Failure Patterns

Failure patterns show how behaviours that start well can end up as costly failures. These kind of patterns help recognize if an automation project is heading in the wrong direction at a time when countermeasures can still enable a turnaround. Failure patterns are also called "anti-patterns", since they are things that you shouldn't do. In this wiki, they could also be Issues. The table below gives a list of the Failure patterns with a short description. The Failure Patterns Mind Map shows which other patterns are used by the failure patterns.

Failure Pattern	Description
FRAMEWORK COMPETITION*	Different teams build different automation frameworks and are not able or willing to consolidate them
GOING FOR THE NUMBERS*	The automation team is pushed into automating as many tests as possible while disregarding test robustness
THE NIGHT TIME FALLACY*	Targeting "Night runs" can lead to inefficient automation
TOOL MUSHROOMING*	Test tools developed in-house evolve from useful utilities to large and unwieldy automation frameworks

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*) Failure Patterns introduced by Michael Stahl