Regression test automation of Oracle Applications
helps intelligent infrastructure services provider
reduce cost of testing by 80%
Having invested in Oracle Applications, the client faced challenges in
regression testing due to the constant stream of Oracle upgrades. Infosys
created a test automation framework for the client that enabled it to reduce
regression testing efforts and cost by 80% and also minimize business
interruptions.
Oct 2005
2 | Infosys Case Study
The Client
The client is a global leader in intelligent infrastructure services, which facilitate internet and telephony interactions.
Business need
The client had made significant investments in implementing Oracle Applications to improve organizational responsiveness.
The challenges confronting the client arose from the continuous stream of patches and family packs released by Oracle
in response to defects and problems identified in the application, along with internal enhancements made to align the
application with changes to the business processes.
These upgrades required the client to continuously test the application against breakage. This required significant investment
of time on the part of the business users. Such frequent testing also had implications on the cost, time and quality of testing.
The business need, therefore, was
To develop a reusable and user-friendly test automation framework
Offshore the test automation activities for improved cost benefit
Integrate the test management tools to improve scheduling capability to run test scripts in various environments
Challenges
Many test cases were not properly documented with sufficient details
The documented test cases were not stored in a standard format
The assignment required strong competency in Oracle Applications to simulate and capture the users testing pattern
The Infosys approach
Infosys was chosen as the preferred partner for test automation to reduce the total cost of ownership of Oracle Applications.
Further, Infosys had to ensure the quality of deliverables and reduce the timelines for regression testing. Infosys adopted a
four-phased approach with interim deliverables to reduce uncertainty in the project. This was done using three testing tools
Quick Test Pro 6.5, Test Director 8.0 and access and execution through a Terminal Server.
Pre-automation
The pre-automation phase included:
Gathering and understanding the existing 880 regression test cases
Documentation of core test cases in the standard format, in accordance with the automation requirements
Analyzing the documented test cases for complexity, automation ability and scope for improvement
Categorization of test cases based on the respective operating unit, the module and the tracking mechanism
Automation
The automation phase included:
Designing a data-driven, modularized automation model
Defining best practices like parameterization, common library of utilities etc.
Developing the automation framework components
Automating the identified test cases using Quick Test Professional
Uploading test cases and regression scripts to the Test Director for effective management and administration
Infosys Case Study | 3
Execution of automated scripts
The execution of automated scripts included:
Multiple instances and releases
No manual intervention
Use of multiple sets of data
Fine-tuning scripts
Test management
The test management phase included:
Customization of Test Director for effective test management
Documentation of the automation framework for effective maintenance of future regression testing needs
Benefits
Improved cost savings
Automation reduced the cost of testing, following the clients initial investment to develop the regression testing suite.
Over 90% of the scripts were used as is during multiple releases
Estimated reduction of nearly 80% in the effort / cost of running each regression test cycle
Estimated reduction of 60-80% in the effort / cost of developing the automated regression suite through the Infosys
Global Delivery Model (GDM)
Minimized all business interruption costs
Delivery confidence
Increased confidence in the quality of production releases due to:
The ability to run tests more often and in a short time frame
Least manual intervention
Enhanced test coverage as a result of:
Automation of the test for multiple data sets, conditions that otherwise could not have been done because of time
constraints
Increased quality of a release through regression test cycles of modules that were not directly affected by patches or
enhancements
Issues were identified earlier in the testing cycle
Ease of use and increased maintainability
Scalable and reusable automation framework
Used across builds, releases and environments
Effective regression test management through:
Integration with the Test Director
Automated scheduling of test runs from Test Director
Integrated view of the status and reporting
Optimized resource utilization
Users were able to spend more time on testing newly implemented modules
SOX compliance testing
Internal Auditors used the automated test scripts to test and capture evidence for Sarbanes-Oxley audits. This was an
additional benefit
