Telecoms operator completes smooth IFRS9 patch upgrade with auto-testing support from SkySparc
Challenge
Telia wanted to benefit from new opportunities under IFRS9, the International Financial Reporting Standard on hedge accounting. When its TMS vendor released an IFRS9-compliant version, Telia built an upgrade business case which minimized user impact and maximized reusability of migration and testing processes.
“Partly for information security reasons, upgrades for mission-critical systems are becoming regular events. As such, we wanted to automate, streamline and re-use as much of the upgrade process as possible,” says Johan Skoglar, Solution Manager for Treasury Systems at Telia.
As the TMS is hosted remotely, the vendor managed the technical upgrade to the new IFRS9-compliant version. But Skoglar asked SkySparc to oversee testing of the new version, utilizing both the extensive experience of its consultants and installing the automated testing module of OmniFi in Telia’s test environments and production environment.
Skoglar laid out clearly-defined roles for all parties across each phase, liaising between external providers to enable back-end access to the TMS for OmniFi to conduct automated testing across incumbent and new versions.
SkySparc’s consultants were self-piloting in the building and automated execution of our test cases.
Johan Skoglar, Solution Manager for Treasury Systems, Telia
Solution
Skoglar worked with SkySparc to compile a comprehensive portfolio of testcases needed to ensure the upgraded system could fulfil existing requirements. SkySparc’s consultants built the test cases and ran them on OmniFi’s auto-testing module, then presented them for Skoglar’s analysis.
Testing took place over a three-month period, with around 400 test cases being constructed and run by SkySparc consultants within roughly 130 mandays. To optimize efficiency, SkySparc leveraged similar test cases drawn from recent and concurrent upgrade projects. “As we’re a relatively ‘vanilla’ treasury operation, it made sense to re-use existing test cases where possible, in addition to building others specific to our needs,” says Skoglar. “All will be available for re-use in future upgrades.”
“Test automation by OmniFi saved a lot of time and manual processing on my part,” Skoglar adds. “Further, I was able to concentrate only on the analysis and resolution of key issues because SkySparc’s consultants had already eliminated the ‘background noise’, using their in-depth knowledge of the TMS and our requirements. They also eliminated noise by pointing out issues already found at recent and concurrent projects.”
Test automation by OmniFi saved a lot of time and manual processing on my part. Further, I was able to concentrate only on the analysis and resolution of key issues because SkySparc’s consultants had already eliminated the ‘background noise’
Johan Skoglar, Solution Manager for Treasury Systems, Telia
Result
Following a successful upgrade project, Telia’s corporate treasury team was able to utilize its new TMS’s functionality to optimize their hedge accounting practices in line with IFRS9. “The project was completed on time and on budget, using a well-defined project plan to deploy the required resources at each stage,” says Skoglar.
Telia gained a high level of quality assurance from use of SkySparc as a trusted independent expert to undertake all aspects of the testing process, with minimal impact on internal resources. Critically, the project laid the foundation for efficient future upgrades, leveraging proven automated test cases and processes.
SkySparc now provides its automated test case capabilities as part of a Patch Upgrade as a Service offering which combines dedicated staff, tools methodologies and other resources to deliver fast, efficient, regular TMS upgrades.
“SkySparc’s consultants were self-piloting in the building and automated execution of our test cases. We can look forward to future upgrades with confidence, knowing we can re-use test cases already built and executed via OmniFi,” says Skoglar. “Further, business users will have no involvement in future upgrade projects, which will make planning easier.”
