Question: I just started working as a QA Automation Engineer to a certain company which provides ERP and CRM services. However, I recently discovered that they have no test case documentation for the testing they do, and just report bugs. I am now having a hard time to automate their tests because I have no reference, what do you think I should do?

Answer: 
Mindmap all the high-level features of the application together with business owners. Go over the map with stakeholders (e.g users, developers, managers, and sponsors). Do a risk assessment with some key people, maybe also analyze brittle areas based on defect reports. 

* Write automated happy-path tests for the highest risk features first.
* Create a test-automation debt backlog, prioritize with stakeholders
* In the meantime write automated tests for past critical defects as well.
* Train developers to write automated tests for new features to stop fill the gap of missing tests.
Test Automation is not about having or not having test cases, which you can automate. This is about you deciding on **test automation strategy**. I wrote a [blog post](http://testretreat.com/2019/04/15/approach-to-test-automation/), which has several links and ideas where to start. Main idea is that you start with strategy: what do you want to automate, what kind of information you want to collect, how will you know that you automated the right thing. If you automate without strategy, you are building technical debt. I hope it helps.