Agriculture

Organisation

Stakeholders

Goal

• Assessing a software prototype in terms of commercial, functional, organisational, and architectural considerations to identify a viable path and all the remaining steps for developing and launching a successful product
• Minimising the risks of software product development and commercial product launch

Context

Results

• A comprehensive risk assessment covering the commercial, functional, organisational, and architectural dimensions
• Recommendations for customer creation and product co-design with prospective customers
• Recommendations on the collaboration between all the stakeholders involved in product development
• Recommendations for establishing and scaling up a dedicated organisation that is capable of driving product sales, adapting to evolving customer needs in a dynamic economic environment, and supporting a growing customer base

Client quote

One of the challenges we faced was working out how to transition from prototypes into product development, and then obviously to active customers. We have been struggling to bridge the gap. S23M spent 4 to 6 weeks with us and engaged with the R & D group and the technology division, and also with the wider business to get a deeper understanding of the context. And that was very good.

The output was very good as well. The report, and especially the process of discussing it in depth with us as a group, and then also incorporating the outcomes of the discussion in the final report certainly made the teams aware that prototyping and product development represent two distinct phases that need to be well coordinated.

The recommendations were absolutely supported by the participants. We have now seen the transition eventuate in relation to a recent new product development effort within our business. We certainly see the benefits for us.

The professionalism, the way that S23M interacted with the teams, and the skills that S23M brought were exceptional, top rate. I was surprised at how well the teams engaged with you guys.

Richard Spelman, General Manager R & D, Livestock Improvement Corporation

Organisation

Stakeholders

Goal

• Development of a framework for quality assurance and end user acceptance testing
• Overall risk management, quality assurance, and test management
• Moving SAP solutions and related infrastructure into a Microsoft Azure cloud environment without impacting business operations – the first solution of this kind in Australasia

Context

Results

• Extensive test coverage was achieved by engaging up to 70 subject matter experts in user acceptance tests, and by using a globally distributed approach to test management
• Subject matter experts developed 2,000 test scenarios that allowed systematic regression tests and trustworthy risk assessments
• Management and tracking of test execution and defect resolution via real-time visual dashboards that reflected the structure of Zespri’s business processes
• A confident go-live decision based on test coverage metrics for each major business process element

Client quote

The Supply Chain Efficiency and Cloud projects were massive projects for Zespri. We are expecting huge and phenomenal growth, and as part of that we needed to have appropriate systems and scalability to be able to cope and manage the growth.

The [S23M quality assurance and test management] framework was absolutely fundamental for the success of these two projects. It’s a huge asset that has been created for Zespri. We were able to manage the risk profile very very effectively with the methodology from S23M. I think that the way that S23M went about managing the risks is exceptional. There was a huge amount of rigour that was put into making sure that both projects were successful. The value that has been created is an enduring value. The biggest asset is the framework and the mindset that has been created.

Andrew Goodin, CIO of Zespri International