11 Mistakes in Choosing Automation Tools

Anushree Chatterjee

Selecting a test automation tool can be compared to selecting a car.

Before purchasing a car, you make a list of what you need. Your list might have things such as how much it costs, how far it goes with the fuel, extra features, how well it drives, room inside the car for people and things, how good it is at saving fuel, expenses for keeping the car in good condition and other points. You should search for car features that meet these criteria from this list.

Sounds easy, right?

Unfortunately, people still end up erring.

A similar situation is seen when companies choose among testing tools.

The automation testing market is projected to witness over 15% CAGR from 2023 to 2032 (source). In this digital environment, companies are constantly looking for means to make their product quality better through automation testing.

This competitive environment is probably what tends to push companies into making hasty decisions and opting for a tool that is not the right fit.

Top mistake made while choosing a testing tool

This might surprise you, but the number one mistake companies make when selecting an automation tool is not spending enough time assessing needs and requirements.

Though this seems like a no-brainer, it is the root cause of many issues. The manifestation of this mistake can occur in various ways.

1. Lack of clear objectives

Companies may jump into automation without a clear understanding of what they want to achieve. Without specific goals, it’s challenging to choose a tool that aligns with their business processes and desired outcomes.

2. Ignoring integration capabilities

Some companies overlook how well an automation tool can integrate with their existing systems. Integration is crucial for ensuring seamless operations and avoiding silos of information and processes.

3. Underestimating the total cost of ownership

Focusing only on the initial cost can be misleading. Companies need to consider the TCO (total cost of ownership), which includes training, implementation, maintenance, and support. Here is a ROI calculator for a no-code test automation.

4. Overlooking scalability

It’s important to choose a tool that can grow with the business. A tool that isn’t scalable might soon become obsolete as the company expands. Read here about test scalability.

5. Neglecting user experience and adoption

If the tool is not user-friendly, it can lead to low adoption rates among employees, reducing the overall effectiveness of the automation.

6. Not considering vendor support and community

Good vendor support and an active user community can be crucial for troubleshooting and maximizing the value of the tool.

7. Failing to evaluate security and compliance

Especially in regulated industries, it’s important to ensure that the automation tool complies with relevant laws and standards and maintains data security. Read here how to build an ADA-compliant app.

Some other common mistakes to take note of

Here are some more common mistakes that companies tend to make when picking a test automation tool.

8. Not optimizing processes first

This may seem like a problem for someone who is automating test cases, but it can also affect those browsing for suitable test automation tools. Understanding the nuances of your processes helps in selecting a tool that best fits those specific needs. Know here which tests you should automate first.

9. Not involving all stakeholders

When it comes to choosing a test automation tool, you need to consider all the stakeholders and your audience who are meant to use the tool. In fact, you are likely to get a holistic view of what is needed by involving everyone instead of going with a unilateral approach and choosing the wrong technology.

10.Underestimating the testing process

This is an interesting point. When the company does not consider the various activities involved in testing, their complexities, the time and effort required, and activity-specific requirements, then they are essentially starting to get into a problem. This is because maintaining high-quality standards is essential to stay afloat in a competitive and fast-paced market. To achieve this, you will need a tool that delivers accurate results in the least amount of time. Know more about DevTestOps and TestOps.

11. Aiming for 100% automation through test automation

Test automation is definitely speedy and accurate compared to manual testing, but not always. There are instances where automation cannot do what a human tester can. So, aiming for 100% automation and looking for a tool that gives you that is going to be a wild goose chase.

Read more about other mistakes companies make when building test automation here.

Opting for modern test automation tools

Thanks to the technological advancements in automation testing, you will find some really good options that deliver. testRigor is one of them. It uses test automation with AI to give you the best experience in test creation, test execution, and test maintenance.

Using NLP and generative AI, you can write tests in plain English language in testRigor. What’s better is that it does not expect implementation details of UI elements like XPaths or CSS values from you. You just need to tell the UI element name as it appears to you on the screen, and testRigor does the rest. This makes collaborating and automation testing possible, even for those who are not adept in coding.

When it comes to test maintenance, testRigor does all the heavy lifting through self-healing. You can easily execute tests in this application as the interface is intuitive and user-friendly.

Be it a mobile, web, API, or even a desktop application; you can automate test cases for all of them using testRigor. What’s better is that it has a rich library of features that makes automating complex tests easy. You can also take advantage of testRigor’s integrations with other platforms and tools and build an entire ecosystem.

Here are the top 7 test automation tools to consider.

Final note

“The price of reliability is the pursuit of the utmost simplicity. ” -Tony Hoare

Simple and reliable, thankfully, today, you have such tools available to you for automation testing. However, you might find this daunting: preparing lists and then looking for some test automation tool that gives the desired ROI. But if you approach this in a systematic way by communicating with relevant stakeholders and building a list of requirements, researching the market, shortlisting tools, trying them out, and then choosing the best fit, you will surely make a good choice within budget.

“We spent so much time on maintenance when using Selenium, and we spend nearly zero time with maintenance using testRigor.”

Keith Powe VP Of Engineering - IDT