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are spending their money. This gold • Scalability testing: Validating the application’s
architecture for scalability with huge volumes
mine of information must be leveraged of big data.
by BFS organizations to help design
• Security testing: Data security testing at
products and services tailored to different levels of the application is hypercritical.
customers’ needs. To move beyond “doing digital” to “being digital,”
we recommend that organizations embrace a big
data testing strategy that does the following:
Big Data Analytics Testing: Aiding
Decision-Making • Demands greater skill sets from testers as
Big data analytics has become a cornerstone testing teams must also be responsible for
in the digital transformation journey of many identifying data irregularities, validating data
BFS organizations. The driver is customer quality and confirming the accuracy of the ETL
service improvements, delivered through mass process.
personalization and modernization of account • Defines new strategies and processes for
management by leveraging customer feedback checking the quality of big data; this requires
and drawing meaningful insights. In our work with setting up validation processes for establishing
the fifth largest U.S. bank, campaign analytics, accuracy and meaningfulness of big data.
segmentation and personalized recommendations
BFS firms make faster and more accurate • Focus on Agile testing principles such as time
decisions that drive value is why big data boxing, DSDM5 test approach and exploratory
testing.
analytics and testing is soaring in popularity.
• Create versatile Agile testing teams composed
• Emphasizes automation tools that can handle of a mix of business analysts, developers, and
complexities associated with large volumes of QA and testing professionals. Agile testing
data and tools for instant deployment and that warrants an increase in the proportion of
will focus on live data integration testing. onshore and near-shore testing teams. Hybrid
team structures and testing teams with diverse
BFS organizations must overcome big data analysis
skill sets are helpful in accomplishing this.
challenges such as acquiring and analyzing
data from multiple sources, the lack of right test • Adapt traditional Waterfall testing methods
automation tools/methods and inadequate QA to include Agile-type Scrums and risk-based
skill sets. However, the ability of big data analytics analysis for focused testing efforts. This can
to help BFS firms make faster and more accurate help BFS organizations facilitate their transition
decisions that drive value is why big data analytics to full-fledged Agile testing.
and testing is soaring in popularity.
• Embrace Agile test automation tools to
significantly reduce regression and integration
Agile and DevOps Testing: Delivering
testing times. Testing tools that ensure
Incremental Value Fast maximum reusability of test scripts must
Faster time to market, demands for greater trans- be leveraged by organizations to obtain full
parency and the pressing business need for risk benefits of their Agile journey.
mitigation are nudging many BFS organizations
BFS organizations must embrace an integrated
to switch to Agile development methodologies.
DevOps quality approach with the DevOps delivery
Agile promises improved efficiency and speed, and cycle, wherein the role of the DevOps QA engineer
also facilitates the creation of tools and software is central to the DevOps teams. Also, test-driven
to satisfy dynamic customer behavior. One of our development models are required to bring more
largest clients digitalized their transactions by agility to the quality assurance process. A DevOps
using Agile and DevOps4 delivery approaches. With quality approach is based on continuous testing
three releases per day, they reported productivity and continuous quality monitoring. A quality
improvements and higher customer and employee automation framework can be implemented for
satisfaction tracked through their continuous this, which can fulfill all QA-related needs around
monitoring and survey scores. In our experience, continuous build, deployment and monitoring,
BFS organizations should embrace more Agile and and it can provide a virtualized environment for
DevOps techniques for increased on-budget and quality validation, as depicted in Figure 1.
Developer
Test VM
Integrate
Scripts/Jobs Built
VM Deploy Run
Set-up Application Functional
Environment Smoke Test UI Test Archive
PIPELINE
Figure 1
cognizant 20-20 insights 6
Challenges when transitioning to an Agile or • Develop faster and more structured testing
DevOps methodology include the lack of an solutions for Agile- and DevOps-driven projects.
effective testing approach, an inability to apply Combine risk-based testing strategies with test-
test automation, difficulty in applying the right driven development. Also, Agile testers need
focus areas and lack of Agile test expertise. to be more knowledgeable about business
However, BFS organizations must cross the initial processes and development techniques.
hurdles and establish a personalized Agile or
DevOps testing strategy if they hope to keep up
• Get a head start on automation with a test-
driven approach. Automate early, before the UI is
with modern consumers’ ever-changing demands
ready, and consider deploying service virtualization
for personalized products and services.
to test before services become available.
