Microsoft banking migration with QA and Testing
Quality Assurance project background
A major investment bank embarked on a nine-month migration to move 30,000 users from on-premise MS Office 2016 to O365 (cloud). The first phase centred around implementing MS Teams.
With operations spanning several countries, the bank relied on four regional networks: Japan, the US, Asia (HK), and Europe (UK). MS Teams became a top priority due to its importance for global customer interactions, as its absence had disrupted business.
While Microsoft handled the configuration, implementation, and Teams rollout, the investment bank formed a team to oversee the overall program.
Why Acutest?
Acutest had already established a strong relationship with the bank, consistently delivering program-focused testing and quality assurance services.
Additionally, we bring substantial experience in quality assurance and testing for O365 migration programmes, which we have gained from working with other customers.
Challenges
For the client:
Navigating varying access rules and regulations across regions was a major challenge. As an investment bank, strict regulatory enforcement was a concern to prevent unacceptable trading activities.
They also needed to balance access to Microsoft Teams for meaningful customer engagement while remaining compliant with regulations. Identifying the necessary configuration changes to enable secure platform connectivity further complicated the process.
On top of that, the client faced conflicting priorities in terms of scope and timing across different regions.
For Acutest:
Our team needed to ensure all requirements, functional designs, and technical designs were comprehensive, testable, and measurable. This clarity was crucial for informed decision-making throughout the project.
Testing combinations of internal and external personas, regions, platforms, and functions in environments that accurately represented real-world conditions was key. Delivering quick, actionable results helped drive timely rollout decisions.
Another key challenge was establishing governance across regions and ensuring program-wide consistency in testing. Additionally, we had to ensure the automated regression testing, initiated by the client, provided maximum value.
The Quality Assurance solution
Acutest assumed the role of Programme Test and Quality Assurance Lead, as well as overseeing automation development. Our lead worked closely with stakeholders and received additional support from Acutest as required.
- We meticulously planned the test project within the broader program. By ensuring the availability of global resources – environments and personnel – we allowed sufficient time for test preparation and execution.
- Acutest introduced a governance framework that outlined the program’s testing structure, processes, quality gates, roles, responsibilities, and reporting requirements. This framework ensured that all test objectives were clearly defined and achieved.
- We established a test repository in JIRA, aligning requirements, scope, tests, defects, and results for each phase and region, ensuring all data was captured comprehensively.
- Additionally, Acutest developed a test automation framework, which integrated seamlessly with the test repository. We aligned automated test development with the scope and priorities of each implementation phase, ensuring early benefits. The results were updated directly in JIRA, creating a single source for all test outcomes and reporting.
A word from Acutest’s Assurance consultant
“This programme was a real ‘eye-opener’ into the complexities of configuring Microsoft Teams in a multi-regional, highly regulated environment. Leveraging the collaboration value of MS Teams whilst adhering to internal and regulatory frameworks was a real balancing act.
Thankfully MS Teams proved to be highly configurable. Solutions for each unique use case were identified, tested and successfully implemented. This delivered the value so needed by the organisation internally and externally. In this rapid and complex environment, the provision of clear testing metrics and prioritised automated regression testing were critical to the success of the programme.”
Guy Boyce Cam, Acutest Assurance Consultant, Principal
