MANUAL INTERVENTIONS

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Issue summary

Test automation needs lots of manual handlings to work.

Category

Execution

Examples

1. The initial conditions for a test suite have to be set up by hand.
2. In some tests there are windows or components that could not be automated and have to be driven by hand.
3. Execution times vary greatly and thus test execution is stopped and restarted manually
4. In order to run a retest all the other tests in the test suite have to be inactivated manually.
5. Test automation is started manually.
6. Automated verification is only simple so you can't tell if a test has passed or failed without looking at it.
7. Reporting of test results requires manual effort.
8. Integration of tools requires manual effort, and is slow, costly and unreliable

Questions

Does the current test automation tool drive the Software Under Test (SUT) reliably?
Are the initial conditions set automatically? If not, why not?

Resolving Patterns

Most recommended:

• UNATTENDED TEST EXECUTION: Use this pattern for issues like Examples 1. and 5.
• ONE-CLICK RETEST: this pattern helps solve issues similar to Example 4.
• VARIABLE DELAYS: use this pattern if you have an issue like Example 3.

The following patterns will help you solve issues like Example 2.

• MIX APPROACHES
• RIGHT TOOLS
• TESTABLE SOFTWARE

Better tool integration will help to solve issue 7. You may need to write some code to coordinate between the tools, an "automated bridge", but this will result in seamless automation rather than manual automation.
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