In this series, we are listing five strategies software delivery teams can take to ensure application quality, while maintain a focus on cost and customer expectations. In this fourth installment, we're going to talk about avoiding surprises. When developers add new functionality, or make fixes to address defects, what guarantee do they have that their changes will not adversely impact other areas of the application? The answer: none. The burden lies on quality management teams to ensure that intended changes have not caused unintended consequences. This is a repetitive task that can consume a significant amount of time -- leaving little time left to validate new functionality. To ensure full coverage, teams can employ test automation to help avoid these unpleasant surprises and free their time to focus on validation of new functionality. Speaker: Brian Bryson.