Introduction
The risk of software failure has never been greater. The estimated annual economic impact ranges from $60 billion for poor testing to $100 billion in lost revenues and increased costs. Unfortunately, market pressure for the delivery of new functionality and applications has also never been stronger. This combination creates increasing pressure on software test organizations to improve test coverage while meeting ever-shorter deadlines with static or even declining resources. The only practical means to achieving quality goals within the constraints of schedules and budgets is to automate.
Since software testing is a labor-intensive task, especially if done thoroughly, automation sounds instantly appealing. But, as with anything, there is a cost associated with getting the benefits. Automation isn’t always a good idea, and sometimes manual testing is out of the question. The key is to know what the benefits and costs really are, then to make an informed decision about what is best for your circumstances.
The unfortunate fact is that many test automation projects fail, even after significant expenditures of time, money and resources. The goal of this book is to improve your chances of being among the successful.
About the Author
Linda G. Hayes is an accountant and tax lawyer who has founded three software companies, including AutoTester – developer of the first PC-based test automation tool, and Worksoft – developer of the next generation of test automation solutions.
She is an award-winning author and popular speaker on software quality. She has been a columnist continuously since 1996 in publications including Computerworld, Datamation and StickyMinds and her work has been reprinted for universities and the Auerbach Systems Handbook. She co-edited Dare to be Excellent with Alka Jarvis on best practices and has published numerous articles on software development and testing.
But most importantly she brings two decades of personal experience with thousands of people and hundreds of companies that is distilled into practical advice.