Product Engineering Archives

Innovate, Integrate, Iterate: How DevOps Partners Accelerate Digital Transformation

by Estuate | Aug 31, 2023 | DevOps, Product Engineering

In today’s ever-evolving business landscape, the imperative to digitally transform has never been more pressing. However, the journey towards embracing this change isn’t solely about adopting cutting-edge technologies—it involves reshaping processes, fostering innovation, and nurturing a culture of continuous improvement. This is where the strategic alliance with DevOps partners comes into play. This blog explores DevOps partners’ multifaceted role in expediting your digital transformation journey, with 10 key points to consider.

1. Innovate for Impact

DevOps partners bring a fresh perspective to the table, challenging your organization to rethink traditional approaches. By infusing innovative ideas and creative solutions, they inspire your team to think beyond the conventional. Their expertise in emerging technologies and trends allows you to explore new avenues for growth, accelerating your transformation journey with impactful changes.

DevOps partners infuse innovative ideas and creative solutions, inspiring teams to think beyond the conventional. Their expertise in emerging technologies opens new avenues for growth, propelling transformation with impactful changes.

Imagine brainstorming sessions where DevOps partners inject a burst of creativity, sparking discussions on how existing processes can be optimized. Their insights into industry trends and best practices can lead to revolutionary ideas that might have been overlooked. Through collaborative innovation workshops, your teams merge their domain expertise with the partner’s forward-looking insights, resulting in solutions that not only address current challenges but also prepare your organization for future shifts.

Additionally, DevOps partners offer a unique vantage point gained from working with diverse clients and industries. This cross-pollination of ideas allows them to bring fresh solutions that may not be evident from an internal standpoint. Their innovative input acts as a catalyst, driving transformation initiatives that have a far-reaching impact.

Infographic on 5 Key Steps to Secure Payment Processing

2. Cultivate a Culture of Collaboration

Successful transformation relies on collaboration across cross-functional teams. DevOps partners facilitate this cultural shift by fostering open communication, breaking down departmental silos, and promoting a united approach to achieving transformation goals. Their ability to bridge gaps and promote teamwork creates an environment where innovation thrives and ideas flow seamlessly.

DevOps partners aren’t just implementers; they’re cultivators of collaboration. They work as liaisons between development, operations, and other relevant teams, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Through regular meetings, joint workshops, and shared dashboards, they create a collaborative atmosphere where ideas are exchanged freely and expertise is pooled together.

This collaborative approach goes beyond project timelines. DevOps partners help establish cross-functional communities of practice, where team members from different departments can share insights and learn from each other. The result? A cultural shift where collaboration becomes ingrained in your organization’s DNA, even after the transformation project concludes.

3. Expertise in Integrating Technologies

Navigating the integration of new technologies into existing systems can be complex and riddled with challenges. DevOps partners possess the technical expertise to seamlessly weave these components together, ensuring compatibility, minimizing disruptions, and optimizing the entire ecosystem.

Integrating new technologies often involves intricate technical considerations. DevOps partners provide an informed roadmap, breaking down the integration process into manageable steps. They assess your current infrastructure, identify potential bottlenecks, and design solutions that ensure a smooth transition.

Their expertise isn’t limited to the technical aspects; they understand the impact of integration on your operations. DevOps partners collaborate with your teams to ensure that new technologies align with your workflows and support your business objectives. This holistic approach to integration guarantees that the transformation doesn’t lead to operational hiccups.

4. Enabling Continuous Iteration

Digital transformation is a continuous journey, not a one-time event. DevOps partners establish robust CI/CD pipelines that allow for swift iterations. This enables you to deploy updates and enhancements rapidly while maintaining high quality standards. With shorter development cycles and constant feedback loops, your organization can respond promptly to changing market dynamics.

DevOps partners champion the philosophy of continuous improvement. They help you establish a culture where every iteration is an opportunity for enhancement. By setting up automated testing and deployment pipelines, they ensure that your updates are released seamlessly, minimizing downtime and reducing the risk of errors.

Their contribution goes beyond technical implementation. DevOps partners assist in setting up monitoring mechanisms that track the impact of each iteration. Through real-time feedback and performance metrics, you gain insights into the effectiveness of your changes, enabling data-driven decisions for future iterations.

