• Client Industry: Transportation - Rail Transportation

• About Client: A government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. They employ nearly 19,000 people. It operates passenger service on 21,000 miles of track primarily owned by freight railroads connecting 500 destinations in 46 states. In fiscal year 2008, they served 28.7 million passengers, representing six straight years of record rider-ship.

• Client Relationship Overview: DISYS has been engaged with the client for more than 10 years, since 1998. DISYS was involved from the very beginning of the initial SAP implementation. Recently, DISYS received two of the largest contracts the client has ever awarded to a single vendor.

Engagement Details:

• Business Need: Our client required Quality Assurance (QA) and Testing Services to support the implementation of several major projects as part of the eTicketing program as well as other large development projects. Examples of these projects included eTickets on their website, Print at Home, Automated Exchange, Passenger Manifests and Electronic Revenue Recognition. These projects impacted several areas, such as Arrow Reservation systems, Business system, Revenue Transaction Datastore system, Revenue and Ridership system, PAS/ALMS system, and other distribution and ticketing-related distribution channels.



• Project Objectives: The selected integrator needed to provide experienced quality assurance management and testing team personnel to successfully perform the requisite testing services.



• Solution Approach: DISYS provided the team that is currently performing quality assurance and testing for the entire eTicketing program. DISYS provided a QA Test Manager and a team of Testers to coordinate, document, and test eTicketing projects related to the Reservation and Distribution Systems, affiliated non-distribution channels, and other large development projects related to the eTicketing program.



• Successfully completed all the testing activities for the eTickets on the client website, Wandrian Phase 1B, and NNEPRA Server and Handheld projects with all of the distribution channels and offline process. Received praise from both ORR team and PMO on the testing deliverables.  The PMO will be using this project’s deliverables as samples.
• Presented eTicketing Testing Approach to Senior Directors. This presented an approach to address the inconsistency of standards, terms and methodology applied across the program.
• Developed eTicketing Program Test Plan template and Test Schedule template.  This allowed the test team to communicate the test approach for any given project and allowed for the information to be available to support ARROW’s Testing Lifecycle and the TPF Test Coordinators.
• Implemented Test Case Review Process using a new Test Case Review Approval Form.  This process facilitates consensuses, feedback and approval by the PM, Analyst and Users of the planned Test Cases to be executed.
• Instituted a new Test Execution Readiness process and checklist (Test Readiness Review) to ensure that all prerequisite test preparations have been completed and that test execution can begin.  All active projects are using this process to serve as a gate for Test Execution. 
• Implemented a standard process communication channel via a “Daily Status Email”.  This provides management with visibility to progress and issues facing the testing activities.  The ‘Test Planning’ and ‘Test Execution’ templates were developed and implemented.
• Implemented new Defect Management Process using Quality Center’s Defect Management module.  This process will be available for use by Defect and Test Issue Management for all active projects. Facilitated three rolling Quality Center Defect Management Brown Bag Trainings. 
• Mentored and coached existing test team to enhance and improve testing process, communications, and deliverables.
• Developed an eTicketing Program Test Summary Report template. This allows the test team to provide guidance that will serve as the basis for the stakeholders to make a confident “GO/NO-GO” decision on application readiness for Production, with full understanding of the risks and mitigation plans


• Technology Components and Versions: Bug-zero defect tracking, T-Pump, HP Quality Center (QC) and Quick Test Professional (QTP), SOA Testing tools.
  
  
  
• Business Value: The Quality Assurance and Testing support provided by DISYS allowed the client to successfully complete the eTicketing implementation and played major roles in other development projects. The consultants provided by DISYS exceeded the client’s expectations. The procedures followed by DISYS consultants will be used as standards for future projects.