Where is the Value?

As we know, we cannot test everything. This is especially true for End to End testing. This activity is often carried out at the end of the Implementation phase after System testing has completed. There will be many paths through the software and to test them all will be a large task. So only critical paths are tested through the system that provides an acceptable level of test coverage. Add automation into the mix, and this can become extremely challenging at the end of the delivery cycle. Teams often accept that the effort required for automating the End to End tests is too much of a risk to a timely delivery. Often, it is cut down to small manual End to End tests as an afterthought that adds little value to the overall quality or post-release teams. Ironically, this is where it adds the most value!