Customer Case Studies

Posera, Inc. provides Point of Sale (POS) system solutions to the hospitality industry. One of Posera's products, Maitre'D, is a series of software modules offering highly developed, fully integrated applications that can be personalized to suit specific restaurants management needs. The software can is scalable from an individually owned restaurant to an international franchise. It was critical to Posera that new software releases of Maitre'D be extensively and thoroughly tested in order to retain industry leadership, setting the standard for robustness and quality.

Previous testing of Maitre’D software had been conducted via a combination of simple automated scripting and manual testing. The manual tests required the test operator to have detailed knowledge of Maitre’D.

Posera was looking for an automated test solution that would address its specific goals:

• Decrease the amount of time required to conduct testing
  
• Develop a set of tests that provided for full testing of the application
  
• Escalate the testing coverage for each product release
  
• Reduce cost of testing while doing all of the above
  

Maitre’D system testing provided some additional challenges. Posera needed to be able to read and validate pricing and order information that appears on various menu and report screens. Most automated test software packages did not have an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature. In addition, Maitre'D uses a touch screen user interface and most automated testing programs were not able to recognize the touch screen buttons.

Posera conducted a thorough review of the automated software testing tools and the market and after careful analysis, selected SmarteScript™. Choosing SmarteScript™ was based upon the following factors:

• Exceptionally rapid test automation development
  
• Easy to learn
  
• First class support
  
• OCR capability
  
• Touch screen capability
  

Rapid test development. SmarteScript™ is designed from the ground up for rapid development of automated test cases. Using SmarteScript(tm), Posera were able to automate testing of hundreds of complex scenarios 4-5 times faster than with tools from other vendors.

Easy to learn. SmarteScript™ did not require programming or scripting knowledge. The program was intuitive and after a short training session, users would be able to create test scripts.

Support. SmarteScript™ offered excellent support, both technical and subject matter.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR). SmarteScript™ was able to read prices, amounts and order information.

Touch screen interface. SmarteScript™ was able to recognize simulated buttons and other objects in the Maitre’D user interface. Pressing of touch screen buttons could be simulated in SmarteScript™.

Posera also engaged SmarteSoft's Professional Services team to design and implement a comprehensive test suite from the ground up. SmarteSoft provided a Test Automation Architect and team that were able to rapidly learn Posera's Maitre'D product, design the test cases, and work in partnership with Posera staff to implement the automated test cases necessary to ensure highly robust software. While doing so, the SmarteSoft team also developed written test plans that conform to IEEE standards and form the basis for future test plans at Posera.

Within four months of project start, Posera created a set of test scripts covering all functions of the Maitre’D system. The test scripts would serve as the foundation for later, extended testing.

The execution time for all the scripts was approximately 5 hours; manual testing of the same features would have taken a week or more. By implementing SmarteScript™, testing coverage was increased while significantly reducing the time-to-test schedule.

Execution of the test scripts was transferred from a highly trained Maitre’D QA analyst to a newly hired Posera employee. This left the Senior QA Analyst free to perform more advanced testing procedures that will be converted into new scripts that will be developed by the junior employees.

SmarteScript™ test scripts were easy to maintain. A newly-hired employee who had not previously used SmarteScript was able to modify and enhance the test scripts during his first week on the job.

The test scripts supported a quicker turn around for the QA group which, in turn, led to improved software quality. Time to market was substantially reduced.

SmarteSoft’s SmarteScript™ was the ideal solution to Posera’s testing needs. Its unique technical capabilities, unparalleled speed and ease of use enabled Posera to complete a very successful project in record time.