Case Study

Luxury retailer achieves 70% faster test cycles with UST’s test automation solution

Through UST's agile test automation and shift-left strategies, a renowned U.K. luxury retailer achieved remarkable operational gains. With 75% POS automated test coverage, a 70% reduction in test cycle times, and over £200,000 in annual savings, the retailer eliminated critical defects and accelerated production, redefining efficiency and digital service quality.

OUR CLIENT

This luxury department store in the U.K. is renowned for its opulent shopping experience. It offers a wide range of high-end goods, from designer fashion to gourmet food. Spanning multiple floors covering more than a million square feet, the retailer serves approximately 15 million customers a year.

THE CHALLENGE

Test automation issues—high costs, long release cycles, and defect leakage

The client faced significant test automation challenges due to high testing costs, production release delays, and inefficient manual regression testing processes. Moreover, frequent application updates and emergency releases demanded continuous regression testing, which further strained IT resources.

Manual testing of point-of-sales (POS) applications across various platforms added to the high regression cycle times, limiting the company’s ability to deliver timely and high-quality releases. Additionally, these challenges were compounded by ineffective performance testing and a lack of standardized metrics for defect management and reporting. As a result, the client grappled with increased production defect leakage from inadequate test coverage in critical areas of its operations.

THE TRANSFORMATION

Streamlined releases and improved application quality through agile methodologies and custom frameworks

UST addressed the client’s challenges with a comprehensive transformation focusing on shift-left testing. The company achieved 75% automation coverage across its POS application landscape by implementing a unified test automation framework. The approach prioritized automation from the outset, adding critical test cases and framework customization to ensure flexibility for the retailer’s diverse technology requirements. Using UST's QE360 platform, the client gained automated key performance indicator (KPI) tracking, leading to more efficient reporting. The integration of Azure DevOps with the automation framework enabled seamless test management and reporting.

Additionally, UST introduced agile test automation methodologies, reducing the company’s reliance on manual testing and delivering optimized regression testing. The client now enjoys automated POS system testing and non-functional testing across its retail website, leading to faster test cycles and improved application quality. The client achieved these operational benefits:

THE IMPACT

Reduced test cycle times by 70% and saved £200,000 annually

With zero critical production defects and yearly savings exceeding £200,000, UST’s testing solutions proved transformative for the retailer, driving efficiency and operational excellence. Here are quantitative business improvements:

To learn more about UST quality engineering solutions, click here.

RESOURCES

https://www.ust.com/en/ust-qe360

https://www.ust.com/en/insights/innovative-testing-solutions-by-ust-helped-indonesian-bank-boost-efficiency-50-percent

https://www.ust.com/en/industries/retail-and-cpg