With a full-time team of 10 quality assurance staff members responsible for all manual testing, Novant Health was looking for a better way to test its Epic system and existing infrastructure. Because the team was not certified or trained in Epic, they relied on Epic application teams to write manual scripts that they then executed.
The health system needed a test automation approach that would reduce resource allocation in this area and increase its testing scope. Novant decided to partner with SureTest to benefit from their market-leading Test Automation Solutions offering.
For the phase one deployment, to reduce the time to value and increase the initial ROI, SureTest worked with Novant to identify and recommend up to 10 key workflows for each of their implemented modules in Epic. The result was 9 test case scenarios that included over 100 individual end-user workflows covering their most frequent and impactful testing scenarios to drive the highest value possible on their quarterly release upgrades.
In addition, SureTest:
After the initial workflow capture, Novant took on a full version upgrade from Epic that included a major user interface design change. This presented a significant “look and feel” gap between the recorded workflows ad the live EHR system that would need to be closed during script development.
Because SureTest’s team has deep Epic expertise and experience, they were able to incorporate the changes and close the gap with minimal engagement of Novant staff resources. SureTest accounted for all changes related to the version upgrade during script development before the final validation review.
Following deployment, SureTest maintains automated scripts to match both Novant’s workflows and changes within the EHR, thus helping Novant realize continued benefits over time from Test Automation. The SureTest Automation Solution also allows the health system to take advantage of Epic’s quarterly releases and upgrades. SureTest works behind the scenes —testing and addressing technical changes and bug fixes.
Other ongoing activities include:
By partnering with SureTest for Epic Test Automation, Novant significantly increased the efficiency and reliability of its testing process. This automated approach:
Today, SureTest has automated 125 individual end-user workflows, or 60% of Novant’s Epic scripts, and anticipates nearly 80% automation completed by year-end. Assuming four release upgrades per year, Novant will experience an estimated time savings of 29,200 testing hours annually. Using automation, Novant increased its rigor to run core scripts daily, ensuring that all workflows are thoroughly tested well before upgrade events.
SureTest’s test automation program allowed Novant to test more, with fewer people, and in a shorter amount of time. Here’s what the Novant team had to say about this streamlined approach:
See the official release from SureTest: SureTest - Novant Case Study
More about SureTest solutions: SureTest Test Automation Infographic
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