Software Testing Business Plan

Cresta is a global IT services organization specialized in the construction and execution of leading QA and testing methodologies and infrastructures. Each Cresta engagement experiences crisp project execution, highly-skilled test professionals, and formal test analysis and reporting, all benefits derived from our proprietary Structured System Testing Methodology™ (SSTM™). SSTM™ governs the way in which Cresta consultants execute their testing tasks, and provides a process of repeatable testing activities and deliverables. Cresta prides itself in its global standard of consistency and high-quality work; and our clients have grown to expect, value, and appreciate the associated benefits.

SSTM™ is a specialized testing methodology that is compliant with general development methods or project management methodologies such as PRINCE 2 and compatible with The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards.

3.1 Service Description

Managed Resourcing: Cresta’s most important type of engagement, clients feel confident in delegating the entire QA responsibilities for a specific project to a Cresta-managed team of QA specialists. Generally led by a Cresta Principal Consultant, our team will be responsible for creation, execution, and management reporting of results and conclusions of QA activities. These types of engagements often include the creation of an enterprise-wide testing strategy that can be used repeatedly by the client.

QA Outsourcing: Similar to Managed Resourcing, except the client commitment extends beyond the scope and duration of a single project. Clients essentially recognize the Cresta team as their QA organization. Cresta offers these services on-site, off-site, or offshore, at the customer’s preference.

Staff Augmentation: Cresta’s highly-skilled QA specialists are often perceived by our clients as the “hired gun” to assist with testing activities, “fix” a project in distress, or fill a skill or competency void within their organization.

Specific Engagements:
QA Capabilities Assessment
Disaster/Recoverability Validation
Server Consolidation Quality Assurance
Application Development/Migration/Integration Quality Assurance

3.2 Competitive Comparison

Competition comes in several forms:

1. The most significant competition is no consulting at all; that is, companies choosing to do QA and testing in-house as part of their regular business functions. Our key advantage in competition with in-house QA and testing initiatives is that managers are already overloaded with responsibilities, they don’t have time for additional responsibilities in areas that tend to require a high degree of technological specification.  Also, Cresta has the ability to bring experience gained at other client engagements that is not available to in-house resources.
2. The Big 5 and equivalent consulting firms: Accenture, Andersen, Cap Gemini/EYT, IBM Testing, etc. Generally, these competitors are comprised of professional services organizations that are international in scope and have established global business infrastructures and business lines. These are essentially generalists who take their name-brand management consulting into specialty areas. The other important weakness is the management structure that has the partners selling new jobs, and inexperienced associates delivering the work. Cresta competes against them as experts in our specific fields, and with the guarantee that our clients will have the top-level people doing the actual work. Cresta has embraced the concept of “coop-etition” and views these competitors as attractive sales channels and potential consumers of Cresta resources. These competitors often reciprocate with a positive view on leveraging Cresta’s independence as well as Cresta’s specialized testing skills in their engagements.
3. The third major source of competition is regional specialists in the QA and testing space: QA Associates, Genilogix, CSA, Sky IT Group, Mondial, Ltd., etc. These companies resemble Cresta, however, only Cresta has its branded SSTM™ methodology. Cresta stands to continue to create differentiation from these competitors as it clearly defines its market space, acquires meaningful target industry knowledge and expertise, becoming the leading QA and testing experts in our target industries.

3.3 Technology

Cresta consultants are specialists at blending the best toolsets with the organizational strategies and requirements for testing. We work with the leading tools partners in the testing business and respective industry sectors. Cresta intends to develop new, and strengthen existing business partnerships and alternate sales channels, leveraging the clients, sales force, and non-competitive products and services offered by such partners.

Existing/suggested technology partners:

• Mercury Interactive
• Compuware
• Ixia
• Segue
• Rational
• @stake
• Empirix
• Radview

Existing/suggested channel partners:

• Accenture
• CS Technology
• IBM
• KPMG
• RTP Technology Corporation
• Sybase/Financial Fusion
• Various Application Manufacturers

3.4 Fulfillment

Cresta intends to develop and grow our service delivery organization in a very effective, and cost-controlled fashion. We will scale by utilizing an appropriate blend of employee and independent contractor consultants, with the latter representing approximately 60% of the service delivery organization.

In advance of customer requirements, we will recruit, and qualify prospective consultants. Subsequently, we will train and certify each qualified consultant in Cresta’s services, unique methodologies, and standard procedures, to ensure that services are delivered consistently with high quality, throughout all engagements.

3.5 Future Services

Cresta intends to enhance current service offerings by strategically developing competencies in, and offering QA services related to industry-specific business applications. Initial interest is in ‘market share leaders’ in the financial services industry, whose applications are deployed at several, financial service companies. Market research has begun to identify qualified vendors and products for this purpose.

Cresta is also confident that execution of the following initiatives will significantly increase customer awareness in what is essentially a niche area of professional services. This serves to strengthen our identity and brand:

• Targeted e-mail campaigns that are tailored to recipients and their business objectives and will generate further leads.
• Public advertising campaigns targeted at CIO, CTO, CFO, as well as Compliance and Auditing Executives, will appeal to the concept of applying QA solutions to risk management objectives.
• Industry User Groups, conferences, and Cresta-hosted seminars will be used strategically to increase customer awareness and strengthen our brand.

Enhancing our services in this fashion increases our target market, strengthens our differentiation, minimizes competition and leverages existing resources, skills, and industry references. Finally, Cresta believes that offering training services in the major, industry leading toolsets is a viable off shoot of its current operations. The financials that follow include training as a line item, however, due to the fact that this will be a new initiative, the financials do not reflect any significant revenue from this source.