Best practices for creating an Automation framework

1.Build the right team and invest in trainingSelect the right candidate who will fit for the team with required knowledge in terms of language and framework.
  1. Build the right team and invest in training
  • Select the right candidate who will fit for the team with required knowledge in terms of language and framework. 
  • Handle the complex scenarios and test cases. 
  • Handle the advanced utilities wherever it is required. 
  • Handle the resources across the framework/language and make them as a vertical resource. 
  • Write automation regression tests and smoke tests. 
  1. Set valuable Automation criteria for the project
  • The percentage of test cases to be automated in various suites like smoke and regression. 
  • The percentage of improvement in the test coverage. 
  • Reduction of test cycle time among the sprints or releases. 
  1. Design of Test Automation framework
  • Define the scripting standards to meet the business requirements. 
  • Hide the complexity and critical aspect of the code from the test engineers and add them to the test libraries. 
  • Separate the scripts and data â€“ The automated test scripts must be separated from the input data. Example: MS excel. 
  • Check for the compatible and open source tool and editor, which saves the cost. 
  • Create a clear report either it is third party toolExample (Extent report) or TestNG report. 
  • Based on the business requirement/Project needs, select the suitable framework. 
  • Make sure to configure the script to run on different environment based on the need.   
  1. Good Automation means good manual test case:
  • Automating without good test design may result in a lot of activity, but little value. 
  • Manual test cases should be strong enough to identify all prerequisites and test data. 
  • The objective of one test case should be clear and it should be less dependent on the other test cases. 
  • Automation engineers should be able to run this test case manually at least once to clearly decide what objects need to be identified and what will be the flow of navigation 
  1. Selection of candidates for test automation
  • Repetitive test cases that run for multiple sprints. 
  • The tests tend to cause human error. 
  • The tests which require multiple data sets. 
  • The functionality which is used often at high risk conditions. 
  • The tests that run on multiple browsers. 
  • The tests which consume lot of effort and time. 
  • The tests that are impossible to perform manually.  
  • Make sure to apply the test candidate selection strategy to select the right candidates. 
  1. Ensure high quality of Test Data

A good investment of time and effort should go into creating well-structured test data during the early stages of the automation testing project. This makes the process of writing automated tests easier in the later stages of the project life cycle. The quality of test data also determines its reusability and maintainability.  

  1. Conduct early and frequent tests

The earlier the test automation process is implemented in the project life cycle, the earlier the bugs are detected in the process. The earlier the bugs are identified, the more economical it is to remove them from the system at a preliminary stage. This process also helps refine the automated test suite for further enhancements.  

  1. Use Agile Principles

Test automation efforts are affected by shifting schedules, changes to the AUT, requirement changes, and changes in project priorities. For this reason, it is very difficult to set a realistic test development schedule in advance and to stick to the schedule if you manage to develop one. Adopting below agile principles can help us to deal with the changes and uncertainties in a disciplined way.  

  • List all tasks that require efforts from the team members in the Sprint plan 
  • Keep the amount of work scheduled in the Sprint constant 
  • Plan the content of the sprint at the very beginning of the sprint 
  • Ensure the Test Lead maintains the sprint plan and tracks progress; progress should be reviewed at daily stand-up meetings.  
  • Develop burndown charts that are updated frequently (daily) to show progress against the plan; educate management in how to use the information in the burndown chart.  
  • Calculate and continuously update the team’s velocity, a measure of how much work the team can accomplish during the sprint; this helps forecast when the project will be completed. 
  • Track and closely monitor the automation metrics to know the improvement areas. 

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