Client Overview 

A company operates as a global leader in the Data Economy, specializing in transforming information assets into actionable insights. By collecting, aggregating, and analyzing vast amounts of business data, the company enables corporate decision-makers to optimize operations and drive economic performance. With a strong focus on innovation and data security, the company sought to improve its software release process by leveraging test automation.

Challenges 

When we joined the project, the existing QA automation framework was in poor condition, with a pass rate of only ~16%. Several critical challenges needed to be addressed:

1. Outdated and unreliable tests
   A significant portion of the test suite was obsolete, leading to frequent failures and false negatives. The framework lacked proper structure, making it neither maintainable nor scalable.
2. Accelerating the release cycle
   The client aimed to reduce their release cycle from two weeks to one week and, ultimately, transition to a “release when ready” approach.
3. Automating post-deployment testing
   The client wanted the full automated test suite to be executed after every deployment, with analyzed results readily available.
4. API token management
   The previous team manually refreshed an API access token before every pipeline execution, which was both inefficient and a security risk. The client required an automated and secure method to handle this process.
5. Secure storage of sensitive data
   Other sensitive data, such as user credentials and test payment information, were stored in plain text within the repository, posing a security risk. A more secure storage solution was necessary.
6. Consultation on automation for other products
   The client needed expert guidance on expanding automation across their entire suite of products.

Solution 

To address these challenges, we implemented a structured, phased approach:

1. Test framework stabilization
   We initiated a maintenance campaign to rapidly improve the reliability of the test suite. Within a month, the pass rate increased from ~16% to ~100%. Once stability was achieved, we split sprint cycles into two phases:

• The first phase focused on developing new test cases.
• The second phase focused on reworking and optimizing existing tests.
• Integration of automated post-deployment testing
  With a reliable framework in place, we began executing the full test suite after each deployment to the test environment. This laid the foundation for transitioning to a one-week sprint cycle and, eventually, a continuous release model.
• Automated API token management
  We integrated an automated mechanism to retrieve the API access token dynamically by capturing and extracting it from an API response after login. This eliminated the need for manual updates and removed the security risk of storing tokens in plain text.
• Secure handling of sensitive data
  Instead of storing credentials and test payment information in the repository, we migrated all sensitive data to a secure secrets management system. These credentials were then injected into the test pipeline via environment variables, ensuring compliance with security best practices.
• Consultation and knowledge sharing
  Beyond our immediate project scope, we provided consultation and best practices to help the client’s teams enhance their automation frameworks for other products, fostering a more scalable and sustainable test automation strategy across the organization.

Results

Through these improvements, we transformed an unreliable automation framework into a robust, scalable, and secure solution. The test automation suite now runs seamlessly after every deployment, supporting the company’s goal of achieving faster and more efficient software releases. Additionally, our security enhancements significantly reduced risks associated with sensitive data storage, aligning with industry best practices.

By providing both technical solutions and strategic guidance, we helped the client optimize their QA automation efforts, setting them on a path toward a highly efficient and secure continuous delivery model.