Cast Iron Automation

By Paul Grizzaffi

Elevator Pitch

Much like cast iron pans, automation requires proper initial care and ongoing care; this is because automation is software so we must treat it as such. Maintenance activities we must prepare for include bug fixes, product parity, infrastructure changes, inspection results, and shelf-life expiration.

Description

We just finished automating “all” of our regression test suite. Or, perhaps, we now have 4731 BDD “test scripts” that we run on each deployment. Hooray! T-shirts for everyone! Having automation such has this is an important part of our CI/CD/CT pipelines. Then it happens…our product changes, our tool version changes, or our infrastructure changes. Our shiny new toy becomes a tarnished, broken, and unusable pile of shattered dreams and wasted effort.

Having automation is reminiscent of owning a cast iron pot. Like cast iron cookware, and like the software for our products, our automation software requires proper care and feeding; typically, we call this maintenance. If cast iron cookware is not properly maintained, especially when it’s new, it will corrode, rust, and deteriorate to the point that it’s no longer fit for purpose. Considerable effort will be expended to restore the cookware’s usability; the same is true for automation.

In this session, Paul Grizzaffi will explore causes of automation deterioration and explain ways we can prevent our automation’s value from rusting away.

Notes

I’ve worked in test automation for over 25 years in multiple industries including healthcare, e-commerce, and telecom, making me highly experienced in the discipline. Additionally, I’m an experienced speaker who has presented at local, national, and international conferences, including keynote talks. Samples of my speaking experience can be found here.