5. Mitigating Risks Strategically

Transformation is accompanied by inherent risks, both technical and operational. DevOps partners leverage their experience to identify potential pitfalls and design comprehensive risk mitigation strategies. This proactive approach not only safeguards your transition against disruptions but also instill confidence in stakeholders by demonstrating a well-prepared, risk-aware stance.

DevOps partners act as risk navigators, charting a course through potential obstacles. They conduct thorough risk assessments, identifying vulnerabilities in your systems and processes. By understanding the potential points of failure, they design strategies that mitigate these risks before they can materialize.

Moreover, their experience in managing similar transformations equips them with a toolbox of strategies. DevOps partners know which risk mitigation techniques are most effective in specific contexts, ensuring that your transformation journey isn’t marred by unforeseen setbacks.

6. Data-Driven Decision Making

Data is the backbone of successful digital transformation. DevOps partners leverage data analytics to establish measurable KPIs that align with your transformation objectives. By closely monitoring these indicators, you gain actionable insights that drive informed decision-making. This data-centric approach ensures that your transformation journey remains on track and delivers tangible outcomes.

DevOps partners leverage data analytics to establish measurable KPIs, providing actionable insights for informed decision-making. Customized dashboards and reports offer real-time visibility into your progress.

Data-driven decision-making is an integral part of DevOps partner engagements. They work with you to define KPIs that measure the success of your transformation initiatives. These KPIs can span efficiency improvements, customer satisfaction, cost savings, and more.

DevOps partners create robust reporting mechanisms that provide a clear visualization of your progress. Through Customized dashboards and reports, you get a real-time snapshot of how your transformation efforts are contributing to your overarching goals. This data empowers you to make strategic decisions based on empirical evidence, fostering transparency and accountability.

7. Adaptability to Evolving Needs

Transformation journeys are rarely linear; they often evolve in response to changing business dynamics. DevOps partners exhibit a high degree of adaptability, adjusting their strategies as your organization’s needs evolve. Their ability to pivot ensures that your digital transformation remains aligned with your ever-changing objectives, future-proofing your initiatives.

The flexibility of DevOps partners is an asset in a landscape characterized by rapid change. As your business landscape shifts, they recalibrate their strategies to address emerging priorities. Whether it’s a change in market demands or a shift in technology trends, DevOps partners adapt to ensure your transformation remains relevant.

Their adaptability isn’t limited to reacting to changes; they also proactively suggest adjustments based on emerging opportunities. By staying informed about industry trends and innovations, they become a valuable source of insights that can guide your transformation strategy in new directions.

8. Seamless Change Management

People are at the heart of any transformation. DevOps partners play a vital role in guiding your teams through change management. By addressing concerns, training personnel on new technologies, and fostering a positive mindset towards innovation, they ensure that your workforce embraces transformation with enthusiasm and confidence.

Change can be met with resistance, but DevOps partners are skilled in change management. They conduct thorough assessments of your organization’s readiness for transformation and develop strategies to manage resistance. Through communication plans and interactive training sessions, they prepare your teams for the changes ahead.

Their role goes beyond providing technical training; they focus on the “human” side of change. DevOps partners engage with employees, addressing their concerns and showcasing the benefits of the transformation. By creating a clear vision of the future state and demonstrating how it aligns with individual roles, they cultivate a sense of ownership and buy-in.

DevOps partners also ensure that your teams have the tools they need to succeed. Whether it’s troubleshooting guides, knowledge bases, or ongoing support, they equip your workforce with the resources necessary to navigate the transformation process. This comprehensive approach fosters a culture of adaptability, making the change journey smoother for everyone.

9. Accelerated Time-to-Market

DevOps partnerships accelerate the development and deployment of new solutions. With streamlined processes and efficient collaboration, your time-to-market for products and services is significantly reduced. This rapid delivery capability gives you a competitive edge, enabling you to capitalize on market opportunities swiftly.

In a fast-paced digital landscape, swift time-to-market is a strategic advantage. DevOps partners streamline development cycles by automating manual tasks, reducing bottlenecks, and optimizing workflows. This agility allows your organization to respond to customer needs in real-time.

The continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines set up by DevOps partners create a high-velocity release mechanism. By automating testing, deployment, and monitoring, they eliminate manual intervention and ensure that updates reach customers faster. This speed not only enhances customer satisfaction but also allows you to stay ahead of your competitors.

10. Future-Proofing Through Learning

DevOps partners don’t just implement change; they empower your teams with knowledge. By imparting best practices, upskilling your workforce, and fostering a culture of continuous learning, they ensure your organization is equipped to navigate future challenges. This commitment to learning becomes a cornerstone of sustained transformation and growth.

The learning aspect of a DevOps partnership is a lasting legacy. By sharing best practices, DevOps partners elevate your team’s skills, enabling them to take ownership of the technology landscape. Workshops, training sessions, and knowledge-sharing initiatives cultivate a culture of learning, where teams are encouraged to explore new tools and approaches.

DevOps partners also stay updated on the evolving technology landscape, ensuring that your teams are exposed to the latest trends and practices. This mutual learning process creates a dynamic feedback loop, where insights from the field are integrated into your organization’s strategies, keeping you agile and relevant.

Conclusion: Embrace Transformation with DevOps Allies

Digital transformation is a profound journey that reshapes how businesses operate, innovate, and grow. DevOps partners like Estuate are your allies in this endeavor, embodying innovation, integration, and iteration. Our expertise propels your organization forward, not just as a technology-driven entity, but as a culture of continuous evolution. As you embrace the transformative wave, remember that with DevOps partners like Estuate, you’re not just adapting to change—you’re shaping the future of your enterprise.

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Choosing the Right SFDC Partners: Key Factors to Consider

by Estuate | Aug 9, 2023 | Product Engineering, Salesforce

Choosing the right SFDC (Salesforce) partners can be a game-changer for your business. Salesforce is like a superhero among Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, empowering businesses of all sizes to streamline their sales, marketing, and customer service processes. It’s an incredibly powerful tool that brings all your customer data, interactions, and insights together in one place.

With Salesforce, you can easily manage leads, track sales opportunities, nurture customer relationships, and automate repetitive tasks. It’s no wonder businesses love it for boosting productivity, enhancing customer experiences, and driving growth.

But here’s the catch – to make the most of Salesforce’s potential, you might need a little help, and that’s where SFDC partners step in. Think of them as the sidekicks who offer expertise, guidance, and services to help you unleash the full power of Salesforce for your business.

Data archiving: Salesforce is like a superhero among CRM platforms, empowering businesses to streamline processes and drive growth.

Now that you’ve got a glimpse of Salesforce’s capabilities, let’s dive into the world of SFDC partnerships and explore the key factors to consider when choosing the right one for your specific business needs. Together, we’ll uncover the secrets to a successful Salesforce journey and set you up for supercharged success! Ready to take on this adventure? Let’s go!

Know-How and Experience

First things first, you want someone who knows their stuff when it comes to Salesforce. Look for partners with a solid track record of successful implementations, backed by industry-specific knowledge and certifications. Experience counts big time!

Salesforce Certifications

Partners with certified experts ensure in-depth knowledge of Salesforce’s functionalities and best practices.

Successful Implementations

Check for a proven track record of implementing Salesforce solutions that have delivered tangible business results.

Industry-Specific Knowledge

Look for partners familiar with your industry’s unique needs, ensuring tailored solutions for your business.

Depth of Experience

Partners with years of experience bring valuable insights and strategies to supercharge your Salesforce journey.

Services Galore

It’s like shopping for your favorite goodies – you want everything in one place. Ensure your SFDC partner can offer a full range of services, from implementation and customization to ongoing support and training. You want to avoid running around for different things later.

Show and Tell

Just like we ask for references when hiring someone, do the same for your potential SFDC partner. Get some client references and case studies to see how they work and what kind of results they’ve delivered. It’s like taking a sneak peek into their world.

Two’s Company, Alignment’s Key

This is a partnership, remember? You want someone who understands your business goals and is on the same page. A good listener who brings fresh ideas to the table is a keeper!

Culture Counts

It’s not just about skills and knowledge; you want a partner who also fits in with your company culture. So, get to know them a bit, and see if you click like PB&J!

Support Squad

Let’s face it, we all need a little help sometimes. Check what kind of support and training your potential partner offers. The last thing you want is to feel stranded with your Salesforce.