Looking Ahead: Key Takeaways • Improve test efficiency beyond operation-
• Adapt your organization’s QA and testing al levels while controlling costs. Improve
models to new technologies required by test governance, effective use of specialists,
digital transformation. Testers not only standardization of processes and increased
need specialized testing skills, but also better automation levels.
knowledge of business and industry. • Increase focus on nonfunctional testing, spe-
• Focus on omnichannel experience testing cifically security and performance testing.
for validating E2E customer experience. Provide state-of-the-art solutions for nonfunc-
When creating test strategies for omnichannel tional testing in a fixed-usage or output-based
applications including mobile solutions, the pricing model. A confidentiality, integrity, avail-
main focus should be on end-user experience. ability and security (CIAS) model should be
used as a new benchmark for evaluating infor-
• Increase the use of cloud and virtualization mation systems security.
solutions for test environments. Define a
cloud testing strategy after reviewing the • For a successful TCoE, combine multiple
existing test environment. business domain-oriented teams with shared
service centers. Use early quality assurance,
• Focus on IT workforce transformation. Cross- and deploy effective comanagement engage-
train and up-skill quality assurance groups to best
ments between in-house QA teams and
cater to end banking consumers in the face of
specialist third-party providers.
digitalization and technology advancements.
Footnotes
1 Deploying games across digital channels to improve customer experience and educate customers about offered
products and services. As such, it is a concerted attempt to use gaming psychology to influence (and alter)
consumer behavior. It is not a promotional strategy (to acquire more accounts, for example); it is a product
engagement strategy, to deepen relationships.
2 A methodology or approach in which testing is performed early in the product lifecycle. The idea is to “test
early and often” to improve quality, reduce cost and quicken time to market. Such initiatives can take different
forms: traditional, incremental, Agile/DevOps or model-based Shift-Left testing.
3 For more on this topic, please read Code Halos: How the Digital Lives of People, Things, and Organizations are
Changing the Rules of Business, by Malcolm Frank, Paul Roehrig and Ben Pring, published by John Wiley &
Sons, April 2014, http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118862074.html.
4 A cultural shift in product delivery that aims at greater collaboration across departments and focuses on
continuous integration between development, QA and operation activities. The DevOps approach leads to
significantly shorter time to market, improved customer satisfaction, better product quality, more reliable
releases, improved productivity and efficiency, and the increased ability to build the right product by rapid
experimentation. The approach is gaining increasing adoption across industries.
5 Dynamic systems development method is an Agile project delivery framework primarily used as a software
development method. It is an iterative and incremental approach that embraces principles of Agile develop-
ment, including continuous user/customer involvement.
Mayank Saxena is a Senior Consultant within Cognizant’s Process and Quality Consulting Practice. He has over
eight years of technology and process consulting, due diligence and E2E assessment experience, using industry-
leading models and frameworks, and has worked on global engagements for Fortune 500 companies across the
BFS, technology and e-commerce domains. Mayank can be reached at Mayank.Saxena@cognizant.com.
Sulagna Bagchi is a Business Analyst within Cognizant’s Process and Quality Consulting Practice. She has over
three years of experience and has worked across the BFS, insurance and e-commerce domains. Sulagna can be
reached at Sulagna.Bagchi @cognizant.com.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Rajiv Joshi, a Senior Director within Cognizant’s Quality Engineering and
Assurance Services Practice, for insights that helped inform this white paper.
About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business
process services, dedicated to helping the world’s leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquar-
tered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology inno-
vation, deep industry and business process expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies
the future of work. With over 100 development and delivery centers worldwide and approximately 255,800
employees as of September 30, 2016, Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes
Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing companies
in the world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant.
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