SELL THE BENEFITS
Pattern summary
Inform management before and during test automation about achievable and achieved benefits.
Category
Management
Context
Apply this pattern if you need support from management, testers or developers.
You don't need it if you only plan to write some disposable scripts
Description
Regardless what goals you are pursuing, you will not get support if you cannot illustrate the advantages your actions will bring. Inform management and the parties involved before the automation gets started and regularly as long as the automation lives. Let them participate both in your success and in your failures. Success will be a boon for next time (people will know that you deliver what you promised), but even failure can be helpful to avoid similar problems in the future (LEARN FROM MISTAKES).
Implementation
If needed, before the automation starts, prepare a business plan to show management “with numbers” what ROI test automation would bring.
Even if you don't show ROI, outline what the benefits would be from automation. Make sure to distinguish benefits and objectives of automation as separate from testing.
Take care to get a clear picture of the problems you want to solve. Include the involved parties in the search for a solution. When one has participated in a decision he or she will be much more willing to implement it and, just as important, help you explain its benefits to management, testers and developers.
While the project is running SHARE INFORMATION and CELEBRATE SUCCESS.
Use SHORT ITERATIONS to be able to give frequent feed-back to your managers.
Be sure to design READABLE REPORTS.
Potential problems
Be careful that you aren't too successful! It is easy to describe the benefits a bit too enthusiastically, and managers may tip into UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Issues addressed by this pattern
INADEQUATE SUPPORT
INADEQUATE TOOLS
INSUFFICIENT METRICS
STALLED AUTOMATION
Experiences
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