Size Up for the Future

Think ahead! Your business might grow, and so should your SFDC partner. Find someone flexible enough to scale with you and adapt to changes.

Innovate or Bust

Salesforce keeps evolving, and you want a partner who’s up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations. That’s how you stay ahead in the game!

Lock it Down

Safety first, folks! Your customer data is precious, so make sure your SFDC partner takes data security and compliance seriously. No one wants to deal with data breaches.

Money Talks

Last but not least, keep an eye on the costs. You need a partner who is transparent about pricing and won’t leave you guessing.

Alright, you’ve got the lowdown on choosing the right SFDC partner. It’s time to rock your Salesforce implementation and take your business to new horizons! Remember, finding the perfect partner is like finding a great dance partner – they’ll complement your moves and make sure you shine on the dance floor of success! Happy partnering!

Embrace Supercharged Success with Estuate – Your Trusted SFDC Partner

Ready to supercharge your Salesforce journey? With Estuate as your SFDC partner, you’ll have the expert guidance, customization prowess, and ongoing support to take full advantage of Salesforce’s superhero capabilities.

With Estuate as your SFDC partner, you’ll have the peace of mind to focus on your core business while we handle Salesforce’s nitty-gritty.

Whether you’re looking for seamless implementation, smooth data migration, integration with other systems, or lightning-fast Lightning Experience adoption, Estuate has got you covered. They’re here to ensure your Salesforce platform aligns perfectly with your business goals and keeps you ahead of the competition.

But it doesn’t end there! Estuate’s commitment to your success goes beyond the initial setup. With continuous support, training, and managed services, they’ll be with you every step of the way. You’ll have the peace of mind to focus on your core business while knowing your Salesforce environment is in expert hands.

And let’s not forget about data analytics and reporting – Estuate will help you unleash the power of your Salesforce data, turning it into valuable insights for making informed decisions.

So, if you’re ready to level up your Salesforce game, Estuate is the SFDC partner you’ve been looking for! Say hello to supercharged success and bid farewell to Salesforce challenges. Get in touch with Estuate today and take your business to new heights!

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Product Engineering Partnerships: The What, Why, and How

by Estuate | Jan 11, 2022 | Product Engineering

The wheels of modern technology are made of engineered products. Software product engineering has this innate ability of giving new direction to businesses. Consequently, digital enterprises are opting for more product engineering services today. A foundational product development strategy is the starting point for most. And, industry experts recommend a strong partner collaboration as the natural next step.

Imagine, you are setting up a superstore. You have already purchased the plot and invested in the construction. The next step is to have a process in place for smooth operations. First, you need resources and helping hands for inventory procurement and stocking. Further down the line, you also need billing personnel, helpdesk associates, and a packaging team. The need to expand and modernize will grow as you will keep scaling up. After a time, accomplishing everything will be beyond your individual capacity and expertise. Tying up with a manpower recruitment agency would be a smart decision at this point.

Software product engineering is similar in essence. But, it’s also a bit better. To deploy a robust product, you first need a robust product development strategy. A competent partner who is conversant with technology can help you here. This partner handholds you to reign in growth by turning your idea into an actual engineered product. But, more into that later – let’s start with the basics first.

What are product engineering services (PES)?

Product engineering services (PES) refer to solutioning that assist in the end-to-end lifecycle management of software applications. These services support a product right from its initiation to its post-deployment customizations. They leverage a sturdy combination of software, tools & operating systems, IT interfaces, and human ingenuity.

The product engineering market is defined by constant innovation and consistent competition. At the global level, the market is expected to rise to $1.4Tn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7%.
Agile software product engineering is critical for standing out in today’s business climate.

The pace of growth can be unprecedented, however. It may be difficult at times to catch up with the speed at which the industry is growing. Keeping such exigencies in mind, a winning engineered product always starts with a winning product development strategy. But, how to get there? Collaborate with the right product engineering services partner.

Who is a product engineering partner/services provider?

A provider of product engineering services is an IT organization with the latest software development know-how. This third-party vendor has specialized resources for futuristic software application development. Once assigned, it manages your product end-to-end from planning to on-demand customization.

