Investec Asset Management has formalised its project testing procedures through the implementation of a testing framework that will be applied to all IT projects in the organisation.
The framework is the result of a four-month project run in conjunction with iLAB Project Services, the software quality assurance company in the iLAB Holdings group, which moved the financial organisation from an Excel spreadsheet-based system to Mercury Interactive`s TestDirector.
Following the successful implementation of the framework, TestDirector is being used to manage the enormous task of converting the Fedsure database to Investec Asset Management`s Sybase database. These databases hold all client and annuity information, critical to the ongoing success of the organisation: Investec recently acquired Fedsure and is integrating the two companies` systems.
TestDirector is a global test management solution. It comprises of four modules: requirements manager, test planner, test lab, and defect manager. They are integrated to provide information flow between the different stages of the testing process. Being Web-enabled, TestDirector also supports communication and collaboration among distributed testing teams.
Debbie Nelson, MD of iLAB Project Services, says: "Test Director provides a test laboratory environment. We place the scenarios developed from the individual tests into TestDirector, performing complete batch runs in a secure environment. That way Investec tested the business continuity of the SQL data conversion to Sybase and ensured smooth running before it went live."
"iLAB Project Services was able to provide the necessary experience and expertise from a testing point of view, and TestDirector was the ideal tool as a repository for all the business requirements and tests," says Hans Gildenhuys, project manager, PSO at Investec Asset Management.
The project to create the testing framework lasted three months and was completed in three phases, says Nelson. The first month was spent drawing up the business requirements of the testing framework and integrating it with the overall strategy and focus of the organisation. The second month was spent creating the 300 to 400 tests that together form the framework. The third month saw the execution of tests and the defects management process through to completion.
Gildenhuys says the testing framework also brings the company requirements of a project management solution into a central location. Those requirements were then turned into tests, and in turn accumulated into test sets to reflect the different scenarios of the business.
Gildenhuys says: "The testing framework will be used as a template for all future projects. When one is initiated, the testing framework template will be used as a starting point, with any new requirements being added to those already available, or any amendments being made to the existing requirements. Tests that exist can also be used to ensure business continuity, and any enhancements to the system will require further tests to be written. All these changes will be made to the existing template to ensure that the testing framework is kept up to date."
He adds that the framework will ensure that the testing phase of all future projects starts at the beginning. "Besides the total cost of ownership benefits we derive by doing that, it will also ensure that full business continuity is tested in future projects.
"We will save ourselves a lot of time gathering requirements from the business," concludes Gildenhuys. The requirements gathering process has been completely automated by TestDirector. The standard templates on which all projects will be based mean business requirements will be more fully realised.
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