How low-code automated testing propelled a fintech innovator to new heights
Setting the stage for innovation
In 2014, a group of executives set out to transform the student loan experience, founding a financial technology (fintech) company in Wilmington, Delaware. Like any successful startup, the grit and determination of their employees were pivotal in establishing and expanding their market presence, offering unique loan options that older, more established competitors could not. This fintech company thrives on speed to market and continuous innovation to maintain its competitive edge. As the company grew, its leadership recognized the need for a partner with the tools and expertise necessary to streamline their processes. Leadership turned to CAI to evaluate the challenges and offer a comprehensive technical solution.
CAI, a technology services provider with a global footprint, was a veteran in the automation space, a Gold UiPath Partner and USN Service Partner, and had established themselves as a trusted advisor with key IT stakeholders. Consultants from the CAI Intelligent Automation practice were able to assess the challenges and provide a comprehensive innovation strategy.
Fintech growth challenges
Delivering new student loan products to market necessitates a product and development team working in perfect harmony, swiftly deploying innovative products and features to customers. While the launch of a new product is exhilarating and dynamic, the software testing required to offer that product is both tedious and time consuming. Endless cycles of sprints require equally endless testing cycles, consuming time better spent in product development and evaluation.
A second challenge was looming in the shadows, as disjointed manual processes were causing bottlenecks throughout the organization. Brought on by rapid growth, the increasing number of tedious, repetitive tasks were mounting, none significant enough to warrant a new product or project, but cumulatively inhibiting teams from achieving their goals.
Recognizing the need for change
Long hours and high stress testing during every product launch had taken a toll on the product team members. The risk of reputational embarrassment and revenue loss that could result from a production defect at one of their peak times was a constant point of stress. The product team was ready for a change; they knew they needed to automate some of their testing and needed a trusted partner to recommend a way forward.
The fintech company’s innovation team reached out to CAI to discuss the challenges they were facing, focusing on the short-term need for automated testing and the longer-term goals of automating additional processes throughout the organization. CAI worked with stakeholders to evaluate their goals of speed, efficiency, and ease of use and ultimately recommended the unique opportunity to leverage UiPath Automation Cloud. The low-code automation platform offers a full range of capabilities that meet all the requirements, with automated testing robots and production automation robots to help them achieve their goals. As a UiPath Managed Service Provider, CAI was positioned to take on this work as a service to the fintech company and provide the full range of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), intelligent document extraction, and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Getting started on the innovation journey
After an initial assessment of the existing testing process, CAI recommended an incremental approach to addressing the automated testing challenge. Working with product team stakeholders, the regression test suite was identified as the perfect place to start. CAI created a schedule and built a development team of certified UiPath developers with a proven track record of delivering high quality test automation solutions.
The CAI team recommended an RPA design pattern focusing on inheritance to increase development velocity, reduce time to resolve issues, and promote an environment where changes in the user interface would be addressed quickly, leveraging UiPath AI to identify gaps and opportunities in the test set whenever possible.
The specific outcomes are compelling. CAI and the fintech company were able to:
- Automate the majority of regression test cases in a few short months
- Reduce overall testing by 72%
- Provide ad-hoc testing capability
- Eliminate human error
- Increase test case coverage for all student loan applications
These significant milestones underscore the success of the collaborative efforts between CAI and the fintech company. By automating a substantial portion of the regression test cases and markedly reducing the overall testing time, they not only enhanced efficiency but also elevated the quality and reliability of the testing process. The elimination of human error and the increase in test case coverage ensure a robust and comprehensive testing environment.
Preparing for future growth
With this successful pilot under their belts, CAI and the fintech company are focusing on additional test scenarios and automation opportunities throughout the company. The future is bright – with UiPath automation and test capabilities, and a trusted partnership with CAI, challenges around testing are a thing of the past. New capabilities in AI and RPA are available to streamline processes throughout the organization, accelerating work and eliminating roadblocks. Looking ahead, the innovative use of UiPath positions the fintech company to continue harnessing automation for even greater advancements in their testing strategies, paving the way for sustained success and innovation.
If you’re interested in learning more about streamlining your processes with intelligent automation, contact our experts today.