How to know which software partner is best suited for you? The following parameters can be telling – skill certifications, understanding of legacy applications, process documentation capability, and budget compatibility.

Why do you need product engineering services?

Transform novel ideas into actual applications
Keep software products ahead of the competition
Customize products as per market dynamics
Leverage specialized know-how on product engineering
Ensure safe development and deployment of products
Minimize budget-related uncertainties

Innovation drives the modern business world. Today’s independent software vendors (ISVs) leverage cutting-edge applications for meeting business commitments. Alongside, they also need to stay on top of the technology game by transforming ideas into value-yielding products. A product engineering services provider fits these demands perfectly. Let’s take a deeper look into the benefits of tying up with such a service agent.

The six core benefits of product engineering partnerships:

1. Transform novel ideas into actual applications

An investment in engineered products in time saves nine. Modern enterprises need to keep disrupting technology for revenue maximization. Training your internal team on the evolving dynamics of IT is time-effective (especially, if you are a non-IT firm). Onboarding new staff, on the other hand, is both time- and cost-sensitive. Never let the dearth of infrastructure or experience stop you from having a product development strategy in action. Tie up with a provider of software product engineering services. They work alongside your team to oversee the holistic adoption of all your technical ideations. The best part? The ingenuity of PES is such that even if it involves outsourcing your IT needs you remain in much control.

2. Keep software products ahead of the competition

One of the biggest challenges of operating in the new-age software landscape is staying relevant. You may have a brilliant inflow of engineered product ideas that you desire to launch. But by the time you move them to production, someone else may already be deploying them. A long capability-development cycle and a longer time to market are growth impediments. Pair up with a sound product engineering services provider. Design your product development strategy, and set it into motion quickly.

The Benefits of Availing Product Engineering Services

Product engineering services have many advantages vis-à-vis in-house product development

3. Customize products as per market dynamics

Optimization is key to the product development strategy of engineered applications. A good product engineering services partner always starts with an initial MVP (minimum viable product). Based on the feedback received on it, the partner consistently updates the product till user acceptance is stabilized. Software product engineering is thus a process of consistent innovation and consequent improvement.

4. Leverage specialized know-how on product engineering

Robust product engineering services leverage the latest technology stack and also traditional best practices. For launching cutting-edge applications, your product development strategy needs the right skill sets. A PES partner is specialized in the nitty-gritty of these evolving technologies and the associated process flows. Pair up your requirements with their technical edge to launch game-changing engineered products.

5. Ensure safe development and deployment of products

A software product engineering project is a highly detailed one. It’s true in essence that an engineered product is always one wrong calculation/prediction away from being rendered futile. Read about the 5 most commonly faced software development challenges.

Collaborating with a product engineering services provider is a full-proof solution toward this. These vendor organizations take the end-to-end responsibility for the development of your application. They engage certified resources and SMEs for the safe and optimized deployment of the product. By outsourcing your product needs to them, you save a lot of time and effort to focus on your core activities instead.

6. Minimize budget-related uncertainties

A sound service provider always shares a well-defined cost estimate at the very beginning of the project. The estimates are well-documented and integral to the product development strategy. There are no ad hoc expenses for project digressions and experimentations. Such chances are generally higher when you take up a project in-house. A PES partner is well-aware of what it is doing and the methodologies it is leveraging for the software product engineering. Cost variations come into effect only when you need additional customizations for the engineered product.

How to set into motion a robust product engineering process?

A well-defined product engineering services plan includes the following:

Product planning

The success of any product depends a lot on how you plan it. The foremost step is to know the mission and the expected outcome from the product you wish to develop. A product engineering services provider will go a step further and do a SWOT analysis to determine your product’s feasibility. It will define the product features and enhancements as per your business needs. It will also delve into thorough research of the ongoing market trends, competition, technology used, and target customer base. Finally, it will come up with a customized product idea as a part of your product development strategy.

Product conceptualization

It takes the right technology and skill to convert an innovative idea into an outstanding product. An expert product engineering services partner sets into motion a holistic product development cycle. It starts with selecting the right tools for designing the product architecture. Then, the partner moves to production where its specialist coders encode the product as per your requirement. The compilation is then subjected to quality tests for ensuring flawless operations. The final engineered product is then deployed either at the client site or catered to end-users. A good PES partner takes further accountability for the maintenance and continued user excellence of your product.

