这篇文章集中于在开始时确立测试自动化为软件开发组织中的一项服务，特别给予测试组了很高的价值。通过提供‘优质’的测试自动化服务，测试自动化应该指引其精力用于增加手工测试过程的效率和有效性上。测试自动化总是应该旨在补充手工测试来通过执行高质量的测试自动化包迅速评估所测试应用程序的质量。为了成功的完成测试自动化项目需要彻底地讨论一下测试自动化服务的组成部件（积木）。测试自动化服务可以被广泛的划分为
测试工具技术，
测试自动化方法学和
测试自动化基础设施。基于主要为了产生测试自动化投资最大收益的产品，项目和人员技术能力，测试自动化服务和小组的结构需要与测试和开发组织的建设相一致。组织测试自动化组活动的最常见场景即‘独立式’，‘合并式’和‘顾问式’会和收益和损失在一起讨论。
We would like to protect our concrete huts from floods, earthquakes and neighboring countries (Sept 11 attacks) by building from foundation and solid pillars on top. Test automation projects also get attacked and mostly devastated in the wake of following reasons:
我们想通过建造地基和上面结实的柱子来保护我们的混凝土房子以挡住洪水，地震和邻国的攻击(9.11攻击)。测试自动化项目也会被攻击并且在以下的原因发生之后会被大部分破坏：
- Low commitment from top management because of mis-matched expectations
由于和期望不匹配导致来自最高管理层的低承诺
- Test cycle delayed, so take out people from test automation projects to avoid jeopardizing release dates.
测试周期延期了，因此从测试自动化项目中抽出一些人以避免危害到发布日期
- Development cycle skids, but you still want to deliver the product as per the promised date, skip (or) do less testing which results in wiping out test automation project.
开发周期减速了，但是你仍然想在许诺的日子里交付产品，忽略（或）少作些测试，然而那导致彻底毁灭了测试自动化项目。
- Effort for test automation is under estimated because of the lack of test automation tool expertise which ends up killing test automation project
由于缺乏那些测试自动化工具技术，测试自动化的工作量被低估了，最终害死了测试自动化项目
- Mis-fit of the test automation tool with the application under test results in not able to automate the critically and most generally used features of the application and thus loosing the faith in test automation
测试自动化工具和所测应用程序的不适宜导致不能自动化程序中关键的和最常用的功能，并因此失去了对测试自动化的信心。
- ……
If you would like to see your test automation projects finishing with celebrations, make sure that you do you homework on the foundation and pillars.
如果你想看见你的测试自动化项目以庆祝的方式结束，那么确信你在地基和柱子上做了准备工作。
Foundation:
建造一个坚实的地基Build a firm foundation…
Test automation is an investment, set the right expectations for management which clearly show cases the ‘bang for the buck’. Test automation spearhead is responsible for educating stake holders about the investment & benefits of test automation and making commitments with them regarding resources, changes that need to be incorporated in the ‘Development & test process’ and development tools for successful implementation and sustaining the test automation initiatives.
测试自动化是一项投资，为那些清楚展示‘货真价实’例子的管理层设置正确的期望。测试自动化前锋人员负责在测试自动化的投资和收益方面教育股东，并且为了成功的实施和维持测试自动化的主动性，要同他们在资源，需要在‘开发和测试过程’中的合作而做的改变及其工具开发方面达成承诺。
Pillars:
构造结实的柱子Construct solid pillars…
Tool:
Selecting the right tool which suits the technology using which you develop your products and customizing it for the specific needs is the key. Loads of wealthy information is available in this knowledgeable world which assists organizations in picking up the right test automation tool and evaluation vendors.
选择正确的工具是关键，它要适合你开发你产品所使用的和为特殊需要而定制的技术。在这个知识渊博的世界里有许多大量的信息，它们可以在选择正确的测试自动化工具和评估供应商方面为组织提供帮助。
Methodology:
Get your methodology in place, which gets integrated with the development and test process seamlessly. Test automation methodology should assist in selecting the right tests to automate, architecture of test suite, providing aids in calculating the return on investment, coding guidelines, test automation project deliverables, test suite execution, delivery and maintenance mechanism. Methodology also should provide the templates, check lists and guidelines for the above-mentioned things.
在适当的地方放置你的方法学，它要和开发以及测试过程无缝地结合起来。 测试自动化方法学应该在选择正确的要自动化的测试，测试包的架构，在计算投资回报提供援助，编码指南，测试自动化项目交付物，测试包执行，交付和维护机制上方面提供帮助。 方法学也应该提供模板，检查表和有关上述事项的指南。
Infrastructure:
Ø Make sure that you have application under test installed in an environment which is only available only for the people who are on the board of test automation project, so that others will not meddle with test data.
确信你将所测试应用程序安装在了一个只提供给在测试自动化项目中人员访问的环境里，因此其他人将不会乱动测试数据。
Ø Dedicated machines should be available for the test automation runs.
应该有为执行测试自动化的专用机器
Ø Treat test automation suite likes any other sellable product. Package it with installer for easy delivery and installation
把测试自动化包象其他可销售的产品一样对待。为了更容易交付和安装，用Installer程序打包它。
Ø Procure enough space on a hard disk drive to store all the information about test automation suite for easy accessibility and availability.
为了容易访问和实用性，获得足够的硬盘空间以存储测试自动化包的所有信息
