Whenever a new methodology or a new system is introduced, with it &#8211; certain terms and guidelines are introduced too. These terms and guidelines are meant to be followed to ensure maximum output. But during implementation, some of these guidelines might be deemed not-so-important and might not be followed. 



Similar has been the case with Scrum Agile Methodology. Since it was introduced, it has been adopted by a majority of software development teams. But, the catch is that most of them are not following a basic guideline &#8211; the Definition of Done for a feature should also include testing and automation of the feature. 



And just that is the reason why we are laying special emphasis on ‘insprint test automation’. This blog is a special ‘round up’ blog where we asked experts some important questions around ‘insprint test automation and have compiled their answers in the form of a blog here. <gwmw style="display:none;">



We have a detailed ebook that discusses insprint test automation, why it is important in detail! Grab your free copy! <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/ebook/in-sprint-test-automation-simplified" target="_blank">In-sprint test automation simplified! </a>



Now, let’s hear from the experts what they think about in-sprint testing.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Brijesh_Deb">1 Brijesh Deb</a></li><li><a href="#Adebayo_aka_Tea_Pot">2 Adebayo aka Tea Pot</a></li><li><a href="#Ajay_Balamurugadas">3 Ajay Balamurugadas</a></li><li><a href="#Nikolay_Advolodkin">4 Nikolay Advolodkin</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">5 Conclusion</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="brijesh-deb">Brijesh Deb</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-circle-mask"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Brijesh-Deb.png" alt="Brijesh deb" class="wp-image-16326" width="200"/></figure></div>



Here&#8217;s what ‘Brijesh Deb, Sr, Test Consultant at Sogeti’ explains: 



Q. How does insprint test automation fit in agile?



Let’s begin with the Agile principles. At any point during a project, working software is the primary measure of success. Now for a piece of software to be working, it is essential that the definition of done is met for all the user stories that have been worked on to build that working piece of software.&nbsp;



Now when we talk about the definition of done, it is incomplete to say that the stories will have development only and will be tested later. In order to meet the definition of done we need to build and test and only then the definition of done is met. So, if you are planning to implement a feature in a sprint, it must be ensured that the feature is built and tested in the same sprint to meet the definition of done and give a sense of in sprint testing.&nbsp;



Q. What would you say about teams that do testing in different sprints or wait till the end of the sprint to start testing?



Often it is seen that testing gets lesser time in a sprint or is done in a different sprint. Both situations are against the ethos of Agile and do not meet the idea of definition of done and give enough confidence to the product.



Testing playing catch up with development is not agile. The best way to deal with this is to involve testers early and ensure that the sprint planning is done keeping in mind the definition of done meaning if a story is a 5 pointer then it must be ensured that the 5 story points are assigned considering the effort needed to build and test the story.&nbsp;



Now let’s look at the other burning topic, automation. Often seen as a mechanism to reduce regression effort, Automation has far greater reach and can be of much more value than mere regression.&nbsp;



Smoke tests, sanity tests and regression tests are easy candidates for automation because they are repeated far too often. But let’s be honest, is that the only premise for automation? What about other tasks that can be automated like test data generation, test reporting? These are essential elements of every project and hence there’s immense value in automating these activities.&nbsp;



Q. Your suggestions on how to implement automation?



Now let’s look at automating the tests. It is of utmost importance to do a thorough feasibility analysis to choose the right tests that can be automated. Then the next important step is to choose the right layer in which the tests will be automated. Automating the tests in the right layer is always a wise choice and the Agile Test Pyramid provides a guideline for the same. With that as the guideline and collaboration with developers, fellow testers, business, PO and stakeholders, easily the right layer for automation can be established.&nbsp;



Once you’ve done that, it is also important to leverage the advantage of insprint automation which gives you feedback much faster and results in a quicker time to market. Note that, in sprint automation should also be a part of the established and agreed definition of done.&nbsp; 



<h2 id="adebayo-aka-tea-pot">Adebayo aka Tea Pot</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-circle-mask"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Adebayo.png" alt="Adebayo" class="wp-image-16328" width="200"/></figure></div>



We asked Adebayo aka Tea Pot( Founder, Naija Test Crowd): 



Q. how to make Insprint Test Automation possible and this is what he said: 



“Insprint testing is quite important and should be the default way of working on any Agile methodology but there are a few things that must be done to make this possible:



Not in any particular order: The project must put all their ducks in a row: ensure that everyone understands the strategy, ensure that testers and developers attend scrum meeting where the sprint is the subject, ensure that the scope for each sprint is quite concise and achievable, test cases should be developed same time as the developers are developing the codes for the sprint and the codes should be delivered within time to allow the testers test, where the review of test cases is mandatory, this should be done during development so the test cases are reviewed and ready for execution as soon as the code drops. Also, and equally important, this can be automated as the sprint progresses into another sprint until the end of the project.”