Top Capabilities of a Robust Product Engineering Services Partner

Key components of a product development strategy

Platform modernization and migration

Today’s modern IT systems need consistent, flexible, and innovative technology upgrades. A software PES partner starts with a detailed product development strategy. It includes a thorough assessment of your IT infrastructure and business processes. The next step involves a platform migration/upgrade as needed. Data archival/retirement follows from here for the safekeeping of legacy data. After the new engineered application is deployed and integrated, the PES partner continues to provide staff training, go-live support, maintenance services, and timely system upgrades.

Quality analysis and testing services

A well-accepted product is well-tested before deployment. A good PES partner identifies your testing requirements and includes them in the product development strategy. It designs a feasible test automation plan for you. It leverages best-performing automation tools to execute automated test cases for your engineered product (software, web, and mobile). Both analysis and reporting are made accessible in real time. The software product engineering partner also provides automation training to your software development teams. It further continues to provide maintenance support for the long term.

Did you know, agile automation testing today is heavily reliant on scriptless test automation (STA)? Most modern PES organizations are using the same to deliver customer success.

Information security and consulting

Information security is critical for all data-driven businesses. A good product engineering services provider can help you assess the vulnerable areas in your enterprise where information needs protection. The PES partner offers a mix of technology solutions and governance practices to protect your information assets. It also designs an ideal governance policy based on your enterprise risk, security challenges, and compliance needs. The partner further trains your team and implements a program for long-term security maintenance.

Estuate has dynamic and customizable product engineering solutions in its ambit

Our experts work closely with business teams to understand their requirements and develop customized high-performing products. Design and launch game-changing software products and applications with our innovative solutions.

We cover all major quarters of product innovation:

Product planning
Product conceptualization
Platform modernization and migration
Quality analysis and testing services
Information security and consulting

So, if you are looking for dynamic product engineering solutions, let innovation drive your business. We are right here to help.

Do you think it is necessary to collaborate with an external product engineering firm for deploying robust products? What difference would it make if you develop the products in-house?

Lightweight Testing Automation Framework – A critical component of your digital journey

by Estuate | Aug 13, 2020 | Product Engineering, QA

Every organization runs its business using software, and such softwares should be thoroughly tested before it gets released into the market. At this stage, automation testing is essential for the rapid release of effective and secure software products. To achieve this, the testing team adopts automation frameworks as it helps them to manage complicated testing tasks within the PDCA (Plan-DO-Check-Act) cycle even with less experience.

Automation frameworks form an integral part of any automation testing process. It acts as a pillar in the successful completion of automation projects. The framework helps the QA team in their testing efforts, improves test speed and accuracy, and increases test efficiency by providing a high return on investments (ROI). Framework implementation reduces overall maintenance costs and optimizes the agile testing process. Ideally, lightweight test automation frameworks are considered as they are designed explicitly to automate the regression tests.

Let’s understand the Lightweight Testing Automation Framework

Lightweight Testing Automation Framework (LTAF) is a tool designed to perform integration and regression tests by enabling web browser scripting to perform subsequent actions against the application interface. LTAF simulates operations similar to an actual user action, such as texting, clicking links, scrolling the page, submitting buttons, and simultaneously verifying the expected results in the browser window. LTAF is termed as lightweight as it involves relatively simple programs or less code. The lightweight automation tool is predominantly associated with the agile software development method.

You can consider a variety of automation framework approaches for your industry. To list a few, we have open-source, commercial, and heavyweight test automation frameworks. Compared to all of these, Lightweight automation framework implementation is quicker, with significant benefits. Lightweight frameworks are used to ramp-up the regression test, which involves testing an application to ensure that the existing functionalities are not affected due to the introduction of new code updates or enhancements.

Test Automation Framework benefits:

The automation tools are essential to improve the efficiency of testing processes. Its implementation strengthens the testing process enormously, ensuring:

Code Reusability – Allows quick re-use of existing code or functions to create a new program without re-writing it again.

Cost-effectiveness – Cloud-based automation frameworks enable you to execute unlimited projects that are made available worldwide to unlimited users.

Customizable UI / Features /Reports – Customizable frameworks help in creating user-friendly reports.

