Introduction
Australia's largest dairy customer faced significant challenges in their manual testing processes, which hindered their ability to keep up with rapid changes and feature implementations. Partnering with Infor and Fortude, they implemented the Fortest test automation tool, leading to remarkable improvements in efficiency, cost reduction, and business continuity.
Challenges Before Automation
This challenge resulted in:
- Longer Testing Period: Manual testing took approximately 450 hours (3 weeks), causing delays and inefficiencies.
- Unavailability of Key Users: Key users were often unavailable for testing, impacting the overall testing process.
- Risk to Business Continuity: Incomplete system testing led to production issues, posing risks to business operations.
- High Costs and Duration: Repetitive manual testing due to frequent changes increased costs and extended timelines.
- Lag in Upgrades: The manual process made it difficult to stay up-to-date with the latest system upgrades.
Customizations and Integrations
The customer implemented multiple customizations and integrations, such as Infor Factory Track and ION Grid, as well as an integration to facilitate seamless data transfer between M3 and a third-party system, necessitating comprehensive and ongoing testing.
Benefits Post Automation
- 90% Reduction in Test Cycle Time: Due to parallel execution and faster test execution the testing time was reduced from 450 hours to just 168 hours (about 1 week).
Before Fortest
After Fortest
Regression testing time:
450 hours
16 hours
Coverage:
40%
100%
- Business Continuity Assurance: Automation enabled consistent testing for every change request without compromising coverage, ensuring improved quality and reduced risk of production issues.
- Cost Reduction (ROI): The use of automated baseline test scripts and fewer Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for testing led to substantial cost savings.
- 24×7 Test Execution Capability: Tests could be executed during off-peak hours (nights/weekends), minimizing disruptions to Business-As-Usual (BAU) activities.
- Minimal Disruption to Business: Key SMEs were no longer required to be pulled out for testing activities, allowing them to focus on their primary responsibilities.
- Early Visibility and Virtual Execution: The automation provided a 16-hour window to identify system impacts, compared to the previous 3-week manual testing cycle.
Conclusion
Our expert team accurately identified business scenarios and built a comprehensive suite of test scripts covering the customer’s end-to-end F&B manufacturing processes.
The significant reduction in testing time, cost savings, and improved business continuity have enabled the customer to adapt rapidly to changes and maintain high-quality standards.
