TestArmy

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am leading the European expansion of our core company product, a banking-as-a-service platform. We have built an API which helps other businesses—small fintechs and large companies—as well as single developers to easily aggregate different financial services. We currently support more than 3,000 financial services in Germany and Austria; the goal is to expand to 34 other countries, and this is the context within which we’re collaborating with TestArmy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TestArmy?

We need to make sure that we can provide direct access to our technology and APIs, but the bigger challenge was testing the integrations we’re building with several teams across Europe. In order to validate that the new financial institution or service we’re aggregating is working well, we need to perform tests with someone who has a real account with a bank or a credit card provider. Getting access to such a testing network was a big challenge for us, but a company like TestArmy could provide this out of the box, along with full management of the test cycles.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TestArmy provides end-to-end functional testing. They support us with the recruitment of testers and the management of the test cycles, via a frontend we make available to them.

It’s an ongoing collaboration, so I suppose that there will be many other interesting things we’ll discover with TestArmy, but, for now, we’re focused on that.

What is the team dynamic?

We have been involved with at least 4 people from their side, but I’m not sure what the full size of the team is.

How did you come to work with TestArmy?

The process was organic—we went to Google and started searching for “crowd testing”. This was the keyword we used because I knew we actually wanted to have local testing groups. We looked at a couple of other crowd-testing agencies, as well as ones offering similar services, including ones in Berlin. We went with TestArmy because of their high engagement with the project. It was a non-typical set of requirements, namely testers who owned specific bank accounts, for example. TestArmy also had flexibility, and were loose in terms of offering a proof-of-concept project, as well as on how we would organize the cycle and how they would report results. TestArmy also put us in contact with testers directly.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost has been below $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with TestArmy in June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

One thing we are measuring is the maintenance cost for each financial system being aggregated via API. Compared to costs per financial source in Germany (where we have an expensive setup in terms of getting tests done), they’ve definitely helped us decrease the number.

Before using TestArmy, we required a month of work for fixing an issue and going back to test it again. Because of how they’ve helped us streamline feedback from testers, we’ve reduced this process to 7 work days. It’s a huge improvement on our side.

How did TestArmy perform from a project management standpoint?

The reports are very detailed, including videos and valuable technical information. The engagement involved a big plan on our site, and the responsiveness of the project manager on their side has been perfect. They kept us up-to-date on the recruitment process of different testing groups, and it was really easy to get in touch and setup meetings. The whole project management flow makes it easy to actually plan test cycles. One of the biggest blockers for us was being able to plan for cycles in the future, and to get that part streamlined between tester feedback, fixing issues and testing them again.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal touch made the difference. Our use case is treated in-depth and with care, compared with other companies, where we were given generic options. The personalization is key.

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, we haven’t had any problems with TestArmy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Explain Everything. We provide a free form creation tool that works like an interactive whiteboard. It’s usually mostly in education. We are making inroads in the enterprise market as well. Our tool can create explanatory movies or online lectures, and is best suited for presentations, lectures, student projects, and things like that.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TestArmy?

We have a portal that stores presentations and projects created using our app. We wanted TestArmy to test the security and vulnerability of our portal. If you’re doing something with an internal team, it’s better to have an external team testing this, especially when it comes to data security. Nowadays there are many problems with websites not being secure. While we were following all best practices while setting up our portal, we wanted to have somebody test that externally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We test for security every time we do a major upgrade to our portal.  We give TestArmy the URL and the description of the app.  They’re trying to break it and hack into it using their tools. Then they give us a report for what they’ve been able to accomplish and why so that we can fix whatever it is. When we fix the issues, they retest it, and then we are safe. We’ve only been using them for security and vulnerability testing of our website on a yearly basis. 

How did you come to work with TestArmy?

