8 common test automation mistakes (and how to avoid them)
In the race to accelerate business processes and drive innovation, test automation has become essential. Yet many QA teams still stumble over the same critical mistakes. These missteps can dilute ROI and derail entire transformation efforts. Whether you’re adopting automated testing for the first time or scaling it across multiple environments, it’s important to avoid these common test automation mistakes that hinder long-term success.
Here are the eight most common automated testing pitfalls that teams face and what you can do to prevent them.
1. Automating only a fraction of ERP test coverage
In ERP systems, coverage is everything. These platforms are built on multiple interconnected modules such as finance, manufacturing, inventory, procurement, sales, and more. A common mistake many organizations make is automating tests for only a few “core” modules (e.g., 3 out of 10) and leaving the rest untouched.
The result? Breakpoints, regressions, and downstream issues in neglected modules, jeopardizing the stability of the entire system. Partial automation leads to blind spots in business-critical processes, affecting overall growth.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Auditing your full ERP module landscape before test planning.
- Defining test scenarios across all functional and integration points.
- Ensuring test coverage aligns with business-critical workflows, not just high-traffic screens.
| Fortest is purpose-built to ensure end-to-end automation across all ERP modules. It enables teams to systematically identify and address coverage gaps, ensuring no module, core, or peripheral, is left behind. |
2. Automating everything without a strategy
Another common mistake teams make is diving headfirst into automation without a clear roadmap. While automating tests can boost speed and coverage, trying to automate every single test case is not only inefficient, it’s unnecessary.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Building a test automation strategy that aligns with business goals.
- Prioritizing high-risk, high-frequency, and stable test cases.
- Defining the right balance between manual and automated testing.
| Pro Tip: Fortest enables test prioritization based on risk and impact, helping teams focus their automation efforts where it matters most. |
3. Using the wrong tools for the job
Choosing a test automation tool that doesn’t align with your tech stack, skill set, or test coverage requirements can create more problems than it solves. Many teams adopt tools based on what the trend is rather than whether it fits the scale and unique requirements of the company.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Evaluating tools based on your application type (web, mobile, ERP, etc.).
- Considering open-source vs. commercial tradeoffs.
- Factoring in maintainability, integration, and reporting features.
4. Neglecting test maintenance
Test automation isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Automated tests are fragile and require continuous maintenance as the application evolves along with your business. If your team doesn’t keep up, the test suite becomes bloated and unreliable.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Having a process to update and maintain scripts and add additional scripts based on new business changes.
- Investing in self-healing test capabilities.
- Standardizing reusable components and libraries.
| Fortest’s modular test library simplifies maintenance through scheduling and version-controlled, reusable assets. |
5. Writing poorly designed test cases
Even the best tools can’t fix poorly designed test cases. Flaky tests, hard-coded data, and lack of modularity are all signs of bad test design, and they cost teams both time and credibility.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Applying best practices like data-driven testing and modular scripting.
- Using clear naming conventions and documentation.
- Using a consistent style and writing the steps in the right order.
- Defining a clear test data generation strategy, including prerequisites and cleanup scripts.
6. Overlooking CI/CD integration
A major automated testing pitfall is failing to integrate test automation into your DevOps pipeline. Running automated tests manually or in an ad hoc manner limits the speed and consistency benefits of automation.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Embedding tests into your CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, Azure DevOps).
- Setting up triggers for automatic test execution after builds.
- Using dashboards for real-time feedback and reporting.
| Fortest integrates seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, delivering feedback loops that support continuous testing. |
7. Ignoring test results and analytics
Running automated tests without analyzing the results is like driving blindfolded. Many teams generate thousands of results but lack the insights to act on them.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Implementing test analytics dashboards.
- Monitoring trends in failure rates, flakiness, and execution time.
- Using KPIs to optimize test coverage and execution efficiency.
| Fortest will provide a Dashboard with screenshots so you are equipped with analytics at your fingertips to make the correct decisions |
8. Failing to measure ROI
It’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring automation success purely by execution speed. But true ROI comes from reduced defect leakage, improved quality, and faster time-to-market.
Avoid this mistake by:
- Defining measurable KPIs before rollout.
- Tracking automation’s impact on quality metrics and business outcomes.
- Communicating wins to stakeholders clearly.
Fortest: Purpose-built to avoid these pitfalls
Fortude’s Fortest platform was designed with these critical challenges in mind. From automated test management and version control to seamless integration and intuitive dashboards, Fortest helps QA teams build, execute, and optimize test automation strategies with confidence.
Regardless of the system you are on, whether it’s Infor or Microsoft Dynamics 365, Fortest offers:
- Cross-browser testing and enhanced automation commands.
- Integration with CI/CD tools and source control.
- Data-driven and modular test case creation.
- Rich analytics and real-time dashboards.
- Scalable test automation for enterprise use cases.
- Detailed reporting of test results, findings, and metrics.
Build test automation that scales
Test automation, when done right, is a game changer. But without avoiding these common test automation mistakes, teams risk turning their investment into a liability. By focusing on strategic prioritization, smart tool choices, maintainable test design, and clear KPIs, you can turn automation into a true enabler of agile delivery.
Looking to streamline your testing process and sidestep automation pitfalls?
Get started with Fortest and take control of your automation journey.
FAQs
One of the most common and costly mistakes in test automation is starting without a clear, well-defined strategy. This often results in automating the wrong test cases, duplicating manual work, or creating fragile test suites that don’t scale. Without a structured plan covering tool selection, test case prioritization, maintenance processes, and ROI goals, teams end up with little value, consume excessive resources, and ultimately fail to support long-term quality and efficiency.
Automated tests can fail for several reasons, often stemming from poor initial design or lack of adaptability. Common issues include brittle scripts that break with minor changes in the user interface. Changes to the application, such as updated layouts, altered workflows, or modified APIs, can also cause previously working tests to fail. In some cases, the failure is due to unstable testing environments.
Not all test cases are suitable for automation. While repetitive, predictable, and high-volume tasks are excellent candidates, tests that require human intuition, creative exploration, ad hoc inputs, or nuanced visual judgment are typically better left to manual testing. Attempting to automate these types of tests can lead to excessive effort with little return and might even compromise the quality of insights. A balanced approach of automating and retaining manual processes is often the most effective strategy.
Calculating the return on investment (ROI) of test automation involves tracking a combination of cost savings and productivity improvements over time. Key metrics include the reduction in manual testing hours, defect leakage, frequency of releases, and the average time it takes to identify and resolve issues. By comparing these inputs against the time saved, improvements in quality, and faster time to market, organizations can estimate the tangible and intangible benefits of their automation efforts and refine their strategies accordingly.
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