Flexible to add new features – Integration of manual test case with the automation tool allows the QA team to make quick decisions about test cases requiring automation.

Fast and easier implementation – Simple architecture and design make it easier for tool implementation.

Maximum test coverage – Improves testing consistency by optimizing code coverage and providing test cases for all functionalities of the program.

Less maintenance and dependency– Frameworks aids with quick test script creation. Test scripts generated are independent of platform and test applications.

e-TAS – Web Automation Tool

Estuate has developed one such robust, in-house lightweight web automation tool called eTAS (Estuate Test Automation Solution). eTAS is a highly efficient and customizable tool with convenient features that delivers quick and precise results with minimal manual intervention. The tool uses a parameterized – keyword driven framework to automate regression tests for an application.

Some of the eTAS features include:

Script-less automation – Adopts scriptless automation approach for automating test cases. This approach helps the QA team to embrace automation without worrying too much about scripting.
Simple architecture – A simple design that requires limited human interaction for its operation. The tool helps in creating useful automation scripts that are independent of the test application.
User-friendly graphical results – Generates accurate and real-time test reports leading to improved software quality.
Smooth test execution at client systems.- Ensures faster, low-cost test execution and aims to achieve faster results.
Global and local object repository – Supports both the default and shared object repository.
Multi-browser compatibility – Compatible with other open-source software and applications, and also supports various browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft IE, Apple Safari, and Mozilla firefox.
Open-source selenium as a platform – The keyword-driven framework uses Selenium and Java as its base, which makes it easier for testers to build code with minimal coding skills.

It’s quite a challenging task to select an appropriate automation tool or framework for your project from a wide variety of unique featured tools. While choosing an automation tool, you need to evaluate if it meets your particular tool requirements and accordingly narrow down your search for a suitable tool that satisfies your needs. It is imperative to note that the tool vendors can provide continuous maintenance, upgrades, and support throughout the project completion.

Estuate’s eTAS favors testing teams to design and execute UI and functional tests through web and mobile applications, and it offers a robust framework and stable support for the development and maintenance of automated test projects.

Your Five Step GRC Implementation Roadmap

by Estuate | Apr 17, 2020 | Governance Risk and Compliance, Product Engineering

The concept of Governance, Risk and Compliance has been around for some time. Although there is no single, universally accepted definition for GRC, it is basically a comprehensive business strategy that aims at ensuring corporate governance and mitigating enterprise risk while staying in compliance with regulatory policies. It establishes clear guidelines for operations and a mechanism to prevent and fight business risks. It comprises of three main pillars.

Governance, ensuring business processes and corporate policies are practiced throughout the organization.

Risk, identifying the potential areas of risk and preparing the organization to minimize and prevent them.

Compliance, the ability to comply with legal and regulatory requirements and business policies.

For years, businesses have followed old school ways of implementing GRC programs using traditional methodologies such as spreadsheets and in-house tools. However, with emergence of breakthrough technologies like AI, Cloud and automation, the concept of GRC has evolved and modernized.

Although we have been slow in adopting technology-driven GRC practices, lately there has been a significant shift towards businesses leveraging automated GRC strategies at enterprise levels. So much so, that the global GRC market is expected to reach $64.61 billion by 2025.

Today, all modern enterprises need to let go of traditional GRC practices and modernize their approach. But how do you get there? How can you adopt a winning GRC strategy? Here is a five-step GRC implementation roadmap that can help you plan, strategize and implement modern GRC practices effectively in your organization.

Revisit your GRC framework

To start with, you need to review your existing GRC framework and identify the gaps that technology can fill. It would mean redefining what governance, compliance and risk means for your enterprise. A clear understanding of your key business objectives and important business processes will help you adopt the right GRC technology and develop appropriate policies, procedures and guidelines for your business.

Select a GRC Solution

In order to ensure effective functioning of a GRC initiative, it is important that you pick the right implementation partner and an ideal GRC solution for your enterprise. There are tons of GRC tools and hundreds of vendors in the market.Cloud based GRC solutions are most popular nowadays. MetricStream, BWise, SAP, Riskonnect, RSA Archer etc. are some market-leading GRC products available today. Go for a solution that comes with all the features you’re looking for. Also, do your research and select an experienced vendor that can implement GRC within a reasonable time-frame with maximum efficiency.

