Building a Scalable Playwright Test Suite Inside IBM

The Challenge

The team needed a scalable end-to-end test automation framework that could keep pace with rapid development cycles. The existing test coverage was sparse and inconsistent — manual testing was the primary safety net, which created release bottlenecks and left regressions slipping through to production. The requirement was a Playwright framework that was not only effective at catching issues but also maintainable: structured so that engineers who hadn't written it could add tests without friction.

Our Approach

Our engineer designed and implemented a Playwright framework from scratch using the Page Object Model pattern for maintainability. Test suites were built around the most critical user journeys and integrated directly into the existing GitHub Actions CI pipeline, so tests ran automatically on every pull request. Comprehensive documentation and code review sessions ensured the wider team could extend the suite confidently.

The Outcome

A fully operational Playwright automation framework was delivered and integrated into the CI pipeline. Test coverage for the highest-risk user journeys was established from zero, with each test following consistent patterns the team could extend. Pull request feedback loops tightened significantly — regressions that previously reached QA or production were caught at the PR stage.

Tools & Techniques