You're struggling with integrating automated testing seamlessly. How can you overcome the challenges?

The most successful way to integrate automated testing seamlessly into your CI environment is to incorporate it right from the beginning. In essence using the Test Driven development approach where right from the getgo (design, implementation & deployment) test automation is an integral part of your project. Other approaches often result in large efforts of either refactoring code, redoing infrastructure or other modifications to a design that didnt take into account SDLC & TDDs best practices.

In order to integrate automated testing seamlessly I would start from understanding what is the end goal, then plan of work needs to be done. After that write some tests and make sure they are stable. Finally, I would implement CI and continue adding tests.

First we have to set our goal and scope for testing. 1. Need to identify the risks like stability, user requirements and level of regression need to be performed. 2. Need to consider team expertise in automation, Test data, test environment and the ROI. 3. Manual testing need to be performed to execute all the smoke test cases initially. 4. Good domain knowledge and the automation tool helps

Adopt the shift-left approach(the concept of early testing) by integrating automated testing early in the development process, addressing issues sooner, and regularly updating your tests to stay aligned with changes.

Prioriser les tests ayants un fort retour sur investissement, c’est a dire les tests ayant un faible coûts de développement mais un impact élevés ou critiques.

This also means, maintain your test data. Automation is useless if it takes 3 days to setup test data so automation can run. The data also adds weight to the automated tests. You could be just scratching the surface if the automation is relying on light data.

In my experience to make CI/CD successful , its very important to form a process about how test results will be reacted. Ex. Alert will be sent to which auidience What actions should they take after recieving the alert. & How to do that. Unless you dont have this process set there is no value CI/CD intergrated Tests can create.

Continuous Learning: Provide ongoing training and mentorship to keep the team skilled and updated. Tool Selection: Choose the right tools by evaluating them carefully and running pilot tests. Test Coverage: Focus automation on high-risk areas, starting with critical tests and expanding gradually. Collaboration: Encourage teamwork between QA, development, and operations, and set up feedback loops for improvement. Maintenance: Ensure scripts are regularly updated and the framework scales with project growth. Metrics: Define KPIs and use transparent reporting to track progress. Culture: Promote an automation-friendly culture and shift the mindset towards long-term benefits.