client after client, I see testers, test automation engineers, and developers creating test cases that are long, that are difficult to work with, and that don’t have a clear purpose. If their test cases were more streamlined and focused, the teams that use them would save a lot of time.

Here are five pointers for improving test cases, garnered from my years of working with clients who are implementing test automation.

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AI in testing is becoming mainstream. Some 21% of IT leaders surveyed said they are putting AI trials or proofs of concept in place, according to the 2020-21 World Quality Report. Speaking to longer-term trends, only 2% of respondents said AI has no part in their future plans.

If you've been waiting out the AI hype, it's time to dive in. Here's what you need to know about AI in testing.

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What if you could make software testing simple? What if it could be done without all the conversations, questions, defect reports, and metrics?

We've been promised artificial intelligence (AI) as the solution to all problems related to testing, especially by those who have never tested—those who believe that what we do as testers is little more than tapping screens to make comparisons.

Although I've stated that AI is coming and will change software testing forever (eventually), we're not there yet—not even close. But that doesn't mean we can't use AI to support our testing efforts.

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I often work with clients who are either just beginning, or trying to grow, their test automation capabilities, and more often than not they all make the same, fatal mistakes.

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Refactoring isn't just for software developers. Test engineers can also use it in testing and test automation.

I'm going to show you how...

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Every team is different. Each lives at different states of maturity in many different aspects—process, finance, regulation, technology, and skill. To say that each should use my success criteria would be irresponsible, and I wouldn't advise it.

On the other hand, you need to know my success criteria to better understand why I see so little success with teams converting large groups of hands-on testers to automation. Here they are.

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When I was an employee looking for software jobs, I felt what it was like to program a stupid question on a whiteboard. Talk about stressful. To top off the nerves and adrenaline, interviewers try to make you feel at ease by saying things such as, "We just want to see how you think." I don't know about you, but interviewers getting analytical about how I think while I work through a difficult puzzle is not going to set me at ease.

But as uncomfortable as these experiences were, I would never change them. I learned valuable lessons from them, and I'm a better automation engineer today because of them. Here are a few stupid questions I've been asked and what I learned from them.

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Some approaches for moving toward "test automation first" do work, but converting entire teams of hands-on testers to test automation engineers is a fool's errand. Yes, you may have a few people who can make the cut, but you'll probably need to bring in experienced automation engineers to build up the new team. Here's why such attempts usually fail, and a few strategies you can use to transition the right individuals from hands-on testers to test automation enginee

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How will we as testers leverage AI to verify these ever-growing code suites? And what will happen as AI works its way into our production applications?  AI will change testing—and AI will change test automation as well. 

Here are five ways experts see the introduction of AI changing testing.

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Here's how you make an effective business case for that hire: Understand what automation engineers are, the breadth of their responsibilities, and the scope of their day-to-day activities, so that you can make the case

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Done well, test automation can return multiples of the amount of time and effort invested. Setting expectations with stakeholders and business owners is key to helping ensure that everyone is moving toward the same vision of success. Just as important is setting expectations of returns and communicating with them after. 

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