StickyMinds.

com and Better Software magazine presents…

How to Build a Testing Center of Excellence

Sponsored by Cognizant

This event aired on July 8, 2008.

 TCOE
Building
Testing centers of Excellence

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 Testing CoE

 Voice of Customers

Agenda
 TCoE Models
 Scope
 Activities
 Critical Success Factors
 Key Considerations

TCoE Ecosystem
Q&A

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 © 2006,
© 2007, Cognizant
Cognizant Technology
Technology Solutions.
Solutions. Confidential
Confidential
• Definition | Development |
Maintenance of test processes,
standards & templates
• Facilitation of Test
Management Community • Provision of Functional, UAT
• Metrics Reporting & & liaison services
Management • Flexible resource pool
• Test Process Training • Provision | Administration | • Provision of NFT Services & creation
• Continuous Process Support of Test Infrastructure Test Automation Services • Provision of specialized
Improvement (CPI) and Test Tools • Technical Test Consultancy testing services

Testing
Testing NFT & Shared
Tools/
Process CoE Infrastructure Automation CoE Testing Team
CoE

centralized
Decentralized
© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential
 Testing Process CoE
Services Critical Success Factors
• Process definitions & Roll-out
• Process facilitation & maintenance
• Organizational strategy alignment
• Process Compliance Audit
• Effective Communication & Training
• Facilitation of Test management community
• Effective Piloting and Evaluation
• Continuous process improvement
• Process compliance review mechanism

Activities Key Considerations

• Assessment of existing process assets
• Representation of key stakeholders from various
Pre Setup

• Define/Refine and standardize processes groups

• Institute metrics framework
• Seed change agents to facilitate propagation
• Usage guidelines and communication plan
• Establish centralized process framework • Closed loop feedback mechanism

• Communicating, Piloting & Training

Post Setup

• Process audits
• Change management
• Industry benchmarking

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 Infrastructure & Tools CoE
Services Critical Success Factors
• Tool evaluation
• Clear understanding of opportunities for operational
• Testing tools technical support efficiencies
• Test tool license management & administration • Demand forecasting mechanism
• Tool process standardization • Tool/Infrastructure utilization & Optimization
• Tool optimization • Service Level Agreements

Activities
• Tools inventory Key Considerations
Pre Setup

• Tool evaluation
• Tool standardization for testing activities such as
• Capacity planning & Platform optimization
requirement management, defect management etc.
• ROI Analysis
• Leverage vendor organization’s tool partnership
• Tool licensing & procurement policy
• Tool set integration
• Maintain tools inventory • Alternative tool pricing model
Post Setup

• Tool administration, upgrades, license

management & tools training
• Monitoring & maintenance
• Incident management workflow

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 NFT & Automation CoE
NFT Services Critical Success Factors
• Performance testing
Value-Adds
• Security testing • Uniform Automation/Performance Testing guidelines
• Usability testing • Technical consultancy & scripting standards
• Workload Modeling • Feasibility analysis
• Reusable Automation/Performance testing framework
& work load models
Automation
• Defined Non Functional/automation testing
• Test Automation
requirements
• Framework design and Implementation

Activities Key Considerations

• Review/Refine & publish scripting standards and • Scope for Regression & Test Automation based on
guidelines scheduled releases
Pre Setup

• Resource sharing & allocation models • Utilize Tools CoE for standards & guidelines
definition
• ROI Analysis
• Utilize Process CoE for propagation of best practices
• Team identification

• Feasibility analysis & Proof of concepts

Post Setup

• Construct reusable frameworks

• Technical Training/Support
• Technical test consulting

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 Shared Testing Team
Basic Services Critical Success Factors
• Functional testing
• System testing/SIT Support &
Consultancy • Identification of core vs. non-core business functions.
• Acceptance testing
Specialized • Defect Management • Strong Governance Model
• Compliance testing • Test Life Cycle • KPI identifications
• DW testing modeling
• Agile testing • Management by Metrics
• SOA testing • Test Strategy
• Product/Package testing conceptualization

Activities Key Considerations

• Establish test management office
• Tracking mechanism to measure achievements over
Pre Setup

• Scope analysis & demand forecasting

period of time against established goals
• Engagement & Sourcing model
• Institute training program • Cross-functional training
• KPI definition • Effective collaboration of Business Analysts and QA

• Resource allocation
Post Setup

• Skill assessment and training

• Test program management
• Construct knowledge assets

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 Piloting for Success

Shared Testing Tools

Defined basic processes Standardized tool management
Pre-requisites
Defined scope and schedule Tool licensing & procurement policy
System Testing
System Integration Testing
Scope Test Management
UAT support

Pilot Length 3-6 months 4-8 weeks

Business Disruption High Medium
Data Generation & Sanitization Reporting utilities, portlets
Pilot Accelerators Knowledge Repository
Dash-boards
Increased Test Coverage Traceability
Benefit Realization

Short-term Established Quality gates Effective defect management

Objective Go/No-Go decisions
Improved productivity & test effectiveness
Reduced defect leakage
Long Term Management by metrics
Cycle time reduction
Quality Gains
Project types New project OR AVM Project Existing projects

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 Piloting for Success
Automation Non-functional testing
Defined automation scripting standards
Defined NFT requirements
&guidelines
Pre-requisites Tools Inventory Defined NFT scripting standards & guidelines
Tool Evaluation Feasibility analysis
Tool licensing & procurement policy
Feasibility Analysis
ROI Analysis Performance
Proof of Concepts Security (Application Vulnerability Assessment &
Scope
Reusable framework Usability
Proof of concepts
Pilot Length Minimum 4 releases per year 6-8 weeks
Business Disruption Low Medium
Automation framework Tool driven testing
Pilot Accelerators Skilled resources Leveraging existing labs
Skilled resources
Consistency Identifying bottlenecks & vulnerabilities
Benefit Realization

Short-term Improved Coverage

Reusability Enhanced user experience

Reduced maintenance Customer retention
Long Term
Cost Savings

Project types Release-based New projects AND Web-based

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 TCoE Ecosystem
Testing Center Of Excellence

Service Spectrum
System
System Regression Test
Integration UAT
Testing Testing Automation
testing

Process COE

Infrastructure & Test Test  Process Maintenance

Tools COE Metrics Program
Management Management  Process Definition
 Tool Maintenance &
 Metrics Program
Support
Testing
>  Test Process Training
 Test Automation > Center of  Continuous Process
 Tool Implementation Excellence
Test Improvement
Planning & Test
 Tool Provision
Estimation Reporting  Best Practice
implementation
Test Design Test
& Execution &
Build Management
>

Core – Flexible Standard process Common Tools, Solution Governance

resourcing & Frameworks Infrastructure & Accelerations/ structure
Automation Best practices

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

Good Luck
on your TCOE Journey

© 2007, Cognizant Technology Solutions. Confidential

 Q&A
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