Software Testing Helps Checkpoint Stay in the Black with HSBC
Background
Checkpoint Security, a Bottomline Technologies owned company,
is the UK's market leader in payments and collection solutions.
The company's software technologies help its customers improve
the way they process payments, collect funds and manage secure
business documents. Checkpoint's core mission is to deliver
innovative solutions that increase efficiency, productivity
and security, which in turn assists businesses to gain a greater
business advantage.
The company's product portfolio includes payments solutions such as cheques, BACS, CheckPAY and cheque printing, Direct Debit Collection solutions, Total Direct Debit solutions. Checkpoint also offers Business Document Management which helps improve cash-flow through efficient document distribution and secure printing with PrintNET - Europe's largest security printing resource - providing cheque, voucher, ticket, license, certificates and bonds and drafts printing.
The problem
Although Checkpoint is the market leader and the single biggest
provider of BACS payment systems to banks and building societies,
it shares many of the same problems as other software and
hardware vendors in recruiting permanent IT staff. This results
in staff shortages for Checkpoint, especially in areas of
particular expertise. Also, like any other company, Checkpoint
is under pressure to get its product to market and to its
customer in the shortest possible time.
"We had a situation where the customer, HSBC Bank, wanted
the product quickly. At the time we didn't have the capacity
or the human resources to respond to this. We were in a situation
where if the customer didn't get the product within the time
scale agreed the client would be unhappy and the alternative
would be a product that didn't work."
"In the world of finance and banking no-one could afford to make that mistake." said the Test Manager, Checkpoint Securities.
Checkpoint set about finding a company that could provide automated testing on the BACS product. It needed a company that was going to be flexible and fast and that would provide the expertise that the project needed quickly. SQS-UK group was approached by Checkpoint on recommendation. After assessment, it was felt by the team at Checkpoint that SQS-UK would be the right partner for the job.
"We laid out our requirements and SQS-UK quite SQS-UKply provided the best solutions. We felt that that SQS-UK reflected our own company ideals. We were not only confident that they would do the job but we also felt that we could trust them.", said Checkpoint.
The solution
SQS-UK tested the Checkpoint payment product using an automated
test tool, tMosaic™. The programme involved functional
testing of the application and end-user requirements. To do
this an end-user from HSBC was involved in the initial planning
stages so that a full set of use-case scenarios could be scripted.
From this initial meeting SQS-UK was able to provide a full
test plan.
"SQS-UK clearly demonstrated that they had a good understanding of the business processes and business needs and they put together a really good plan. If I had any criticism I would say that it would have been good to have had more consultants on site, however the right person was never more than a phone call away," said Checkpoint.
Competitive Advantage through
automated testing
Automated testing is good for business. Bob Bartlett, Managing
Director, SQS-UK Group: "We will find the bugs in your
software before your customers do. Testing means that your
product, hardware or software will not give your customers
a bad experience. SQS-UK has developed its own unique approach
to the automation process. tMosaic™ is an already-proven
combination of techniques, tools and training. tMosaic™
is effective on all systems and platforms and has the flexibility
to be customised to support existing methodologies already
in use at client sites."
For Checkpoint the most important reason for automated testing is that it reduces costs. For Checkpoint, the cost of getting a new release through these final stages and to market is more than halved by using automated testing techniques. Because of automated testing, future releases of the products will have even less cost associated with them. In addition, automating tests eliminates the risk of human error.
"Automated testing gives us a much quicker turn-around. It enables us to drastically reduce the time it takes to get the products out of the door. What would have previously taken us two or three weeks could now be done in two or three days. What better way is there to get ahead of the competition?"
"We have every confidence in SQS-UK's ability. They
were great people to work with - real professionals. We believe
that they are experts in automated testing and they have certainly
been testing for a long time. We anticipate that we will be
working with SQS-UK again in the future on projects where
we will be able to fully utilise the experience and expertise
that they deliver," said Checkpoint.