Sogeti's TPI approach reduces test costs

Background

The company decided to outsource its software testing activities in order to achieve better cost management, improve services delivery (in terms of both quality and time-to-market) and also to solve the problem of accessing testing expertise at short notice to meet both peak loads or expert requirements.

Solution

Initially, Sogeti set up a flexible but permanent test organization on the client’s premises managing the end to-end testing of the client’s software projects and new releases. The preliminary focus was on improving the testing processes, using Sogeti’s TPI® framework, and then implementing a more structured approach using Sogeti’s structured methodology for testing, TMap®.

Once initial improvements had been made, the client and Sogeti looked to take the test line to the next level by extending it to other test services, such as performance testing and wider Quality Assurance aspects. The test line would also take responsibility for ordering and the functional management of the necessary test environments.

Testing is now performed on a clear and transparent fixed-price basis with a budget agreed quarterly, and monitored using SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-based) service levels on cost reduction, quality, flexibility, time to-market and knowledge preservation. Process improvement is guaranteed by a dynamic improvement plan with the goal of an initial 25% cost reduction, and further cost savings thereafter.

Benefits

Process industrialization and effective resource planning have resulted in a reduction of test costs in the range of 35 - 42%. The percentage of defects covered by our testing is now above 99%, resulting in a higher quality of live services. Improvements have come from methodological improvements such as end-to-end testing with testing experts getting involved as early as the application design stage, and from including rigorous quality gates in the development process.

The TPI® assessment and roadmap identified areas for improvement. The client gets the best of both worlds: it still works with a stable team of familiar testing staff, with a higher experience average than before, but can also bring on line additional specialist expertise when needed.