sales@qainfotech.com
Sales Enquiry:+1 469-759-7848, +91- 9560000079Careers
QA Infotech
Menu
  • ABOUT
    • Team
    • Overview
    • Values and Culture
    • QA InfoTech Foundation
  • SERVICES
    • Functional Testing Services
    • Test Automation
    • Mobile Testing Services
    • Performance Testing Services
    • Accessibility Testing
    • Usability Testing
    • Security Testing
    • Translation & Globalization Testing Services
    • Courseware & Content Testing
    • Cloud Testing
    • Crowdsourced Testing
    • Data Sciences & Analytics
    • Quality Consulting & Test Center of Excellence
    • SAP Testing
  • VERTICALS
    • e-Learning
    • Publishing
    • BFSI
    • Health Care
    • Media
    • Travel
    • Retail
    • Government
    • OpenERP
  • KNOWLEDGE CENTER
    • Case Studies
    • White Papers
    • Webinars
    • Blogs
  • NEWS
    • News
    • Press Releases
  • CONTACT

Blogs

Home > Is Test Automation Reserved for a Select Few?
Is Test Automation Reserved for a Select Few?
14Jan, 2015

Is Test Automation Reserved for a Select Few?

  • QA InfoTech
  • Blogs
  • no comments

An often debated question is whether “manual testers should learn programming and be able to code”. While there is no unanimous answer to this question, I look at this debate slightly differently. While at the very core we will continue to need both manual and automation testers and each of them bring in their unique value propositions, it is definitely going to be beneficial to expose both groups to what the other group is working on. Doing so, is helpful in several ways including:
1. Ramping up one group to take on relevant portions of the other group’s work – when the two groups of testers work in isolation there is a lot of wasted effort, disconnect and more importantly lack of a concerted testing effort in building the right test coverage. If the manual testers are exposed to what the automation testers do and vice versa, apprehensions if any are reduced and in the process, they are learning newer things they can take on, on their plate
2. Load balancing the team’s tasks – The ramp up we talked about in the previous point, whether or not is helpful on an ongoing basis, definitely comes in handy in situations where one team is overworked. For example, typically a lot of the automation heavy lifting may be done earlier in the testing cycle, while in the later stages, they are being run in an unattended mode calling the tester’s attention primarily for results analysis. In such situations the automation tester who is trained to help with manual testing as well, is able to bring in much better value to the team and to the product under test
3. Developing a sense of appreciation for each other – Cross ramping of testers, if not for anything else, should be done to build appreciation for each other’s role. Automation testers, sometimes tend to look down upon manual testers, while manual testers may have their own inhibitions about test automation. Such a cross exposure, builds a great sense of appreciation for each other promoting better collaboration in the testing team
With the increased acceptance of Agile in the software development world, the lines between a developer and tester, a manual and automated tester are all blurring. While one may not completely gobble another, it is becoming increasingly important for one to understand and train on the other, to step in as and when required. As for the manual tester, automation is no more a long shot. With versatile frameworks that are shaping up (both as commercial out of box solutions and customized open source solutions), test automation is well within the reach of manual testers, who have no prior experience with programming. Their functional product knowledge with an appreciation for test automation can easily help them take on test automation, ably supported by the automation engineers. When this happens, there is no longer the debate of whether manual testers should learn programming or whether automation is reserved to a select few. Manual testers have now expanded their impact and taken on relevant portions of test automation still letting their automation counterparts, drive tasks they are best at. So, let’s shatter any inhibitions and make it an open swing door that exists between manual and automated testing.

Share this Post

  •   
← Previous ArticleNext Article→

About the Author

QA InfoTech
Established in 2003, with less than five testing experts, QA InfoTech has grown leaps and bounds with three QA Centers of Excellence globally; two of which are located in the hub of IT activity in India, Noida, and the other, our affiliate QA InfoTech Inc Michigan USA. In 2010 and 2011, QA InfoTech has been ranked in the top 100 places to work for in India.

Related Articles

  • Free CSR Workshop on Accessibility Testing For Disabled
    Free CSR Workshop on Accessibility Testing For DisabledFebruary 1, 2019
  • QA InfoTech’s Journey Over The Last 15 Years – A Peek
    QA InfoTech’s Journey Over The Last 15 Years – A PeekJanuary 24, 2019
  • The Importance Of Solid Test Data In Web-services Testing
    The Importance Of Solid Test Data In Web-services TestingJanuary 19, 2019

