Measurement & Maintenance: Who is Responsible for Maintaining Automated Tests?

Automated testing has become a cornerstone of modern software development, especially in agile and DevOps environments. Yet, one question often sparks debate: who should maintain these automated tests? The answer is not straightforward. Responsibility for maintaining automated tests can vary widely depending on the team’s structure, culture, and the type of tests involved. This post explores how teams can share this responsibility effectively to keep their automated testing reliable and useful.

Why Maintaining Automated Tests Matters

Automated tests are only valuable if they remain accurate and up to date. When tests break or become outdated, they can cause false alarms or miss critical bugs. This leads to wasted time, reduced confidence in the testing process, and slower delivery cycles. Maintaining automated tests means regularly updating test scripts, fixing broken tests, and adapting tests to reflect changes in the application.

Without clear ownership, maintenance tasks often fall through the cracks. Teams may find themselves with a growing backlog of failing tests or outdated scripts that no one feels responsible for fixing. This can undermine the entire testing effort.

Shared Responsibility in Agile and DevOps Teams

In traditional setups, QA engineers often owned automated tests. They designed, wrote, and maintained the tests while developers focused on writing application code. However, this division can create bottlenecks and slow down feedback loops.

Modern agile and DevOps teams tend to share responsibility for automated tests across roles. This approach encourages collaboration and faster issue resolution. Here’s how responsibility typically breaks down:

• Developers

Developers usually maintain unit tests and integration tests closely tied to the code they write. Since they understand the codebase best, they can quickly update tests when features change. Developers also write new tests as part of feature development.

• QA Engineers

QA engineers often focus on end-to-end tests, exploratory testing, and test strategy. They maintain automated UI tests and ensure tests cover user workflows and edge cases. QA also monitors test results and investigates failures.

• Cross-functional Teams

In many teams, everyone contributes to test maintenance. Developers and QA collaborate on test design and troubleshooting. Product owners and business analysts may provide input on test coverage priorities.

This shared ownership model reduces silos and improves test quality. It also aligns with agile principles of collective code ownership and continuous improvement.

How Test Type Influences Maintenance Responsibility

The type of automated test often determines who should maintain it:

• Unit Tests

These tests check individual functions or methods. Developers usually maintain unit tests because they change alongside the code.

• Integration Tests

These tests verify interactions between components. Developers often maintain these, but QA may assist with complex scenarios.

• End-to-End (E2E) Tests

These simulate user journeys through the application. QA engineers typically maintain E2E tests, but developers may help fix flaky tests or update scripts after UI changes.

• Performance and Load Tests

These tests require specialized skills and tools. Sometimes a dedicated performance engineer or QA specialist handles maintenance.

Understanding these distinctions helps teams assign clear ownership and avoid confusion.

Practical Tips for Managing Test Maintenance

To keep automated tests healthy, teams can adopt several practical strategies:

• Define Clear Ownership

Assign responsibility for each test type or suite. Document who owns what and ensure everyone understands their role.

• Integrate Test Maintenance into Development

Make updating tests part of the definition of done for features. Developers should fix or add tests as they write code.

• Use Code Reviews for Tests

Include automated tests in code reviews to catch issues early and share knowledge.

• Monitor Test Results Actively

Set up dashboards and alerts for failing tests. Promptly investigate and fix failures to prevent backlog.

• Refactor Tests Regularly

Just like application code, tests need refactoring to remove duplication and improve readability.

• Collaborate Across Roles

Encourage developers and QA to work together on test design and troubleshooting. Pair programming or mob testing can help.

• Invest in Training

Provide training on test automation tools and best practices to keep skills current.

Tools That Support Shared Test Maintenance

Several tools can help teams manage automated test maintenance collaboratively:

• Version Control Systems

Git repositories allow developers and QA to track changes to test scripts and collaborate through pull requests.

• Continuous Integration (CI) Pipelines

Automated test runs on CI servers provide fast feedback and highlight failures.

• Test Management Platforms

Tools like Qtech's Apex help organize test cases and assign ownership.

• Communication Tools

Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Jira facilitate quick discussions and issue tracking.

Using these tools effectively supports transparency and accountability.

Building a Culture That Supports Test Maintenance

Beyond processes and tools, culture plays a key role. Teams that value quality and collaboration naturally maintain tests better. Leaders can encourage this by:

• Recognizing efforts to maintain and improve tests

• Encouraging open communication about test failures

• Avoiding blame when tests break and focusing on solutions

• Providing time and resources for test maintenance work

  
  

A culture that treats automated tests as a shared asset fosters long-term success.

Maintaining automated tests is a shared responsibility that requires clear roles, collaboration, and ongoing effort. Developers and QA engineers each bring unique skills to the table, and working together ensures tests stay reliable and valuable. Teams that integrate test maintenance into their workflows and build a supportive culture will see faster delivery, higher quality, and greater confidence in their software.