Q. When we asked why he thinks insprint test automation is important he says:



In sprint testing will afford the tester to relate to the development more easily as each test is focussed on the latest release, equally focussed on the latest functionally. Conversation between developer and tester will flow so easily when both are discussing what they are currently doing, instead of what they did or shall be doing in the future. And the automation should probably be as per automation pyramid, with the right amount of overlapping and uniqueness of tests being automated on all the layers.&nbsp;



Q. When we asked him how much time can it take for an organization to fully achieve insprint automation, he says:



Automating the tests within a sprint is not impossible but it does take time to achieve, the process must be well defined and start from the earlier sprints, and everyone must have a very good understanding of the strategy, so all downtime is utilised rather wisely and efficiently too. Test cases that have been reviewed and executed in the previous sprint can be automated as the sprint ends and next sprint is being planned but there must be enough time for the tester to test otherwise, automating the tests is one futile effort that will simply result in a complete waste of time. Subsequent sprints can have the automated test included in execution while also making time to automate tests (reviewed and agreed) for the current sprint.&nbsp;



<h2 id="ajay-balamurugadas">Ajay Balamurugadas</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-circle-mask"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Ajay.png" alt="Ajay Balamurugadas" class="wp-image-16330" width="200"/></figure></div>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/qna-with-ajay-balamurugadas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ajay Balamurugadas</a> points out 3 key principles in the successful execution of insprint testing. 



Effective communication, a common understanding of the goal and lots of collaboration are some of the key principles of in-sprint automation. Now, let’s break them down. 



i. Effective communication:



If you don&#8217;t communicate what you expect from each team, you are most likely not going to get it. 



ii. Common understanding:



All stakeholders should know what is targeted. There is no point testers trying to automate and designers changing the design or functionality changes introduced by the product managers 



iii. Collaboration:



Not an easy task, at the same time, not impossible either. Given the right teams, intent, tools and collaboration, in-sprint automation can be a reality.



<h2 id="nikolay-advolodkin">Nikolay Advolodkin</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-circle-mask"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Nikolay.png" alt="Nikolay Advolodkin" class="wp-image-16333" width="200"/></figure></div>



Nikolay Advolodkin, Sr Solutions Architect at Sauce Labs also comments that he believes that testing within sprints is an absolute must. 



The product cannot be deemed finished until it has been tested and we are positive that we are releasing a quality product that works for our end users. Without in-sprint testing, we are risking the end-user experience by creating longer feedback and release cycles.



We agree with him and recommend that testers should keep up with the dev speed, leaving no gap between dev complete and test complete. And of course, when automation comes into the picture &#8211; it becomes crucial to adopt <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/in-sprint-test-automation-agile-devops-speed/" target="_blank">a tool that enables insprint test automation</a>.&nbsp; 



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Of course, just blindly implementing automation won’t ever be enough. Intelligent automation is the way to go where the time and effort is only invested in the automation of tests that need and should be automated. Along with it, to keep the automation current, the automation for the tests corresponding to the development work in the current sprint should be targeted in the same sprint.



 Check out our latest guide on How to begin <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/in-sprint-automation/">in sprint automation</a> for more.

Insprint Test Automation –  Round up

According to a <a href="https://www.softwaretestingnews.co.uk/new-survey-reveals-test-automation-trends" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">survey conducted on software test automation</a>, 51% of organisations prefer to retrain existing staff in test automation skills. While there are still 49% that would like to hire them specially for test automation related tasks.



Other findings from the same survey confirmed that organisations want to move to more of test automation and a minimum of manual testing.



To quote the findings, “Only 5% of survey respondents said they currently carry out 0:100 manual: automation testing. The majority (66%) are either at 75:25 or 50:50, and 9% said they are only doing manual testing.



When asked what they’d like to achieve in the next five years, the majority (73%) said they’d like to see 50:50 to 25:75 manual: automation testing.



And, 14% said they’d like to have no manual testing at all.” Similarly, with the working conditions changing during pandemic, automation testing is something that has seen a huge jump. Thus, it is clear that automated testing is the way to go for the software testing industry. 



We asked some of the industry experts how they thought was the best way for a manual tester to transition to automation testing.



Let’s see what they had to say:



1. Chaithra Rao (Chaithra is a Senior Manager of Test Engineering at Insider Inc.)



“I like to think of test automation as writing code with a tester’s mindset.



It’s not so much about a particular tool you use but choosing the one that best suits your needs, is simple to setup, use and maintain. 