They are from the same city as us. The companies within the region usually know each other and know who is doing what. We knew that they do testing and security testing. We contacted them. We did some research of other companies, but TestArmy looked the best to us and had the most experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $5,000-$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2015 and will be entering into a third engagement in August or September of this year. They tested the portal in the summers of both 2015 and 2016, and we’ll do additional retests again this summer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They provide a full report of what tools were used for testing. For example, for part of the website, we are using the service that has a list of the newest vulnerabilities and they went through that list. We have a full report of what has been tested and whether vulnerabilities were found or not. For other things, they’re also providing how many security holes were present. We always have to fix them all. The KPI here would be the number of vulnerabilities found versus the number of vulnerabilities fixed. Then the retest shows whether they were fixed. After TestArmy, we never had any issues with security or vulnerability. We are really happy with the results. They are a good service.

How did TestArmy perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They have a clear start date and end date. The deliverables were always clear to us, as well as the retest dates. Both in terms of meeting deadlines and general time spent on the project, they are excellent. We communicated over phone and Skype. We also used our own tool, Explain Everything, because it can be used for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

During personal meetings with them, I had a good impression that they were very thoughtful and really knew what they’re doing. I’m a long time tech entrepreneur and I can sense whether someone is knowledgeable or just talking nonsense. They really deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior software developer for Rendra, a company in the building industry. We provide entrepreneurs with 3D CAD [computer-aided design] models for their sites for office buildings, hospitals, and so on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TestArmy?

We reached out to them because we needed to test our software on a large number of different Android and iOS devices. Instead of attempting to buy all these devices and perform tests ourselves, we wanted to use a company which already had most of them available to offload our task. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

The purpose of the test, at least in the beginning, was to discover device-specific issues which we had no way of detecting. Gradually, we have been offloading more and more general testing to TestArmy, as well. They provide manual testing based on detailed test scripts that we provide. TestArmy also undergoes general testing and has gotten to know our software. They detect changes and find regression bugs we may introduce while implementing new features. We don’t undergo any automated testing.

How did you come to work with TestArmy?

I was not in the loop initially. Another employee got in contact with TestArmy, but I’m not sure about the selection process.

How much have you invested with TestArmy?

This information is confidential. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with TestArmy in November of 2016. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We keep track of the number of critical bugs being discovered and how these numbers evolved since starting to work with TestArmy. I wouldn’t say that we have fewer bugs, but we’re discovering them at earlier stages than before. We do have fewer major bugs than before. The severity has decreased.

How did TestArmy perform from a project management standpoint?

We allocate time with TestArmy’s testers every week and communicate directly with them. Whenever we’ve had contact with their project managers, the meetings have been quick and efficient. I think that the communication has been straightforward. TestArmy’s team is competent, and they produce quality work.

What did you find most impressive about TestArmy?

We appreciate that they provide good testers who are competent in working with complex software. They have a technical background and can provide our developers with useful information on how to solve issues.

Are there any areas TestArmy could improve?

In general, I’m very satisfied with the quality of work provided by TestArmy, but the list of available mobile and tablet devices could be even more extensible and up to date. Having new devices ready when they reach the market would be a great plus for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am a world-renowned, award-winning musician that performs at private, corporate events and festivals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TestArmy? 

I reached out to TestArmy to be sure that my two websites were fully functional and error free. I was looking for a company to verify my website was error free and user-friendly to help me better connect with potential clients and fans.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of the work and TestArmy's involvement in greater detail. 

TestArmy was very proactive in helping me to test my websites. They were present from start to finish. TestArmy started testing as soon as we developed both websites and they also conducted acceptance tests at the end of our development. Plus, once everything was finished, TestArmy conducted retests to let me rest assured that everything was functioning properly.

How did you come to work with TestArmy?

After doing some research, I really liked the fact that TestArmy stressed their commitment to building a relationship with me rather than just seeing me as a paying client. I was also impressed by the kinds of clients they have previously partnered with.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I spent around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

TestArmy completed their engagement with my developers. The whole process took just under 2 months, one month during the development and then a couple of weeks for acceptance tests and retests.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What are the results of the project, and are there any statistics or metrics you can share?

