These were mainly inherited problems, as a result of corporate acquisition. Unable to resolve the issues themselves, the business decided to outsource quality assurance of the materials to PTW. This enabled them to release applications with exceptional high quality, as well as reducing time-to-market and reducing operational costs.

As a major global provider of education technology and language-learning solutions, our client offers proprietary language-learning techniques which are widely acclaimed for their power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone. The company offers a wide range of language courses, from Spanish and French to Japanese and Arabic.

The company’s language learning applications are some of the most popular and advanced in the world, and are used by schools, businesses, government organizations, and millions of individuals around the world. As an aid to learning, the courses adopt a range of techniques, including written dialogue, vocalization, and images.

The company had expanded beyond language-learning support, and had grown into education technology through acquisitions and developments. With the new acquisitions adding to their catalogue of products, the client was determined to ensure that all their products would have the same high quality and performance to reflect the prestige of their brand. They also wanted to help their customers benefit from the latest product upgrades, enhanced features, additional languages, and the latest technology. They also wanted to release products to market quickly and easily.

There were multiple challenges to meet in creating the right solution for our client:

• The client had a strategic initiative to release products to market in a short span of time. Testing these products quickly, without compromising on quality or comprehensive coverage was imperative.
• The client had large testing needs, and this project required highly customized testing methods. With no central department dedicated to testing business-critical applications within the organization, there was a general lack of understanding of testing processes, as well as the value of structured testing.
• The client’s current testing resources existed in silos, and were capable only of limited application testing. As well as a lack of shared information, the client did not have sufficient hardware, platform, browser, or mobile tools to test applications.

Working in partnership with our client, we created and delivered a bespoke suite of Quality Assurance services. Our team aligned itself with the client’s teams, working collaboratively towards shared goals.

To meet the requirements, challenges and desired outcomes of the project, we provided a wide range of services and support:

Domain Knowledge Acquisition
The team members experienced intensive training programs and self-learning, to gain a full understanding of the applications.

Test Design and Execution
The team adapted well to the agile methodology, and successfully executed test life-cycle activities without any major problems.
All possible test design techniques were used, to ensure that there would be at least one test scenario for every requirement. Each requirement was tracked and mapped with test cases and defects, guaranteeing complete traceability.
The best, most suitable test types were adapted and the products were then tested thoroughly to discover all possible defects. Once the defects were fixed, they were re-tested and regressed around the fixes to ensure that there were no breaks made during fixes.

Documentation
We created and updated product-related test artifacts. These artifacts were reviewed, re-used where possible, and stored in the central repository.

Client Reviews / Feedback
We put in place periodic reviews and regular client feedback to ensure that the program was on track and the client remained satisfied with our work.
The client was thrilled with the results that our solution provided, which included:

• Improved Quality of Results

The robust test process and continuous improvement helped to achieve high quality applications, all of which exceeded the client’s standards.

• Cost Savings

By outsourcing work, the client was able to reduce staffing costs.

• Enhanced Productivity

By enhancing the client’s understanding of functional testing, providing reusable artifacts, and introducing flexible processes, we were able to help improve overall knowledge and productivity within the business.

• Time-to-market

We were able to implement automated test tools effectively, and improve overall operations, while successfully meeting the requirements for a quick release.