Quality Unleashed: A holistic view of test automation investments

When considering an investment in new tools or technology for quality

engineering and testing, it’s critical not to treat it as a standalone decision.

Instead, ask:
How will this contribute to our overall quality engineering objectives, and what will it take to make it successful?

Why Test Tool Investments Can Fail Without the Right Foundations

It’s easy to be sold on the promise of modern testing tools, especially those boasting AI or low-code automation.

But technology alone is never the solution.

To unlock value, organizations must examine what’s required to make the tool work in their specific context:

• Test environments
• Test data strategy
• Integration with CI/CD and other platforms
• Supporting tools like service virtualization
• Fit with broader test and regression strategies

Test Automation Doesn’t Operate in a Vacuum

Many organizations jump into automation with excitement, only to find themselves stuck due to environment instability, lack of data, or missing integration points. That’s why we approach each testing investment as part of a bigger puzzle.

Let’s break it down:

✅ Test Data Management

Is the right data available when and where it’s needed? If not, automation breaks down. A sound test data strategy is essential, often as critical as the tooling itself.

✅ Test Environments

They must be controlled and production-representative. To benefit from automation, you may need to modularize environments, using techniques like service virtualization, to run smaller, faster, more isolated tests.

✅ Tooling Integration

Any investment should integrate seamlessly with the broader testing ecosystem:

• CI/CD pipelines
• Requirements and test management tools (e.g. JIRA, Azure DevOps)
• Infrastructure and platform layers

✅ Strategic Alignment

How does the tool align with your regression testing strategy? How will it help meet your test objectives?

Without clear answers, a testing tool may improve individual tasks but fail to create lasting impact.

A Smarter Way to Evaluate Testing Investments

We recommend a structured, integrated investment approach, where each decision is:

• Aligned with quality and business goals
• Supported by test teams, product owners, and platform experts
• Thought through in terms of data, environment, process, and platform

Conclusion: Think Systems, Not Silos

Quality engineering investments don’t just involve buying a tool, they involve building a test ecosystem where everything reinforces everything else.
Only then can automation deliver on its promise.

Before making your next tool purchase, ask not just “what does this tool do?”
Ask:

“What do we need to make this successful—and how does it fit our bigger picture?”

Bart Vanparys

Head of Portfolio & Solutioning

• Connect