The project was just completed so I do not have any immediate metrics to share. However, the testers from TestArmy were in constant communication with my developers and made suggestions on what things could be changed to create a more user-friendly experience. I believe that the open communication between my developers and TestArmy helped deliver the best websites possible.

My clients and partners are impressed with both websites and I have not yet heard any problem on either site.

How did TestArmy perform from a project management standpoint?

TestArmy dedicated a team to my project that consisted of 4 full-time testers plus another 20 testers to replicate my potential clients. They stayed in constant communication with my developers and me and were always ready when we had questions or concerns about a specific feature.

What distinguishes TestArmy from other providers?

I really appreciated the fact that TestArmy was not only efficient, but also open throughout the entire process. The questions my developers had were always quickly answered and their test reports enabled my developers to work in a more efficient manner. I think the fact that they were so involved with my project really proves that they treat each project as if it was their own, and that isn’t normal with other companies.

Is there anything TestArmy could have improved or done differently?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Ware are a global digital agency that deals mostly with pharmaceutical clients. We provide services related to digital marketing, website and mobile app development, and so on. Our headquarters are in London, and we have offices in Poland, Italy, and New York. Our headcount is over 100 employees, and we work with various external suppliers. I am the head solutions architect of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TestArmy?

We had a high volume of websites to be tested against designs and requirements. We needed someone to do this for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have worked with TestArmy on 30–40 websites so far. Our most common task is layout testing. This involves making comparisons against the design files we provide—for instance, if the built website is identical to the initial design. TestArmy also runs browser compatibility checks, looking at a number of browsers and devices which should be compatible with a particular website. They use physical devices to check for any layout issues or bugs. They also run some standard HTML and CSS validations using our internal tools in order to verify that the work is compliant with W3C standards. TestArmy checks follow-up emails for us, testing our templates in Outlook and the iOS email client. TestArmy also looks at our Veeva CRM [customer relationship management] presentations to see if the content follows our designs. These are environments through which medical representatives can show presentations.

Initially, our collaboration was on-demand. We sent TestArmy tasks for which they provided resources. Since November 2016, we changed the model and have a dedicated team of four QA engineers from TestArmy. We make sure that they have enough work and schedule their tasks. TestArmy is integrated into our team in several ways. Aside from using our Slack channels, they also use our internal JIRA instance for raising bugs and defining tasks. TestArmy is still a remote resource for us, so we work out of different offices.

How did you come to work with TestArmy?

I found TestArmy through the recommendation of a colleague. She had worked with TestArmy for a previous company. The relationship worked well so we didn't consider any other candidates.

How much have you invested with TestArmy?

The cost of TestArmy's work has been around $8,000 per month. In total, we’ve paid $80,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with TestArmy around April 2016. We still work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We have generally looked at our clients' satisfaction level and the number of issues reaching our clients. TestArmy's performance is good, and everyone has been happy so far. There were some issues initially, but they were mostly due to a lack of experience with our environment and project types. Most of those have been sorted out by now. Our general perception is that TestArmy is an extension of our internal team.

How did TestArmy perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate with TestArmy's team in English. There is usually a project manager on our side who works directly with their team members and sets deadlines. TestArmy will usually hit those deadlines, notifying us about any potential problems that may hold them back. TestArmy has senior team leaders who coordinate the work, so, if there are any issues, there will be someone whom we can go to and ask for help.

What did you find most impressive about TestArmy?

TestArmy reacts quickly to any issues and comes up with solutions. They also have senior resources who are experienced with general processes around digital. We've used TestArmy's expertise to improve our internal processes. The team which works for us can operate in different time zones, which has helped us handle global relations with foreign clients in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Are there any areas TestArmy could improve?

The technical understanding of underlying technologies around our websites and applications could be better. It would help TestArmy's team understand what our bugs are, as well as the reasons and implications around them. I know that TestArmy will be providing training for the team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We provide smart-packaging solutions using the RFID and NFC capabilities in smartphones, in order to provide communication between the customer and the product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TestArmy?

