Resillion
Internal cheat sheet
Test Automation Journey Cheat Sheet
A practical guide for taking clients from early automation interest through discovery, proof-of-concept, pilot, scaled delivery, and continuous operation.
Awareness
Discovery
PoC
Pilot
Scale
Continuous value
1
Journey At A Glance
0. Awareness
Create awareness, generate interest, and test whether automation is worth pursuing.
1. Discovery
Understand the client landscape, pain points, feasibility, and likely value.
2. PoC
Show automation working in a real scenario and build client confidence.
3. Pilot
Expand scope, establish the framework, and prepare for repeatable delivery.
4. Scale
Roll out broadly with service cadence, dashboards, and delivery controls.
5. Continuous Ops
Keep improving, review outcomes, and extend the partnership over time.
2
How To Use This
1
Start from the client's maturity.
Not every client needs a PoC, and not every opportunity should jump straight to scale.
Not every client needs a PoC, and not every opportunity should jump straight to scale.
2
Treat each phase as a gate.
Confirm purpose, pre-reqs, deliverables, and the decision needed before moving on.
Confirm purpose, pre-reqs, deliverables, and the decision needed before moving on.
3
Keep value visible.
Every phase should answer what we learned, what we proved, and what the client gets next.
Every phase should answer what we learned, what we proved, and what the client gets next.
3
Phase Gates
Move forward when
The need is clear, access is available, the scope is explicit, and the next deliverable is agreed.Pause when
There is no sponsor, no usable access, no candidate scope, or no clear success measure.Optional steps exist. The workbook includes optional activities such as a demo, assessment, and PoC proposal. Use them when they reduce uncertainty or help close the next decision.
4
The Journey In Practice
Awareness & Interest
Create awareness, generate interest, and confirm there is a real quality opportunity.Phase 0
Awareness & Interest
Create awareness, generate interest, and confirm there is a real quality opportunity.
Core moves
Run the initial client consultation and, where useful, support it with a test automation presentation and demo.
Outputs
Initial interest, a sharper automation conversation, and optionally a tailored demo/presentation.
Discovery & Assessment
Understand the client landscape, qualify the opportunity, and shape the proposal.Phase 1
Discovery & Assessment
Understand the client landscape, qualify the opportunity, and shape the proposal.
D
Discovery
Workshops, interviews, and technical review of systems, processes, metrics, and artefacts.
Workshops, interviews, and technical review of systems, processes, metrics, and artefacts.
A
Assessment
Optional deeper assessment to test suitability, clarify questions, and sharpen the outcome report.
Optional deeper assessment to test suitability, clarify questions, and sharpen the outcome report.
S
Solution design
Create a high-level automation solution, roadmap, estimates, and ROI view.
Create a high-level automation solution, roadmap, estimates, and ROI view.
P
PoC proposal
If needed, package the PoC scope, requirements, timelines, and commercials for agreement.
If needed, package the PoC scope, requirements, timelines, and commercials for agreement.
Typical deliverables: discovery outcome report, suitability checklist, high-level solution design, resourcing needs, timeline, roadmap, KPIs, and PoC requirements.
Proof Of Concept
Show value in a real-world scenario and build confidence in the technical approach.Phase 2
Proof Of Concept
Show value in a real-world scenario and build confidence in the technical approach.
Pre-reqs
PoC sign-off, access, tooling, delivery personnel, and clearly defined focus areas.
Outputs
PoC demonstration, evidence of value, and an initial internal code foundation.
1
Staff it
Identify PoC delivery personnel and confirm technical consultant involvement where useful.
Identify PoC delivery personnel and confirm technical consultant involvement where useful.
2
Run it
Develop and execute the automated tests, measure the outcome, and capture quick wins.
Develop and execute the automated tests, measure the outcome, and capture quick wins.
3
Present it
Show the client what worked, what was learned, and what a scaled next step looks like.
Show the client what worked, what was learned, and what a scaled next step looks like.
Qualification Into Pilot
Turn the proven opportunity into a deliverable pilot engagement.Phase 3
Qualification Into Pilot
Turn the proven opportunity into a deliverable pilot engagement.
Q
Qualify
Make the go/no-go qualification decision based on discovery and PoC evidence.
Make the go/no-go qualification decision based on discovery and PoC evidence.
W
Define the work
Gather requirements, break the work down, estimate, and select tooling/technology.
Gather requirements, break the work down, estimate, and select tooling/technology.
S
Formalise it
Finalize the SOW, identify delivery roles, interview/select personnel, and hand over to delivery.
Finalize the SOW, identify delivery roles, interview/select personnel, and hand over to delivery.
Typical deliverables: pilot proposal, medium-level test strategy/plan, ROI view, scoping template, framework architecture, resource allocations, and handover workshops.
Pilot Implementation
Expand the scope and establish a maintainable framework the client can trust.Phase 4
Pilot Implementation
Expand the scope and establish a maintainable framework the client can trust.
Focus
Scalability, maintainability, client enablement, training, and ongoing support.
