With the test tool, dummies are still dummies

Kaspar van dam has been active in the testing field since 2005 and has specialized in testing automation and performance testing since 2009. He has worked as a testing tool engineer and testing consultant in many companies. His experience covers the technical implementation of testing automation and performance testing, as well as different management and collaboration tasks in the work area. In his company, ordina, The Netherlands, Kaspar is one of the leader in testing automation, responsible for part of the company's Vision Development and recommendations. He is also responsible for some business courses on test automation and performance testing.

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Testing tools: people always think that testing tools are the solution to every test challenge. With the implementation of tools, testing will be conducted quickly, with higher quality and cheaper nature ...... It is a pity that the implementation of testing tools costs a lot, and the investment is not necessarily rewarding. Why does the implementation of testing tools often fail?

What is a test tool?
To understand what the test tool is, first consider which test tool is important. People generally think that the test tool is only used for automatic testing. However, they are still:(TEST) management tools; Bug tracking tools; version control tools; general tools (such as electronic data tables); Automatic Code testing tools;Performance testing toolsOf course, it is still a tool for automatic testing.
Generally, test tools help testers to perform tests and make them more efficient. That is to say, testers can use tools to perform tasks faster, better, and cheaper. However,Automated TestingNone of these benefits can be guaranteed. Everything depends on how tools are used and how they are used.

Implementation of Test Tools
Most people in the IT industry are not surprised at the failure of many IT implementations. Check the failure rate and you will find that the failure rate basically exceeds 50%. However, when an organization decides to implement a testing tool, people suddenly expect that the implementation will not encounter any obstacles. Naturally, it is unfair to compare a large IT implementation with a relatively small testing tool. But both of them are true in the final software implementation. It also means there is a possibility of risk and failure. Since we have already affirmed this fact, it is good to take a look at what may fail.
At a high level, these elements can be divided into three separate elements:
?? Person
?? Process
?? Technology
I will talk about these three elements in reverse order and their roles in the implementation of test tools. The first is the least important element-technology, and the last is the most important-people.

Technology
when it comes to testing tools, most people will think of technology immediately. Does one test work on the selected platform? Is it suitable for other tools and/or tested software? Is there enough hardware to run the tool? Obviously, these are important issues when implementing testing tools. If the tool does not work, how can it be used? This means that the implementation of a testing tool (or any other tool) makes it very necessary to investigate the technology behind a specific tool and put it together in the technology used within the Organization. However, as mentioned earlier, technology is the least important element in implementing a test tool, so it should be taken into consideration when trying to implement a test tool. More important than it is the readiness or design process and the part of the tool that will be used in these processes.

Process
before we start to talk about the importance of the process in implementing the test tool, Let's first look at what the" process "is. The Oxford Dictionary describes it as a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a specific final goal ". The actions or steps of a process are part of a series, indicating that they must be performed in a specific order. These actions aim to get specific results. Fully test and test the specific SUT to ensure the specific quality level of the software. So what role does a test tool play in such a process? Basically, a tool is used to make the life of people who use it easier; it should help the task more efficiently. Therefore, a tool is ready to help with the process, for example, by allowing users to take specific actions in a specific order. It can also help make specific actions easier and/or better and/or faster. When talking about a testing tool in a project, you must decide the part that should or can use a specific tool to improve the process. The test tool is not a gadget. It is not to make your colleagues admire the new technology you use. It is an improvement process to achieve the goal faster, better, and cheaper. Before talking about any tool or technology, you need to ask yourself, "Why do we want to implement the tool first? Do we really need tools ?" We 'd better ask, "Can we improve the process ?" -- Do not consider using tools at all!
now, if the existing process in the Organization can actually be improved and a tool can effectively help the improvement, it is time to decide which tool can achieve the improvement process. Listing requirements may be a good start -- consider must-haves, showould-haves, and cowould-haves. Not technical. Ignoring requirements or requirements may be attractive because you think they cannot meet the current technology. When you list the tool requirements that may improve the process, it is time to look at specific tools and technologies. However, when looking at your (current or future) process, you must consider that any process may fail to achieve the goal. This leads us to the most important factor when looking at the testing tool: people.

person
A person can create or destroy any project. If you don't have a dedicated person, any project will eventually fail. Therefore, people are the most important factor in testing tools so far. When implementing the testing tool, you must first consider the people who use the tool. When people are satisfied with the current process and do not understand why they want to change it, the smartest way is not to change it at all. Or you can let the relevant personnel see the reasons for improvement and the benefits after improvement. Looking at the human factor, especially the tester, there are a number of indications that the current process needs to be improved and that the implementation of testing tools should be appropriate. Example:
?? Testers no longer consider their work as challenging. It became a routine.
?? The tester tried to find out the motivation for doing the task at hand; they wanted to get in touch with new things rather than executing the same old tests over and over again.
?? The tester thought their work was out of date.
?? Testers like the challenges of new technologies, and may even leave their current job to make the most advanced testing tool part of their daily work.
?? Testers have used test tools before and trust them. When these signs appear in a project, it is wise to look into what is going on. One thing to do is to pick up the current process and see if they are still feasible and can be improved. The implementation of testing tools may help improve the process and make testers happier in their daily work. However, it is important to arrange things in an orderly manner. A test tool cannot be a solution to any problem. It can only help solve the problem. Therefore, people, processes, and technologies are always used in order to review the successful implementation of test tools. People should be included, and most will choose to improve the process. A process should be established to make it mature before new testing tools are introduced. To achieve this, we should consider tools and technologies.

Why does the test tool fail to be implemented?
Now that we know the importance of human-process-Technical order, we may say, "Why is the test tool implementation failing ?" The answer is usually that technology is put before people and processes. When a process is not mature enough, the tool cannot improve the process. The biggest possibility is that the process is still inefficient. Therefore, introducing a test tool in a failed process can only cause more serious problems and cannot help solve the problems. Testing Tool implementation is more likely to fail when technology is given priority than humans. When people are not satisfied with the work they are doing, a single tool cannot make them suddenly satisfied.
When the production efficiency is low, it may be a problem with the process. The tool does not automatically increase productivity. Finally, the implementation will fail when a testing tool is introduced that is not supported by people. People should see the need to improve a specific process, and be aware that the introduction of a specific test tool may ultimately help to accomplish their work more efficiently. If an organization does not sort these three points in order, the sentence "with the test tool, dummies are still dummies" will come true. Or in other words, an organization that only implements the testing tool to implement the testing tool will end up ugly.

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With the test tool, dummies are still dummies