Customer Overview
The client, a distinguished insurer in the U.S., owns an extensive portfolio of property, casualty, and specialty insurance products. Serving a diverse clientele, including corporations, professional firms, and financial institutions nationwide, the client provides comprehensive coverage and exceptional services. The client's commitment extends beyond policy creation, strongly emphasizing efficient claim services.
Key Challenge
With a customer-centered approach, the client planned to improve the business operations by improving security, accelerating quality delivery, increasing collaboration, and boosting the new working culture.
Lengthy Release Cycles and Limited Frequency
The existing implementation methods led to extended-release cycles, averaging between 4 to 8 hours daily for smoke testing feedback. This prolonged timeframe severely restricted the release frequency to one monthly release, hampering the client's ability to respond to market demands swiftly.
Inefficiencies in Test Automation
The client's current test automation framework had high maintenance overhead as it struggled to keep pace with rapid application changes. Consequently, the ROI from their test automation efforts fell below expectations. With automation coverage less than 5%, the client's ability to identify defects early in the development process was severely compromised.
High Defect Leakage and Manual Support
The inadequate test automation coverage resulted in high defect leakage, necessitating significant involvement of business users in the testing process. Various factors can contribute to defects, from requirement ambiguity to Human error. Pressures to meet deadlines may force trade-offs, potentially sacrificing design and validation. Faulty design logic, from rushed execution and inadequate conceptualization, lack of robust version control, and defects in third-party tools. This impeded the testing process's efficiency and diverted valuable business resources from their core responsibilities.
Disconnected Automation Pipeline
The lack of integration between the test automation framework and the development pipeline posed a significant challenge. Automation scripts failed to keep pace with application changes. Different automation stages operated independently, causing coordination issues. Limited visibility across the development and testing process hindered bottleneck identification, issue diagnosis, and decision-making. Scaling the automation process was difficult due to the disconnected pipeline. This disjointed automation approach contributed to prolonged release cycles and increased the likelihood of defects escaping detection.
Our Offerings
Birlasoft offers a groundbreaking solution that revolutionizes continuous testing and DevOps practices within the banking and financial services sector. Our comprehensive suite of services is designed to empower enterprises with the tools they need to achieve seamless, continuous software releases and updates, driving unparalleled efficiency and competitiveness. The solution redefines tests through an automated process, and enterprises gain real-time feedback on potential risks, enabling swift identification and resolution of issues. By automating the validation and testing of critical data, Birlasoft introduced a new approach to ensuring data accuracy and integrity. As a complete DevOps solution for continuous data testing, continuous testing streamlines data validation processes enhances data quality, and reduces the risk of data-related issues in software releases.
Birlasoft Solution
Birlasoft stepped in to deliver a robust and comprehensive test automation and continuous testing solution for the client. With a strategic approach encompassing multiple technologies and focusing on efficiency, Birlasoft embarked on a transformative journey to revolutionize the client's testing landscape.
Standard DevSecOps Model Pipelines
Birlasoft leveraged the power of DevSecOps by implementing standard pipelines for a range of technologies, including Java (container and non-container deployment), Python, .Net, and ReactJs. GitHub Actions formed the backbone of these pipelines, providing seamless integration and continuous delivery, enhancing deployment speed and frequency. Moreover, we established quality tollgates within the pipelines, strategically placing checkpoints such as unit testing, SONAR Cloud analysis, JFrog scan, and functional testing. These tollgates meticulously evaluate code quality, security vulnerabilities, and functional accuracy, safeguarding against potential issues throughout the development lifecycle.
Enterprise Automation Framework
Recognizing the need to optimize maintenance efforts and accelerate test automation, Birlasoft introduced an enterprise automation framework. Rooted in industry best practices, this framework offered a structured approach to designing, developing, and maintaining automation scripts. The framework significantly reduced maintenance overhead by standardizing processes and techniques, allowing resources to be redirected toward high-value testing activities. Notably, automated testing release cycles were accelerated by an impressive 75%, allowing for 8-10 releases per month.
