FIAtoZ & Novatron in collaboration
Quality Assurance Expertise from AtoZ for the Development of Novatron's Machine Control Systems.
The Finnish company Novatron is a family-owned business that has been developing, manufacturing, and delivering machine control solutions for earthmoving machines for over 30 years. Novatron also offers training services for various stages of the digitalized construction site, from planning to practical applications and processes. The company manufactures nearly all the electronic components, sensors, displays, and computing units required for machine control systems in-house, and their own production also includes software applications for the systems.
The assistive machine control systems for earthmoving machines bring safety and speed to construction sites. An assistive system means that there is a physical display in the cab of the construction machine, guiding the operator on what to do at each stage of the operation. Thanks to machine control systems, surveyors are no longer needed on-site to measure things like correct surface heights, and the system speeds up the completion of the construction site by allowing surface models to be sent electronically to the machines without flipping through papers.
Experience and Expertise in Software Testing for New Product Generations
According to Mikko Kipinoinen, Project Manager of Novatron’s product development, the company’s collaboration with AtoZ began when Novatron realized it needed external software testing expertise for developing the next generation of products.
“AtoZ was familiar to me from my previous job. When we started developing the new software generation and platform, one of the requirements that emerged was the development of test automation. Previously, not much test automation had been done at Novatron, and we didn’t have the resources available to fully commit to the project. I knew that AtoZ had strong expertise in testing, so I decided to reach out to them,” Kipinoinen explains.
AtoZ’s role in the project is to build the test automation foundation that software developers can use to test their own code. Marko Lehti, Test Manager at Novatron, says that AtoZ’s expert knowledge has had a key impact on the progress of the project.
“Building test automation for the new product generation requires specific technology that enables us to make software solutions. AtoZ’s employees came in to design and implement the test automation, allowing us to focus our own resources on building the actual product. We’ve passed that phase, and the goal now is to implement the solutions more widely, for both testers and developers. The aim is that the solutions we implement will be more user-friendly and approachable than previous ones,” Lehti states.
In addition to test automation, one of AtoZ’s experts is conducting manual testing for the older product generation’s machine control system in various projects. Manual testing is part of system testing, where the software is tested from the end-user’s perspective in an environment as close as possible to the actual usage scenario. In Novatron’s case, the test environment often includes not just the machine control system, sensors, and the machinery but also interfaces to other information systems. The manual tester’s job often involves testing items that would be too time-consuming, expensive, or even impossible to test otherwise.
Novatron’s product development process has significantly evolved with the design and testing of the new product generation.
“After the fall, we set up a virtual team for the project, and in the spring, we also made organizational changes, which resulted in AtoZ’s test automation personnel being placed in our product development teams. The project has steadily achieved milestones along the way, and I’ve been working closely with AtoZ’s team to figure out how to make things work. The teams support each other well, and the project has progressed smoothly,” Lehti says.
Discussion, Support, and External Perspectives Help Overcome Challenges
The project timeline spans several years, so the collaboration with AtoZ is long-term as well. Both Kipinoinen and Lehti have experienced AtoZ’s support as an essential part of the project, and Novatron has been satisfied with the communication and expertise.
“All requested tasks have been handled excellently. As with any project, there are always at least small setbacks or challenges that require discussion, but we’ve managed to resolve them in good spirits, and the issues have been fixed as they arise. We are very satisfied with how they’ve been able to assist us,” Kipinoinen summarizes.
“I too give them two thumbs up. I’ve only been involved in the project since the end of last year, and I’ve received great support in familiarizing myself with the entire project. What we’ve seen from AtoZ is that they haven’t forced a specific solution into the project, but we’ve been able to discuss which actions are the most sensible in each situation. The project is under constant development pressure with team resources, and AtoZ has been able to encourage and address various needs,” Lehti praises.
According to the Project Manager and Test Manager, the external perspective has greatly helped in the project’s progress.
“AtoZ has provided us with insights that, without them, we might have made weaker decisions and wasted a lot of time through trial and error. A big and crucial part of this has been that AtoZ’s experts have experience with similar tasks in several different companies. As a result, we’ve gained diverse perspectives and a broader view of how things should be done. Within a company, the vision can narrow, especially when people work on similar projects for a long time,” the men state.
“I have experience with many subcontractors, and I feel that this ongoing project is more challenging than average. The development is hardware-driven, meaning the software runs on physical devices rather than in the cloud, like many other software projects. We have unique needs that don’t have a ready-made solution – and this has not been an issue for AtoZ. Based on our experience, we can gladly recommend AtoZ to others in need of software expertise,” Kipinoinen concludes.
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