Automation is the key to fast testing with high quality â itâs how you deliver product quality at speed. But hereâs the catch: Automation is easier said than done. When it comes to the necessary skills, automation still requires some sort of coding. For all you manual testers: if you have a developer friend or a penchant for coding, now is the time to invite them out to coffee every week, or bust out that coding book youâve been using as a doorstop. To become a beginning automator, you need to create a few different things â all of which require some coding under your belt.