Testing of Business Modelling Software

Summary

A high-tech services company had a specialized business modelling tool — built by a previous vendor on an unreliable architecture and disorganized codebase — that was too unstable to generate revenue or pass Microsoft's Platform Test for certification. INNERLUXES took over the product's development, stabilized it through bug fixing, refactoring, and layered testing (including 55 automated daily scenarios), and got it through the Microsoft Platform Test, enabling an on-time release of a stable version.

About the Client

The Client is a company providing high-tech services across all sectors of the economy — including complex consulting, project management in building and reforming business processes, creating client IT infrastructure and telecommunication space, and outsourcing in various fields.

The Challenge

The Client had a specialized business modelling tool designed to develop full-scale financial and economic models and support their ongoing functioning. The project had previously been outsourced to a vendor that produced an unreliable architecture and a disorganized codebase. Due to the product's instability, the Client couldn't generate revenue or pass the Platform Tests (including compatibility testing) needed to certify the Windows client with Microsoft. The Client engaged INNERLUXES for the product's further development — with the challenge that major refactoring could push back the release date.

The Solution

During the first testing stage, INNERLUXES discovered a large number of defects in the existing functionality and began bug fixing. Following a strict schedule, the team performed pre-certification (a QA consulting effort) in less than a month and prepared the product for the Microsoft Platform Test, which it passed successfully.

A stabilization phase ran simultaneously with bug fixing and code refactoring. The team designed a special checklist covering all requirements that could be affected by refactoring, and executed a smoke test for every new build. Once the smoke test passed, the team ran the appropriate test suite, and regression testing — re-running the developed test suites and checking that previously fixed bugs didn't reappear — was executed at the end of each refactoring phase.

To meet the deadline, INNERLUXES proposed automating the testing of functionality that could be affected by changes. The team implemented an automated test framework and test scripts covering critical issues and integrated them into the daily build of each new version before critical changes were made — automating 55 test scenarios for a daily run.

The Results

• The automated test scripts detected critical defects introduced by changes, letting the development team fix them immediately and release a new stable version on time.
• The stable release paved the way to new business opportunities and increased revenue.
• Passing the Microsoft software tests let the Client earn Microsoft Points and become a Certified Microsoft Partner, improving the company's image.

Standards, Technologies and Tools

.NET Framework, Entity Framework, LINQ, SilkTest, C#, ISO 9001, GAMP 4.