Building a Testing Centre of Excellence for Telecom New Zealand
"There was daylight between Infosys and the others..."
- Darren Webber, Head of Testing Services, Telecom New Zealand
October 26, 2010
Telecom New Zealand's Vision
The vision was probably not dissimilar to any other test practitioner: you want independence, you want best of breed, you want to be following the latest trends, you want to be doing the best you can for the organization you work for, so I guess that's the overall vision.
The approach we took was 'better, faster, cheaper': so, better quality testing, faster time to market (that was a key driver because of the separation and regulation that was hanging over our heads), and obviously cheaper. We were in a time of cost-outs, we needed to deliver some cost savings back into the organization.
[There was] a reasonably ad hoc bespoke way we did our testing. By structuring it, re-use tools, better processes, more efficient techniques and better quality people, it gave us the results we wanted on all those fronts."
Finding the Right Partner
First of all, we were looking at a tier 1 vendor, someone that had the credibility in the marketplace - we weren't looking for someone that was unknown, we had to present our findings to the execs so it had to be an organization with a reputation.
We were looking for an organization that would fit with our culture - that came through very, very quickly. In fact, we had incidents where within the briefings, we would have discussions about some of our team going and working for Infosys - it was one of those moments where people were quite excited by the people we were dealing with.
I think Infosys came across so competently, that there was definitely daylight between Infosys and the other vendors we were choosing from. It was one of those situations where it was Infosys and… who else would we look at, just to keep the process going? They were very competent on their part."
The Outcomes
Ultimately, we've met the goals around 'better, faster, cheaper.' I think we have a better quality deliverable from a testing point of view: we have a better test method, we have better documentation reporting, that's clear for all my team to use. And the benefits in the projects, that's coming through on a daily basis.
The cost has been improved by 10, 20 percent, depending on the project, so we're banking that, that's very encouraging.
We're seeing cycle times reduced, so we're getting to market faster. We haven't got those very elongated testing cycles - they've landed, we're living those benefits.
Also, in addition to that, we've become a trusted advisor to the business. In multiple instances, we've delivered to the business, they believe what we say, we're welcomed at their table. They trust our advice, they re-engage with us willingly and help us out. It's all been very positive.
Advice for Others
Engage the best you can get - which is why I chose Infosys. Make sure you have a partner that knows what they're doing - they've been there and done it before. They'll provide you with the confidence to get the project over the line. I think that's essential - don't sacrifice that."