Case Study
Luxury retailer achieves 70% faster test cycles with UST’s test automation solution
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:
- Enhanced test coverage—that minimized manual testing
- Improved overall application quality—resulting in more reliable, efficient system performance
- Faster response to market demands—thanks to streamlined production release processes
- Eliminated critical production defects—significantly improving digital service quality
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:
- Saved more than £91,000 annually—by optimizing test automations
- Reduced POS regression test cycle time by 70%—ensuring faster production releases
- Achieving 75% coverage—after automating 314 POS regression test cases
- Reduced cost of quality by 25%—thanks to shift-left practices that detect defects earlier in the development process
To learn more about UST quality engineering solutions, click here.