Project Planning

This step involves chalking out a well-defined GRC implementation plan. A business analyst or project manager appointed by the vendor visits your premises and spends time understanding your existing business processes and policies. He also conducts a risk assessment of your business and identifies areas that need to be protected.

He then develops an integrated GRC plan that best suits your organization, including a detailed demo of the selected GRC product, assigning roles and responsibilities and defining project timelines.

Implement GRC Practices

Once a detailed plan is developed, the next and the most crucial step is implementing GRC practices at your enterprise. Today, most GRC programs are Cloud driven and automated. Implementation involves policy and document management, operational risk management, IT risk management and corporate compliance management. It also includes spreading awareness about the new GRC policies and training people within the organization to practice them.

Monitor and Improvise

Implementing a GRC program is not a one-time activity. It is a continuous business practice and must be followed every day across all departments. It is therefore important to closely monitor and ensure that GRC practices are well followed within the enterprise. Also, since the business world is highly dynamic, you must modernize your GRC platform and revise your policies regularly to match business, industry and regulatory requirements.

GRC is essential because it brings about a stability in the way a business performs. It improves the quality of people, processes and information within an organization providing meaningful insights for better decision making. It is not just a good initiative anymore, it is an essential business requisite. Adopting a modern GRC program leads to a remarkable organizational change. However, the key to successful implementation is to have a clear strategy and take one step at a time.

Patient Centricity and the Digital Transformation in Healthcare

by Estuate | Mar 31, 2020 | Product Engineering

The initial move towards the Digital Health Revolution is that healthcare providers are now recognizing that the industry is shifting its focus to patient care, who is now the customer, and that they need to utilize the technology to improve the patient experience. HealthTech services, explicitly, set the standard for dynamic healthcare experience and conventional medical organizations are concentrating on the benefits of engaging with patients in new, technologically-enabled ways.

With the latest developments in healthcare and technology, patients have access to information and services that allows them to make decisions and determine the type of medical treatment they want to receive. Many medical experts approve the patient-centered approach broadly as a very qualitative method with positive results.

What is patient centricity?

“Patient centricity” can be outlined as the process whereby a service or solution is designed around the patient. A patient-centric approach is a way of establishing partnerships among physicians, patients, and their families in the healthcare system to align decisions with patients’ desires, requirements, and preferences. It also involves providing detailed information and support patients’ needs to make these decisions and be active in their treatment.

Why is it necessary to have a patient-centric approach?

A patient-centered approach is evaluated as a gateway to effective healthcare.

Healthcare experts believe that patient-centric care can bring significant benefits to both the business and the medical sector.

On a business front, patients who report positive experiences have more trust in their providers and are less likely to switch physicians, allowing continuity of their health care and contributing to patient retention.
From the medical perspective, it shows that patients respond better to medications, have fewer symptoms, and often have reduced risk of relapse or hospital readmission.

Patient-centered health-care benefits include:

Continued interactions between patients, health care professionals, and other stakeholders make patients aware of their health conditions and treatment possibilities leading to improved care.
Engagement, coordination, and cooperation of health care experts with patients make the decision-making process more timely and effective.
Improved treatment efficiency and increased patient satisfaction with the health care services received.
Increased competitive edge among hospitals based on cost and quality of healthcare provision.

Challenges involved in implementing the patient-centric approach:

The evolution of a patient-centered approach demands both time and cost, but the main difficulty lies in changing the existing culture. The healthcare systems must ensure that doctors and their staff are well-prepared, adequately trained, and proper expectations are set across the organization. Patient-centric care may bring financial pressure to healthcare organizations.

How digital health leads to patient satisfaction?

As patients presume the role of a healthcare customer, focusing on the services they provide to their patients becomes very much essential for healthcare providers. Digital health simply involves enabling patients to connect to their physicians and personal data remotely by using a digital channel. When these digital health technologies are effectively implemented, it becomes a critical factor in ensuring patient satisfaction.

To meet the ultimate objective of patient centricity, organizations should incorporate innovative technology and resources to assist people and implement processes to deliver customer satisfaction goals. Healthcare systems must adequately utilize data and digital technologies to improve the patient experience.