benefit of investing resources (time, effort) into the automation?</span> 
=<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">'''Resolving Patterns'''</span>=
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Most recomended:</span><br /> 
* <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">[[DO A PILOT]]: Use this pattern to find out why the automation effort got stalled and what to do about it. </span>
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[LAZY AUTOMATOR]]</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">: This is the right pattern for a lone champion!</span>
* <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">[[MAINTAIN THE TESTWARE]]: You should already be using this pattern. Not using it could be why your automation effort has stalled.</span>
* <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">[[TEST AUTOMATION OWNER]]: appoint an "owner". If nobody feels ownership for test automation, nobody will really care if it's successful or not</span>
* <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">[[WHOLE TEAM APPROACH]]: Use this pattern if you want your test automation effort to be effective and successful. It will be easy to implement if the development team for the SUT already adopted an agile process. Otherwise you will have to convince development to do so before you can apply this pattern.</span>
<br /> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">Other useful Patterns:</span><br /> 
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[ABSTRACTION LEVELS]]: use this pattern if your issue is similar to Example 4.</span>
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[KNOW WHEN TO STOP]]: This pattern helps you recognize that you cannot automate everything (see Example 5.)</span>
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[LEARN FROM MISTAKES]]: this pattern helps turn mistakes into learning experiences.</span>
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[MANAGEMENT SUPPORT]]: Apply this pattern to get the support you need in order to use other patterns.</span>
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[SELL THE BENEFITS]]: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px">If your issue is similar to Example 3. and nobody is supporting you, this pattern can help you get the support you need.</span>
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[TAKE SMALL STEPS]]: Apply this pattern to get going again with the automation effort.</span>
* <span style="font-size: 16px">[[TEST AUTOMATION FRAMEWORK]]: Check if your problems would be solved with this pattern.</span>
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