COST relies on Cegeka to mature their testing methods and test automation capabilities

Our Client

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) is a funding organization for the creation of research networks, called COST Actions. These networks offer an open space for collaboration among scientists across Europe (and beyond) and thereby give impetus to research advancements and innovation.

COST is bottom up, this means that researchers can create a network– based on their own research interests and ideas – by submitting a proposal to the COST Open Call. The proposal can be in any science field. COST Actions are highly interdisciplinary and open. It is possible to join ongoing Actions, which therefore keep expanding over the funding period of four years. They are multi-stakeholder, often involving the private sector, policymakers as well as civil society.

Since 1971, COST receives EU funding under the various research and innovation framework programs, such as Horizon 2020.

COST funding intends to complement national research funds, as they are exclusively dedicated to cover collaboration activities, such as workshops, conferences, working group meetings, training schools, short-term scientific missions, and dissemination and communication activities.

Challenges and objectives

Cost Association is looking for a service company that can help them improve and structure their testing process, deliverables and overall quality of use.

The main objectives aimed for at the start of our journey were the following:

• Understand how the software testing (and software quality) methods are 
  implemented at COST
• Identify the most important and beneficial areas for improvement
• Work out 3 improvement cards in more detail
• Perform a Proof of Concept with a test automation tool

Cegeka's solution

In mutual agreement, we decided to perform both a high-level assessment of the software testing practices, as well as to perform a Proof of Concept for test automation using Ranorex. The main focus of both initiatives was the E-COST application which is the application supporting the COST Actions.

The assessment looked at the software testing practices across the business and IT departments, involving stakeholders from all different competencies, from business analysts to software developers and operational support. It had a clear focus on both people, processes and tools, providing a view on the current situation (As Is) and possible short, mid and long term improvements that could lead to a desired future state (To Be).

COST sponsors then had the opportunity to select three items from these improvements, which would be detailed further using Project Improvement cards.

For the test automation proof of concept, our hypothesis was that Ranorex would be a good fit to use in the context provided by COST. A seasoned automation expert, together with the main software tester validated this hypothesis by automating various test scenarios of different levels of complexity.

As a final step in this first part of the journey, Cegeka presented all results to the main sponsors for both the assessment and the proof of concept. On special request an additional session was organized towards a number of other key stakeholders in COST.

Results

All of the objectives specified at the start have been achieved. Some key results include:

• 10 people interviewed
• Delivered list of improvement items including a cost-benefit heat map
• 3 project improvement cards delivered
• Successful PoC with Ranorex as the main software testing automation tool