We needed to test our system for security issues at the request of one of our clients.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

TestArmy provided testing for our app, Talkin' Things, as well as for our web panel, talkinthings.com. Specifically, they tried to copy our NFC tags and looked at the communication between the smart devices and our cloud. It was quite a difficult project.

How did you come to work with TestArmy?

I found TestArmy online while looking for testing companies. I compared three offers and chose TestArmy because they had the best portfolio, and provided the best communication.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of TestArmy's work was around €5,000. [$5,200]

What is the status of this engagement?

We had our first conversations with TestArmy in September 2016, and the testing process started in December. The project took 1-2 months to complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The communication between our company and theirs was good, and TestArmy delivered the project in the right time. As a deliverable, they gave us a full summary of what we should do to improve our system. TestArmy then did another series of tests after we implemented those changes. Our system is in good order at the moment, so the project was successful.

How did TestArmy perform from a project management standpoint?

TestArmy assigned a project manager from their side. We had a number of calls and emails during the project, as well as one meeting. The communication was sufficient, and everything was delivered according to our timeline.

What distinguishes TestArmy from other providers?

I appreciated the communication between our teams, as well as TestArmy's fast work.

Is there anything TestArmy could have improved or done differently?

Everything was okay.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1: We are a charity organization focused on yearly corporate running events which take place in Poland. We have around 5,000 participants in Wrocław and 2,000 in Warsaw. I am the founder and chief executive officer of the organization. I am in charge of organizing the events.

Respondent 2: I am the IT director and events manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Testarmy?

Respondent 2: We needed security and functionality testing for our website. The website is used for registering competition participants, so it has many forms and functionalities which needed to be secure and operational.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Respondent 2: Testarmy provided security as well as functional and load (or performance) testing. They ensure that the site could handle 2,000–3,000 concurrent users. Testarmy's specialist maintained contact with us online. We've had three iterations for each type of test. Testarmy also fixed any bugs that were identified.

How did you come to work with Testarmy?

Respondent 2: I found three options when I googled security and functional testing companies. Testarmy offered the best price and a collaboration model.

How much have you invested with Testarmy?

Respondent 2: This information is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

Respondent 1: We started working with Testarmy in March 2014.

Respondent 2: The work was finished in May. We are planning a new project with Testarmy in 2017 after we've updated our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Respondent 1: We are satisfied with Testarmy.

Respondent 2: Testarmy tested our platform and fixed any bugs, achieving a functional result.

How did Testarmy perform from a project management standpoint?

Respondent 2: We maintained communication through JIRA, Skype, Slack, email, and phone. We've had a long period for performing all our tests, so there were no missed deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about Testarmy?

Respondent 2: I've appreciated the direct contact with Testarmy's specialists.

Are there any areas Testarmy could improve?

Respondent 1: No, everything was good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m currently the head of project management at a software development and design house. I’m responsible for all of the client interactions regarding project timelines and project satisfaction at the end of each product development. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Testarmy?

We hired Testarmy to find as many bugs as they could within various websites and applications for iOS and Android. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve used Testarmy for several projects. I think we’re using them in almost all of our projects right now. We use them because they’re certified and they have several tools that they can test with. Right now, we work with Testarmy for manual testing on several devices. They are starting to build a system for automatic testing and they want to shift to that. However, automatic testing will not work for all of our applications. They will continue manual testing where needed.  

How did you come to work with Testarmy?

They’ve reached out to us and after a couple of times when we had a need for a QA team, and we have negotiated a deal.

How much have you invested with Testarmy?

I don't know.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2015, and we are still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Their testers are very knowledgeable and well prepared. I think our cooperation is successful right now. They are flexible and can work on-site, which is helpful. We have several core projects where we need them to be in our clients’ offices, and Testarmy’s resources are able to travel as required.

How did Testarmy perform from a project management standpoint?