Comprehensive Automation Coverage
Birlasoft's solution covered the entire spectrum of testing with a focus on efficiency and reduced maintenance. For user interface (UI), API, database (DB), and Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) testing, a sophisticated approach based on Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) principles and the Page Object pattern (UI) was adopted. The solution's impact on automation was equally impressive, with automation levels reaching an impressive 40% through the creation of over 2500 scripts in 9 months. This not only ensured ease of use but also provided a robust foundation for maintaining and scaling the automation suite.
Seamless CI/CD Integration
Implementing a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline was pivotal to the solution. Birlasoft set up the necessary infrastructure to seamlessly integrate automation scripts with the CI/CD pipeline. This integration enabled automated testing seamlessly woven into the development lifecycle, facilitating rapid feedback and early defect detection.
Automation Process Optimization
Birlasoft went beyond automation scripting and addressed broader process optimization. Infrastructure provisioning was streamlined using Terraform, enhancing the consistency and reproducibility of the testing environment. A robust pull request (PR) process was established, ensuring comprehensive code review and collaboration. A knowledge repository was implemented to capture and disseminate testing insights, facilitating knowledge sharing and skill enhancement. Functional testing tollgates were strategically placed in the CI/CD pipeline to ensure that only validated and reliable components proceed to the next stage.
Key Business Benefits/Impact
The most striking change was observed in the release process. Previously averaging 4-8 hours, release times were dramatically reduced to an impressive average of 10-30 minutes.
A significant reduction in regression testing efforts, translating to up to a 50% decrease. This efficiency gain afforded the client the valuable opportunity to redirect their efforts towards expanding regression testing coverage, safeguarding against defects, and enhancing overall software quality.
Substantial (90%) reduction in the involvement of business users in system and integration testing. This streamlining allowed business users to refocus on core activities, significantly enhancing productivity and resource allocation. Sprint deliveries, once characterized by potential delays, became a dependable on-time occurrence, contributing to a heightened sense of predictability and enabling more effective project planning.
The solution orchestrated a noteworthy reduction in time-to-market, halving the average time from 6 weeks to 3 weeks. This expedited delivery timeline allowed the client to respond more swiftly to market demands and enabled them to capitalize on emerging opportunities. The solution thoroughly transformed the client's DevSecOps practices, as the migration from Jenkins to GitHub Actions, Bitbucket to GitHub, and Nexus to JFrog ushered in a new era of streamlined and cohesive development processes. This transition was further reinforced by the consolidation of containerization into Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), enhancing deployment efficiency and scalability.
One of the most compelling advancements was the expansion of automation coverage, which surged from a modest 5% to an impressive 40% within 9 months. This monumental leap, encompassing the addition of over 2500 scripts across 40+ applications, significantly fortified the client's testing capabilities, leading to heightened accuracy, comprehensive testing, and increased product stability.
Key Project Highlights/Solution/Value Adds
Continuous Testing in CI/CD
We revolutionized the software development landscape by embracing Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD). Our implementation automated critical aspects such as merge, release, and incremental changes while streamlining software deployment. Traditional roadblocks that impeded development efficiency were eliminated, paving the way for a new era of streamlined, agile methodology.
The integration of CI/CD facilitated seamless coordination between development and operations teams. Code quality improved, enhancing productivity as cleaner code became the standard. This transformation drastically reduced risks in product delivery, ensuring smoother and more reliable outcomes.
Accelerated Automation
Accelerated testing brought a paradigm shift in the client's product development lifecycle. The client achieved significantly shorter time-to-market intervals for their innovative financial offerings by expediting the testing process. It acted as a robust shield against potential pitfalls by thoroughly assessing software for vulnerabilities, security gaps, and functional flaws. As a result, the client improved their risk management strategy, safeguarded critical data, and fortified their compliance with industry regulations. The result- a reduction in testing timelines and identifying defects early in the development cycle; the client was able to reduce unnecessary expenditures associated with post-deployment issue resolution. The client successfully restored confidence among regulators, investors, and stakeholders by identifying and rectifying compliance gaps during the testing phase.
Birlasoft orchestrated a harmonious fusion of previously lacking systems by fostering synergy between development and operations. This newfound collaboration paved the way for accelerated product releases, a fundamental aspect that once affected the client. Test automation played a pivotal role in augmenting the client's agility, enabling them to navigate the dynamic landscape of digital offerings effectively, match the swiftness of their services, and deliver innovative solutions to the market.