For someone who is just getting started with test automation, I would recommend learning the basics of programming first. Once you know the fundamentals, you could learn about the different test frameworks and design principles that’s out there. Understanding how and why the tests are setup is more important than just writing automated tests.



Once you have this knowledge, it’s easier to write tests. When you are first attempting to write an automated test, start with a simple assertion and then build upon it. There are several online resources to get help like Udemy, Test Automation University etc.”



2. Samantha Connelly (Consultant &amp; Owner at Bug Hunter Sam)



“I think focusing on the manual to automation path is the wrong conversation. Technical skills are in demand, yes, but we don&#8217;t use manual/automation terms in any other profession. We don&#8217;t have manual doctors, lawyers or software developers. 



Also, the tools and technologies are always changing. I think focusing on software engineering skills are a better return on investment. 



The first skills I recommend improving for someone wanting to become more technical is git and the command line. Beyond that point, it really depends on what technology you want to learn. Understanding web protocols is also pretty useful.”



On her own website, Sam has compiled a <a href="https://bughuntersam.com/my-testing-career-cheatsheet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">testing career cheat sheet</a> which we recommend you to go through.



3. Ajay Balamrugadas (AVP Delivery at Qapitol QA)



A manual tester making a shift towards automation should:



“1. Understand the terms. Ask questions and /atleast/ know just enough to get started. Know what is method, function, loops, repo, principles, and basics of using the tools.



2. While you spend time learning the programming concepts and the language, use your testing skills to identify what to automate and what not to automate



3. Start with simple projects, shadow people working on automation projects and with enough interest, persistence and hard work, you will be able to make significant progress.”



At the same time understand that functional testing or automation, solving problems is the key. Both are needed in different contexts.&nbsp;



Let’s try to summarize and create some steps for you:



1. When you want to begin your automation journey, it means you want to start automation of your test cases. It is here, that comes to the big question &#8211; how are you going to automate those test cases?



The first logical step should be to know what tool you should choose to begin with automation. It will be an easy jumpstart with the tool you have heard most about. But the best way will be to research and analyse a few others. Here, we have compiled some points that will help you <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/10-points-to-help-you-choose-the-right-test-automation-tool/" target="_blank">choose the right automation tool for you.</a>



<a href="https://testsigma.com">Testsigma is a cloud-based test automation tool</a> that has all the features that will enable you to achieve insprint test automation easily and efficiently. To know more check the article here: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/why-choose-testsigma-as-your-automation-testing-tool/" target="_blank">Why Choose Testsigma as your Automation Testing Tool?</a>



2. By the time you choose the tool for automation, you would be able to understand the basics of the tool and automation. If not, make sure you <a href="https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/automation-testing-tutorial-1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">know the terms</a> and main features of the tool that will help you begin.



3. In addition to learning the tool &#8211; try to also observe people who are already doing automation. That is if you have such people in your organization. If not, better is to have a training session about the tool.



4. Start automation with simple projects and simple test cases and then build-up to the complex ones.



5. Along the way, there would be some basic tools for eg. git and command line. Try to have a hang of them. This will help you transition into automation faster.



About tools, Ajay suggests, “I would like the testers to focus on the principle of&nbsp;



&#8220;Use tools where it helps you save time, effort and adds value&#8221; 



Also, do not wait for the need to hunt tools. Be prepared by exploring different tools across categories so that when you actually need them, you are ready.



Finally, I have realized that having at least 3 tools for every category helps especially when one of the tools doesn&#8217;t serve your purpose.



Two good sites to be familiar with are alternativeto.net and alternative.to”



We have compiled a detailed blog on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="different types of tools that will help make the tester’s day-to-day life easier (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/different-types-of-tools-to-help-testers-day-to-day-life-easier/" target="_blank">different types of tools that will help make the tester’s day-to-day life easier</a>. Do check it out!



Even though you see yourself as an automation tester in the future, there are few things that you should always keep in mind:&nbsp;



1. Automation is an activity that should support testing but automation is not all. Sometimes you may want to automate some areas while you need to test some areas manually. Thus, you don’t have to focus on 100% automation but on quality automation. That means you should be careful to choose what to automate and take up automation with the aim of providing an ROI in future.



2. Even though automation tester might be a separate profile, there are some skills that it shares with manual testing which are: Inquisitive thinking, collaborating with the team and ensuring customer success.



3. Participate early on in the software development life cycle



4. Make sure to be well versed in the software development methodology being followed in your team. For e.g. Scrum or Kanban.



5. Understand the project toolset



6. Keep yourself updated with new developments in the testing industry. This can be done by attending testing conferences, meetups, following influencers in the field and talking to people working in the same industry.



We hope these tips will help you make your transition to automation in testing a smooth and delightful one!

Skills of a tester- Manual to Automation testing journey