Quality Unleashed: A strategic question with long-term impact

When thinking about test automation, it’s easy to focus on tools and scripts. But

there’s a deeper, more strategic question every organization must address:

Where should ownership and responsibility for test automation and its related

tooling, environments, and test data reside?

This isn’t just a technical decision. It defines your organizational model, the kind

of teams you’ll need to build, and the long-term effort required to maintain quality

at scale.

Two Common Approaches to Ownership

Organizations generally fall into two broad categories when assigning responsibility for test automation:

1. Ownership by Test or Product Teams

In this model, test automation is kept close to the teams responsible for

functional testing and product validation. This approach has become increasingly

viable with the rise of low-code automation tools, which reduces the need for deep technical expertise.

Advantages:

• Test design and automation live closer to where test ideas originate.
• The people who understand the product best also drive test implementation.
• Faster feedback loops and better alignment with business expectations.

However, this can sometimes lead to technical limitations, especially when more robust or complex test coverage is required.

2. Ownership by Development Teams
Another approach places automation responsibilities within development teams. This often results in a more technical implementation, with stronger focus on unit tests, API testing, and infrastructure.
Advantages:

• A more balanced and healthy test automation pyramid, with fewer slow, brittle UI tests.
• Higher test execution frequency, integrated into CI/CD pipelines.

The trade-off? Tests may be less representative of real user workflows and business value, reducing confidence from a stakeholder perspective.

So… What’s the Right Model?
As with most strategic decisions, it depends.
The ideal approach balances two goals:

• Maintain business relevance in what you automate, ensuring tests reflect what matters to users and stakeholders.
• Optimize technical implementation with a maintainable, scalable testing strategy that supports frequent changes and fast delivery.

That means:

• Ensuring business and QA teams can contribute and consume test results effectively.
• Choosing automation technology and infrastructure that fits the needs of all stakeholders.
• Designing for frequent, automated execution, especially at the development level.

Conclusion: Make Ownership Intentional, Not Accidental
Deciding who owns test automation isn’t just about resourcing—it shapes your quality culture.
Whether you align automation with QA, development, or both, the decision must be deliberate, based on your long-term vision for delivering quality software. Choose the model that gives your teams both the technical power and business clarity to succeed.

Bart Vanparys

Head of Portfolio & Solutioning

• Connect