CenturyLink's Game-Changing Strategies for Increasing Project Quality

CenturyLink’s Game-Changing Strategies
for Increasing SAP Project Quality
Cam Nolan, Dir., IT Development &
Tara Elmore, IT Manager
CenturyLink
Session ID# 4659

• Hear how CenturyLink uses high-velocity business process testing
to boost quality, cut costs and accelerate SAP projects
• Learn how CenturyLink is reducing system upgrade test cycles from
a month to a week with a robust library of automated, repeatable
tests, and achieving new quality standards for materials
management, HR and finance operations
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• See how a move from manual testing to functional test
automation allows CenturyLink to save time and reduce staff
required for testing
• Understand how CenturyLink utilizes regression testing to
ensure quality by uncovering defects before they enter
production environments
• Discover how you can speed SAP projects, ensure quality and
reduce test cycle times at your organization
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global
communications, hosting, cloud & IT services
company enabling millions of customers to
transform their businesses and their lives
through innovative technology solutions.
• Offers network and data systems
management, Big Data analytics and IT
consulting
• Operates more than 55 data centers in NA,
Europe & Asia
• Provides broadband, voice, video, data and
managed services
INTRODUCTION

ENTERPRISE APPLICATION LANDSCAPE

• Must speed-up testing cycles for
system upgrades
• Need to support twice-yearly
regression testing of SAP
Support Pack (“Hotpack”)
upgrades
• Desire to execute more daily
testing
• Need to save time and money
• Must improve quality assurance
BUSINESS NEEDS AND DRIVERS FOR
FUNCTIONAL TEST AUTOMATION

• Deliver faster projects with better quality
• Reduce the number of testing hours
• Strengthen business process quality
• Create a portfolio of re-usable automated tests
• Reduce and streamline so business analysts can focus
on other activities
• Uncover more defects before production
• Conduct full end-to-end testing across multiple
business areas
AUTOMATION GOALS

• Used Worksoft Certify® functional test automation to
create regression tests; enable support and configuration
testing for SAP modules and Enterprise Portal
• Developed a portfolio of automated, repeatable tests
• Focused tests to support key areas:
– HR & Finance; Projects & Assets; Requisition to Pay; Order
to Cash; Accounts Payable and HCM/Payroll
– Business Processes: Materials Management: Procure-to-
Pay
• End of 2015 goal was to build and execute 200 tests.
By December, 227 business process tests were
developed. Goal surpassed!
APPROACH

Shortened Project Timelines & Faster Innovation
• System upgrade test cycles reduced from a month to a
week using a robust library of automated, re-usable tests
• Testing time cut in half for Materials Management test
scenarios
• A 1,500 step test for complex sourcing was reduced from
one week to one day
• Creation of master data set up for individual scenarios
took hours with manual testing; now takes only minutes
INITIAL PROJECT BENEFITS

Improved Quality &
Greater Process Coverage
• 20-30% more defects
caught before production
• Executed daily testing for
incoming change requests
(Federal Warehouse
Management & LCAM
Partial Shipments)
INITIAL PROJECT BENEFITS

• Better Quality: Established new quality standards for
materials management, HR and finance operations
– Improved defect resolution performance
• Faster Cycles: Overall reduction in testing cycle times -
even with fewer team members
– Automation reduced headcount by one person
• Staff Efficiency: Business analysts got back at least 10%
of their time for other projects & higher value activities
– Teams can now focus on interface testing for portal or
project systems
RETURN ON INVESTMENT

#1: An on-site business process testing consultant can provide
great value when getting started
#2: Creating internal visibility for your team will extend across
the organization
• Use project status calls to provide frequent testing status
updates
#3: Socialize results with other groups to encourage a move to
automation
• Teams still doing manual testing are motivated by the pace
and progress of teams using automation
3 KEY LEARNING POINTS

Document
• Establish common naming conventions across teams to ensure
consistency
Educate
• Hold internal classes with other teams on how to create Worksoft
Certify tests
• Create instructional documents on downloading Worksoft Certify
software, test creation, changing options within SAP and portal
Promote
• Share weekly status updates with the leadership team to show
project status and promote success
Maintain
• Create process to update test script changes with new business
processes so future projects will not be delayed due to script errors
BEST PRACTICES

In Progress
• Building test scripts for Release Strategy to regression test the
workflow approval process. Includes SAP and mobility
platforms.
Future Plans
• Expand testing to hire-to-retire process and various HR groups
• Migration to SAP HANA: fall 2016
• Utilize Worksoft to support SuccessFactors, new mobility
platforms and future M&A activities
• Introduce Worksoft Certify Impact automated risk-based
testing solution
PLANS & EXPANSION BEYOND SAP®

• Automated business
process testing ensures we
are consistently testing the
same way every time
• Functional test automation
provides greater quality
assurance-- removes the
“human error issue”
altogether
CLOSING THOUGHTS

CenturyLink's Game-Changing Strategies for Increasing Project Quality

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Similar to CenturyLink's Game-Changing Strategies for Increasing Project Quality (20)

More from Worksoft (8)

Recently uploaded (20)

CenturyLink's Game-Changing Strategies for Increasing Project Quality