Requirement:

The client was upgrading its desktop operating systems from Windows 95 to Windows 2000. All existing applications required thorough compatibility checks with the new operating system. Seventeen thousand PCs worldwide across five business units would ultimately need to be converted to the new system. Azara Logic was initially required to coordinate the testing for the UK arm of one of these five business units. Complications included a complete lack of inventory, competition from other departments for resources and tests having to be conducted under strict pharmaceutical industry regulations. (Many of the applications were validated systems under Food & Drug Agency regulations and were therefore subject to rigorous procedures.) Success of the initial project extended it to providing a best practice advice for other business units.

Azara Logic Process:

• Analysis

  Azara Logic completed the identification and prioritisation of 380 applications that were in use within the business unit. This inventory included third party software and in-house developed applications.

• Project Management

  The main project management challenge was ensuring open communication between suppliers. With network support, desktop support, scanning hardware and database creation/maintenance all being handled by different parties, Azara Logic worked hard to ensure that all parties were kept informed at every step. At the hub of a wheel of 6 worldwide departments and 111 people, Azara Logic conducted thorough initial interviews to discuss testing methodologies and introduce solid working relationships. This communication set-up proved vital and a fundamental step in the success of the project. Testing (developed and to be conducted by internal resources) was meticulously coordinated to ensure that it would be both timely and thorough; constant progress supervision over all identified applications was maintained throughout the duration of the project.

• Delivery

  From the created inventory, every application needed testing before rollout. To save on manual testing time, Azara Logic wrote and developed an application to read code and analyse each of 180 office templates for known issues that would prevent them from working within Windows 2000. In the case of third party products Azara Logic was required to co-ordinate with third party vendors.

• Support

  At the end of the process Azara Logic provided guidance to other internal developers on ‘Windows 2000 Best Practice’, identifying problems that had been encountered and the solutions developed. Four further business units were able to use this information to assist their own migration projects. Windows 2000 withheld access, where Windows 95 had not. Azara Logic helped end users come to terms with the potential authorisation denial that would be imposed by the new system.

Success:

The client was pleased that the project was completed on time and to budget. It was also the first UK business unit to complete the testing process. For Azara Logic the success of this initial project led to further projects and an increasingly solid and long lasting relationship with the client.