While no program of change is ever as straightforward as it seems, integrating new software or systems across business environments can be particularly tricky. Especially for financial institutions, there’s an increasingly high demand for improved technology at both front and back end.
As well as this, the rollout of new digital products and services is being expected at a rapid pace. Financial services customers don’t like waiting, but can your business keep up?
While keeping up is one thing, keeping up successfully is another. With 88% of digital transformations failing, the value of good testing and quality assurance processes are more apparent than ever.
The big question is — how does your quality assurance and testing measure up?
Three main areas of assessment
Change that involves a new or redefined approach to technology requires taking all aspects of your business into account, at every level. This is why even though several factors can hinder great digital experiences, it usually comes down to a lack of preparation and poor testing.
With continuous improvement and consistent monitoring also playing a key role in successful programs of change, effectively testing your processes before implementation is the only way to ensure success.
For your quality assurance and testing to be effective, there are three main areas of assessment you’ll need to consider:
1. Agility
From business outcomes to your organisational structure, almost all aspects of successful business operations require agility. Across QA and testing, this is no different.
From minor adjustments to more complete reconfigurations — where data and technology are concerned, the goalposts are constantly being moved. Especially in the financial sector, even the best planned programs of change will still require last minute (and reliable!) modifications throughout.
This is why to improve your chances of success, your organisation should have access to not only the right software, but also the right level of expertise.
Luckily, it’s quite literally the job of QA and testing specialists to manage change and understand what processes will work best for your business. From Agile and DevOps methodologies to finding the most appropriate digital solutions for you, the transition to new ways of working is a lot smoother with a QA team in place.
To further improve the agility of your QA and testing processes, you should also consider:
- Adopting automation as much as possible — Automated tests can run as often as you like and can be more easily adapted to suit change
- Utilising professional QA specialists from planning stages — Having the right expertise in place from the start can help you avoid delays and spot early roadblocks to the success of your project
- Ensuring your entire organisation is on board with change — When there’s issues with a new system, team members have a tendency to revert back to old methods instead of adapting their approach. With a QA team on board to support the implementation of change, team members can get the immediate assistance they need
Tip: A lack of agility can also result in missed opportunities for your business. This is often due to the full potential of your new systems not being optimised early enough. With the ability to adapt your systems and strategy more easily e.g., through the use of automation, you can identify what adjustments need to be made ahead of time and ensure better results all round.
2. Governance
When it comes to altering your business to suit a fast-paced and ever-changing market, having control over your plans, resources, and costs is essential. This is why having one clearly defined strategy and model for implementing change can help streamline the entire process.
With project governance in place, everyone in your organisation can better understand the role they’ll need to play to make your program of change a success. Additionally, with tasks and responsibilities all agreed upon in advance, key decisions can be made more easily and effectively.
Before implementing your next growth phase, consider if you have the following measures in place:
- A realistic schedule and budget
- Assigned leaders to oversee and manage your project
- A core team of dedicated QA and testing specialists
- A well-researched network of additional QA and testing experts to utilise as required
- A library of well-managed documents that can be easily accessed by all relevant team members
- A system where team members can raise concerns about new systems and access the support they need
The main goal of governance is to ensure that QA and testing is fully aligned with your business objectives. Without project governance in place, any kind of change within your organisation is likely to struggle.
With a lack of clarity usually the main culprit for the failure of digital transformations, it’s important to know who is in charge and how to keep your project moving with success in mind.
3. Quality
The full scope of your business consists of people, technology, data, and processes — all of which need to align for growth. With an end-to-end quality assurance strategy, your new processes are more likely to reach their full potential. Quality assurance is not only about identifying defects, it’s about preventing them.
Especially within the financial sector, safeguarding the integrity of your business data and internal processes is imperative for maintaining a good reputation. This is where effective in-house management systems come in; your internal systems and structures need to support change in order to give front end users the best possible experience.
With the right tools and delivery team in place, programs of change within your business will not only have better outcomes, your business will also have more solid foundations for further changes in the future.
We suggest:
- Having checkpoints or ‘quality gates’ in place to monitor the progress of change
- Ensuring quality is part of all vendor and partner agreements (as well as communicating its value to team members across your organisation!)
- Using automation wherever possible to ensure the immediate detection of system failures and flaws
Tip: QA teams should always have a plan of action for your business in place before they start work. Be sure to inquire about their exact process and request an outline of the steps they’ll be implementing. A great QA and testing team will always be transparent about the service they’re providing and quality will always be at the forefront.
How can you ensure your business is ready for change?
At Assured Thought, we specialise in testing and quality assurance of programs of change, with a focus on continuous improvement and monitoring. Technology is constantly moving — we want to help you move with it.
To help keep your business on track, we’ve developed a FREE two-minute assessment to help you evaluate your current approach to quality assurance and testing.
After completing the assessment, you’ll receive a personalised report outlining potential areas for improvement. Start your free assessment now.
If you’d like even more details about how your QA and testing procedures can be improved, you can also book a free, no-obligation strategy call today.
The best way to ensure success is to prepare for it and that’s exactly why we’re here.
