Web and performance automation (homehardware.com)

1. The Challenge

Home Hardware, a leading Canadian retailer in home improvement and building materials, embarked on a project to develop an internal system designed to streamline employee management processes. This system aimed to simplify critical workflows for their staff, including:

• Managing vacation requests and approvals.
• Tracking rewards and incentives.
• Submitting claims for reimbursements and sick leave.
• Monitoring statistics such as hours worked and time-off balances.

The new platform needed to provide a seamless experience for employees while ensuring data accuracy, reliability, and scalability. Key challenges included:

1. Building a Robust Employee Management System: Developing a user-friendly platform capable of handling sensitive employee data and complex workflows.
2. Ensuring Scalability and Performance: Testing the system’s ability to handle high usage volumes, particularly during peak activity periods such as payroll deadlines.
3. Implementing Comprehensive Test Automation: Validating key functionalities through automation to minimize manual testing efforts and enhance platform reliability.
4. Seamless Deployment and Updates: Integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines to enable smooth and efficient rollouts of new features.

2. The Solution

qantum.one worked closely with Home Hardware to deliver a tailored testing solution for their employee management system, combining test automation and performance testing.

1. Development of a Tailored Automation Framework:
   • Built a robust and flexible automation framework to validate critical workflows, such as vacation requests, reimbursement submissions, and data tracking.
   • Ensured scalability and adaptability to accommodate future enhancements to the platform.
2. Comprehensive Automated Testing:
   • Automated key functionalities, including form submissions, data validation, workflow approvals, and reporting.
   • Implemented end-to-end (E2E), API, and functional testing to cover all system layers comprehensively.
3. Performance Testing for Scalability:
   • Conducted load and stress testing to validate the system’s performance under peak usage, such as during payroll processing or company-wide announcements.
   • Simulated real-world employee interactions to identify bottlenecks and optimize system performance.
4. CI/CD Pipeline Integration:
   • Integrated automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, ensuring continuous testing and rapid feedback on new builds.
   • Enabled automated regression testing to maintain stability during frequent updates and feature rollouts.

3. The Result

The collaboration with qantum.one delivered substantial improvements for Home Hardware’s internal employee management system:

1. Reliable and User-Friendly System: The platform was rigorously tested, ensuring a smooth and efficient user experience for Home Hardware’s staff.
2. Optimized Performance: Performance testing ensured the system could handle high usage volumes without any delays or crashes.
3. Accelerated Feature Rollouts: Automated testing within CI/CD pipelines reduced the time required to release new features and updates, improving agility.
4. Streamlined Workflows: Comprehensive test automation validated critical workflows, enabling employees to efficiently manage tasks such as vacation requests and reimbursement claims.
5. Future-Ready Scalability: The automation and performance testing strategy prepared the platform for future growth and evolving employee needs.

Conclusion

qantum.one partnered with Home Hardware to develop a robust and high-performing employee management system backed by advanced web automation and performance testing. This collaboration enabled Home Hardware to enhance employee satisfaction and streamline internal processes while ensuring the platform was scalable and reliable for years to come.