Deliverables
Knowledge transfer, low-level strategy/plan, low-level ROI, timelines, resource plan, and managed-service inputs.
Scaled Deployment
Roll automation out across the wider client landscape with delivery rhythm and reporting.Phase 5
Scaled Deployment
Roll automation out across the wider client landscape with delivery rhythm and reporting.
R
Agree the model
Confirm the managed-service structure, ownership, roadmap, milestones, SLA/KPI model, and scope delta from the pilot.
Confirm the managed-service structure, ownership, roadmap, milestones, SLA/KPI model, and scope delta from the pilot.
I
Integrate it
Phase the rollout, connect to CI/CD and workflows, and establish service and QA dashboarding.
Phase the rollout, connect to CI/CD and workflows, and establish service and QA dashboarding.
C
Cadence it
Weekly syncs, monthly service reviews, steerco checkpoints, and daily operational collaboration.
Weekly syncs, monthly service reviews, steerco checkpoints, and daily operational collaboration.
Continuous Operation
Keep evolving the service, the relationship, and the automation value story.Phase 6
Continuous Operation
Keep evolving the service, the relationship, and the automation value story.
Pre-reqs
A semi-stable managed service, lessons learned, and SME availability to support change.
Outputs
Quarterly improvement plans, internal assessments, and a visible backlog of improvement items.
5
What To Ask At Each Stage
0
Awareness
What pain are they trying to solve, and do they believe automation is part of the answer?
What pain are they trying to solve, and do they believe automation is part of the answer?
1
Discovery
What systems, artefacts, metrics, stakeholders, and constraints do we need access to?
What systems, artefacts, metrics, stakeholders, and constraints do we need access to?
2
PoC
What is the smallest real scenario that proves value and reduces uncertainty?
What is the smallest real scenario that proves value and reduces uncertainty?
3+
Pilot and beyond
How will this scale, who owns it, and how will we prove ROI and service health over time?
How will this scale, who owns it, and how will we prove ROI and service health over time?
6
Key Deliverables By Stage
| Stage | Deliverables |
|---|---|
| Awareness | Consultation notes, optional demo and presentation. |
| Discovery | Discovery report, suitability checklist, solution design, roadmap, KPIs, high-level ROI, PoC inputs. |
| PoC | PoC demonstration, outcome evidence, internal code foundation. |
| Pilot qualification | Pilot proposal, estimates, scoping template, framework architecture, SOW, resource plan, handover. |
| Pilot / Scale | Low-level plan, managed-service agreement inputs, dashboards, reporting cadence, roadmap. |
| Continuous operation | Quarterly improvement plans, assessments, improvement backlog. |
7
Who Usually Leads What
Practice
Leads the technical direction during discovery, solutioning, PoC shaping, qualification, and technical handover.
Delivery
Becomes more central as staffing, pilot delivery, scaled implementation, and ongoing service operation take shape.
Sales / BD
Owns the commercial motion, helps open the opportunity, and stays important around proposals and SOW finalization.
Client / People
Provide access, sponsorship, decision support, and the people model needed to move from PoC into delivery.
Pattern from the workbook: early phases lean more heavily on Practice and Sales; later phases shift toward Delivery ownership, with Practice continuing through technical oversight and standards review.
8
Ongoing Delivery Controls
11
Technical oversight and standards review
Keep delivery aligned to the agreed framework, practices, and technical guardrails.
Keep delivery aligned to the agreed framework, practices, and technical guardrails.
12
Problem resolution and escalation
Use a clear route for technical blockers, delivery risks, and client-impacting issues.
Use a clear route for technical blockers, delivery risks, and client-impacting issues.
13
Progress reporting and review meetings
Create a regular rhythm for outcomes, delivery health, and technical direction.
Create a regular rhythm for outcomes, delivery health, and technical direction.
9
Concept Backlog Template
The second worksheet suggests keeping a visible backlog of automation concepts for customers and prospects.
Customer name
Title
Description
ICV
Automation subject area
Objectives
Status
Lead
Opportunity type
Automation type
Test level / platform
Useful categories: new automation, automation improvement, CI/CD integration, AI enhancement, unit, component, system, E2E, interfaces, API, web, desktop, and mobile.
10
Practical Checklist
A
Awareness
Confirm the pain, sponsor, and reason automation matters now.
Confirm the pain, sponsor, and reason automation matters now.
D
Discovery
Gather artefacts, stakeholders, constraints, success measures, and candidate scope.
Gather artefacts, stakeholders, constraints, success measures, and candidate scope.
P
PoC
Choose the smallest meaningful slice, prove value, and capture evidence.
Choose the smallest meaningful slice, prove value, and capture evidence.
L
Pilot / Launch
Lock scope, tooling, team, plan, commercials, and delivery handover.
Lock scope, tooling, team, plan, commercials, and delivery handover.
S
Scale
Introduce cadence, dashboards, service measures, and broader rollout control.
Introduce cadence, dashboards, service measures, and broader rollout control.
C
Continuous improvement
Run reviews, keep an improvement backlog, and extend the value story.
Run reviews, keep an improvement backlog, and extend the value story.