An all too familiar scenario for many organizations following the implementation of a new, more advanced hardware or software solution for their technical stack: those who use the tool daily cannot replicate basic functions necessary to effectively run their business— much less access the advanced technology and process automation they were promised during sales demos.  Along with vetting core requirements, this is where quality assurance (QA) comes into play.

Chuck Young, Director at W. Capra shared, “Validation and quality assurance against core requirements are foundational to gaining the most possible buy-in you can in any new system from day zero.  The moment there is uncertainty in the accuracy or validity of data as it relates to vital financial and store operations reporting, the battle to have an effective and happy user and stakeholder group may well be lost.”

Planning, execution, and rollout

While some reading this article may already be weathering the storm of a poorly tested implementation, for those beginning a journey towards implementing any new hardware, software, or specific back-office system – requirements planning and prioritization is always the best place to start.

Young continued, “Having clearly defined requirements across stakeholders and the groups they represent will help to get everyone on the same page in terms of what items are needed, and to prioritize their importance in terms of implementation and testing.  The collaboration of these groups early can offer confidence to all that something new is not being implemented for others to figure out.  This step also will help with prioritizing requirements to test and implement.  If you’re already live and struggling, engaging W. Capra to help find your way back to ‘normal’ and get access to those bells and whistles you bought is still possible.  It’s not necessary to shelf all the work and money spent to date!”

Why engage W. Capra?

By investing in thorough testing of reconciliation and validation processes during implementations, retailers can get ahead of and minimize the risks associated with inaccurate data, improve operational efficiency, and protect their bottom line. Neglecting this critical aspect can have significant and potentially devastating consequences for their business and its ongoing adoption of any new tools.  Most clients like to engage W. Capra for their QA needs both for project specific work and for ongoing managed services to ensure they are aware of and have access to testing and validation processes as the tools and environments continue to evolve.

Chuck Young is adept at leading W. Capra clients in their technology selection, testing, and deployment endeavors. For further discussion, contact Chuck at [email protected].