Roq Supports Implementation of New CRM Application

The Client 

The client is a joint venture between two leading organisations to operate and deliver key contracts on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. Its focus is to support Armed Forces by delivering essential infrastructure and housing services across the UK.

Building on the proven track record of its parent companies, the client provides Estate Management and Occupancy Management services to approximately 49,000 UK military homes. It delivers a full range of housing services including managing ‘Move In’ and ‘Move Out’ appointments, allocations, furniture provision, and maintenance and improvement work.

The client was looking to implement a new online asset management tool to replace an existing system that was no longer fit for purpose, as well as introduce mobile devices for maintenance engineers. They recognised the need for an external partner to support the development of a complex Managed Test Service programme, including the upgrade and migration of legacy systems, the integration of a customised Microsoft Dynamics CRM application, and large scale data migration/transformation.

Reporting directly to the CIO, the client wanted the testing partner to take the lead on quality across the whole programme and to offer an independent view and focus. A priority was to encourage more communication and consistency between the existing teams, who were working in silos with little exposure to the activities and goals of other partner agencies.

Roq’s Solution

Due to the sensitive nature of the project, a Roq team of 15 test professionals was deployed on-site. Everyone was required to have the appropriate security clearance as they were dealing with large volumes of confidential data. Having responsibility for the full end-to-end testing requirement, Roq initially had to define the overall programme test strategy which incorporated System, System Integration, Technical Data Migration and UAT/BAT phases.

Once the test strategy was defined and agreed, Roq supported and encouraged wider programme planning activities, where processes were not previously defined or followed, resulting in poor scheduling and implementation. It was also imperative that with five separate third party suppliers working across the programme, clear guardrails had to be established and guidance had to be provided on the responsibilities of testing. To encourage engagement, workshops were established with all parties, including business users, to work through and gain agreement on the defined processes and their appropriate responsibilities.

Throughout the delivery process Roq established three core test teams (Technical, Functional and Integration) which were supplemented accordingly as the test phases ramped up and down.

The Outcome  

Through introducing new project processes, significant improvements in planning, forecasting and reporting could be achieved across the whole organisation.

By successfully embedding testing in the agile development process, the defect failure rate was reduced from 25% to less than 10%, speeding up release cycles and reducing costs whilst also identifying issues before they were included in a release.

The flexible resourcing model allowed Roq to be fully responsive to the client’s needs throughout the project, ramping up during certain test phases and introducing specialists when appropriate.

By championing quality and acting as a bridge across all the third-party suppliers, a more collaborative approach was established with a clear and single view of the client’s objectives shared by all.

If you’d like to find out more about how Roq can support your business, please email us at ask@roq.co.uk.