They are able to use our systems and procedures. They also do a good job of hitting deadlines. If we keep our deadlines, they keep theirs. I mostly work with their CEO, but from my point of view, they have good project management. If we need extra testers, they always have someone in the background that can jump onto our project.

What did you find most impressive about Testarmy?

The most important thing is that they have people who can usually jump into a project well-prepared. I think we have a good collaboration.

Are there any areas Testarmy could improve?

They could expand the list of devices they have, but I know that’s hard. 

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Testarmy?

To be successful with Testarmy, you just need to let them work. They know exactly what to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

‎I am the chief executive officer of NOMTEK, an application development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Testarmy?

We had been trying to improve the quality of our application, so we looked for quality assurance services. It would have been difficult for us to build an internal quality assurance team quickly and we needed to have these capabilities in order to adapt to the market dynamics. Testarmy was able to fulfill this need quickly. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We mostly use Testarmy for manual testing, namely building manual test scenarios and executing them. Whenever we produce an application, Testarmy will create step-by-step scenarios for testing it. The scenarios are used for regression testing whenever we develop a new version of the application. This way, they cover the same cases for each iteration.

The second aspect of our work is fragmentation testing, which involves using several devices that we specify to Testarmy. They run manual tests on all relevant devices for each app.

Testarmy is integrated with our Agile development process and test each application as it is being developed. Whenever a new feature is delivered, Testarmy's testers will react to our work and check the quality of the features on demand. This may happen several times per week. We are minimizing the time spent between the delivery of a small feature to testing.

How did you come to work with Testarmy?

We considered local options but we found Testarmy through personal references. We knew the company's owners and felt that we could trust them. Throughout the cooperation, we have developed that trust.

How much have you invested with Testarmy?

I prefer not to disclose this information.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Testarmy several years ago. The collaboration is ongoing and our relationship has evolved over time. We continue to increase Testarmy's involvement in our processes.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Testarmy has fulfilled our testing needs consistently and their results are reliable. The flexibility they've shown in providing resources is also important to us. Testarmy has participated substantially in our processes and has brought value to our team.

Testarmy is highly integrated with our team, even though they're mostly working remotely for us. They quickly provide properly skilled resources based on our dynamic needs. They have a good process for picking the right people and training them.

How did Testarmy perform from a project management standpoint?

There is absolutely no bad feedback in this area. We can communicate with Testarmy's managers, but there isn't a great need to do this. We typically only discuss general needs and specific orders, while most of the work is done directly with Testarmy's engineers. There haven't been any missed deadlines and Testarmy has responded quickly to our needs. I really appreciate their ability to scale easily and offer us resources on demand. I was initially working with Testarmy directly, but we eventually assigned a person to manage the collaboration.

What did you find most impressive about Testarmy?

I've appreciated the quality of the service and Testarmy's scaling abilities. This is the main value we've gotten from them. We collaborate closely. Testarmy is tightly integrated into our workflow, which means that they participate in our processes together with our team. We can thus evolve our methodology and improve together.

Are there any areas Testarmy could improve?

It would be hard to say. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of SerwerSMS.pl

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company provides advanced solutions for mobile mass communication, designed to enable effective and fast customer interaction. We offer access to key channels, including: SMS, RCS, MMS, VMS, PUSH, and OTT, allowing you to choose the best way to deliver your message – from simple text to rich multimedia and interactive content. All these capabilities are available in the CPaas model. Thanks to this, our clients benefit from the system as a cloud service, which eliminates IT infrastructure costs, provides automatic updates, guarantees access from anywhere, and allows for quick deployment and easy management of mass communication campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TestArmy to accomplish?

• System and API Penetration Testing

SOLUTION

How did you find TestArmy?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select TestArmy over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of work covered testing the mass communication application, including penetration testing of the API and all endpoints.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The outcome was a report after the penetration tests.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

everything went according to plan and we were in constant contact.

What was your primary form of communication with TestArmy?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed by their commitment to customer service.

Are there any areas for improvement or something TestArmy could have done differently?

No