Site Categories

  • Blogs
    • Accessibility Testing
    • Automation Testing
    • Banking Application Testing
    • Cloud Testing
    • Compatibility Testing
    • E-Learning testing
    • Functional Testing
    • Healthcare App Testing
    • Mobile Testing
    • News & Updates
    • Performance Testing
    • Security Testing
    • Software Testing
    • Translation & Globalization Testing
    • Usability Testing
  • Case Studies
  • White Papers
  • Webinars
  • News
  • Innovation
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Effective Regression Testing Strategy for Localized ApplicationsEffective Regression Testing Strategy for Localized Applications March 23, 2015
  • Moving from a commercial to an open source performance testing tool August 12, 2015
  • An Increased Appreciation for Software LocalizationAn Increased Appreciation for Software Localization October 8, 2014
  • What is that one compelling reason for crowd sourced testing?What is that one compelling reason for crowd sourced testing? December 24, 2014
  • Nuances of education technology testingNuances of education technology testing February 21, 2016
  • Free CSR Workshop on Accessibility Testing For Disabled February 1, 2019
  • QA InfoTech’s Journey Over The Last 15 Years – A Peek January 24, 2019
  • The Importance Of Solid Test Data In Web-services Testing January 19, 2019
  • ThrowBall Championship: THROW IT 2018 January 19, 2019
  • QAI STC KeyNote January 10, 2019
  • accessibility - 4
  • accessibility-testing - 4
  • mobile - 3
  • functional testing - 3
  • mobile app testing - 3
  • performance testing - 3
  • automation testing - 3
  • data analytics - 3
  • testing - 2
  • automation - 2
  • localization testing - 2
  • agile cycle - 2
  • performance - 2
  • Offshore QA Testing - 2
  • software testing services - 2
  • xAPI - 2
  • crowd - 1
  • negative path testing - 1
  • security - 1
  • apps - 1
  • mobile applications - 1
  • open source testing - 1
  • commercial testing tool - 1
  • DevOps - 1
  • Qualloquium - 1

Archives

<
2019
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
▼
>
Jan2 Posts
Feb1 Post
Mar0 Posts
Apr0 Posts
May0 Posts
Jun0 Posts
Jul0 Posts
Aug0 Posts
Sep0 Posts
Oct0 Posts
Nov0 Posts
Dec0 Posts
Jan3 Posts
Feb9 Posts
Mar5 Posts
Apr5 Posts
May2 Posts
Jun1 Post
Jul0 Posts
Aug1 Post
Sep0 Posts
Oct0 Posts
Nov0 Posts
Dec1 Post
Jan2 Posts
Feb0 Posts
Mar4 Posts
Apr0 Posts
May4 Posts
Jun4 Posts
Jul4 Posts
Aug7 Posts
Sep8 Posts
Oct17 Posts
Nov12 Posts
Dec5 Posts
Jan1 Post
Feb3 Posts
Mar2 Posts
Apr2 Posts
May4 Posts
Jun3 Posts
Jul4 Posts
Aug3 Posts
Sep2 Posts
Oct2 Posts
Nov0 Posts
Dec4 Posts
Jan2 Posts
Feb4 Posts
Mar3 Posts
Apr2 Posts
May0 Posts
Jun2 Posts
Jul4 Posts
Aug2 Posts
Sep3 Posts
Oct4 Posts
Nov2 Posts
Dec2 Posts
Jan1 Post
Feb2 Posts
Mar4 Posts
Apr2 Posts
May2 Posts
Jun3 Posts
Jul2 Posts
Aug6 Posts
Sep4 Posts
Oct4 Posts
Nov3 Posts
Dec2 Posts
Jan1 Post
Feb1 Post
Mar1 Post
Apr1 Post
May1 Post
Jun2 Posts
Jul1 Post
Aug3 Posts
Sep2 Posts
Oct1 Post
Nov2 Posts
Dec1 Post
Jan1 Post
Feb2 Posts
Mar2 Posts
Apr2 Posts
May1 Post
Jun1 Post
Jul1 Post
Aug1 Post
Sep1 Post
Oct3 Posts
Nov1 Post
Dec2 Posts
Jan0 Posts
Feb0 Posts
Mar1 Post
Apr4 Posts
May1 Post
Jun3 Posts
Jul0 Posts
Aug3 Posts
Sep2 Posts
Oct2 Posts
Nov3 Posts
Dec0 Posts
Jan1 Post
Feb0 Posts
Mar4 Posts
Apr1 Post
May3 Posts
Jun3 Posts
Jul2 Posts
Aug3 Posts
Sep0 Posts
Oct0 Posts
Nov0 Posts
Dec0 Posts
Jan0 Posts
Feb0 Posts
Mar0 Posts
Apr0 Posts
May1 Post
Jun0 Posts
Jul0 Posts
Aug0 Posts
Sep0 Posts
Oct0 Posts
Nov0 Posts
Dec0 Posts

What's Happening

    • Free CSR Workshop on Accessibility Testing For Disabled
    • ThrowBall Championship: THROW IT 2018
    • QA InfoTech Launches New EdTech Division

Useful Links

  • CAREERS
  • DOWNLOADS
  • NEWS
  • WEBINAR
  • TEAM
  • CONTACT
  • PILOT TESTING

Twitter Feed!

Initializing...

Flickr Photos

Initializing...
Copyright © 2018TM-QA InfoTech. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy| Disclaimer
Scroll