CUSTOMER STORY | ENERGY INDUSTRY
Streamlining testing with automation: This is how Elenia develops test automation
Author
PAIJU KOIVULA
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Energy services company Elenia and Sisua Digital have collaborated closely in process automation for nearly a decade. As a natural extension of this partnership, Elenia decided to expand the cooperation into test automation. Previous experience in leveraging UiPath for production automation eased the application of the same technology to testing. Elenia aims to automate about 80% of the testing for its customer information system and increase internal expertise by training their specialists in collaboration with Sisua Digital. This enables the continuous development of test automation using the company’s internal resources.
Elenia had previously developed test automation with a different technology until the need to modernize arose. The long-standing partnership with Sisua Digital in production automation helped extend the cooperation into test automation. As a result, Elenia’s production robot “Patrik” was joined by a test automation robot named “Esteri.”
“We already use UiPath in automating our customer information system processes, so it was a natural step to adopt the same technology for testing. Our strong experience with UiPath also supports developing our internal capabilities,” says Katri Sarta-Heikkilä, Process Services Specialist at Elenia.
Elenia’s test robot Esteri.
Now Elenia has built two test automations with Sisua, with five more in planning. To leverage synergies with production automation, Elenia utilizes UiPath’s Orchestrator and its testing capabilities, such as Test Robot.
Test automation reduces workload and accelerates testing
The main focus of Elenia’s test automation is testing the customer information system, particularly processes involving customer and contract data, billing, and other critical system functionalities before releasing updates.
“We carry out several updates each year, and test automation ensures that all critical processes work properly before going live,” explains Sarta-Heikkilä.
The main benefits of test automation for Elenia are faster testing and a reduced manual testing workload for employees, which enables better use of working time for other tasks and also increases employee satisfaction.
“We don’t have dedicated testers – our system experts conduct testing alongside their regular work. Automation reduces their workload and speeds up critical process testing,” Sarta-Heikkilä adds.
“When a new version is available in the test environment, we can start testing immediately and detect bugs faster. Since tests often need to be repeated, automation speeds up the cycles and reduces the need for manual resources,” she continues.
In the future, tests could run overnight, with reports ready for analysis by morning.
In addition, test automation has a positive impact on Elenia’s customer service:
“It’s important for our customers and partners that tests are completed quickly, freeing up resources for other tasks. Faster testing also means more reliable service, as issues are caught before going into production,” says Sarta-Heikkilä.
Elenia also utilizes test automation in testing their ERP system
Elenia also uses test automation for version testing in its ERP system.
“Our ERP contains production automations, which we test before rolling out updates. We check whether the automations need updates or fixes if system elements change. We also test the actual processes. Some tests are manual, while others use existing automations,” explains Liisa Virta, System Specialist in RPA at Elenia.
Elenia’s goal is to automate 80% of their customer information system testing and build internal expertise
Elenia continues to develop test automation using UiPath, currently focusing on automating testing in their customer information system.
“Our goal is to automate all core testing processes. We aim to align version testing with automation and reach 75–80% test automation coverage,” says Sarta-Heikkilä.
Elenia also plans to train internal resources to support this development:
“We’ve previously had robotics training programs with Sisua, which were very successful. Now that we’ve started test automation, we plan to continue collaborating in training,” Sarta-Heikkilä explains.
Sisua provided Citizen Developer programs for Elenia in 2020 and 2023, training around 40 employees. The results have been excellent, enabling successful scaling of production automation.
“Since we already have internal expertise in production automation, we can apply that knowledge to test automation. Some experts handle both version testing and automation, making the transition smoother. We also plan to train new staff specifically for test automation,” Virta adds.
“As we gain experience with testing the customer information system, we may expand test automation to other systems as well,” Virta continues.
Long partnership and industry expertise accelerate development
The long-term collaboration and Sisua’s understanding of the energy sector have facilitated the adoption of test automation.
“Years of partnership have made development easier, as Sisua is familiar with our systems and processes. We’ve even reused components from production automations in testing,” says Virta.
“In the future, we’ll likely utilize existing automations even more once we map all the potential test automation use cases,” Virta adds.
“Sisua has integrated seamlessly into our test automation efforts, and communication has been effortless thanks to our shared history,” concludes Sarta-Heikkilä.
Key benefits of test automation and partnership
Automation benefits
- Faster and more efficient testing
- Quicker issue detection and improved accuracy
- Reduced manual workload for experts
- Improved employee satisfaction
- Development of internal capabilities
- Scalable automation with in-house resources
- Better customer experience
- Opportunity to expand automation to other systems
About the company
Elenia
Elenia Group consists of Elenia Oy, which offers diverse energy services, and Elenia Verkko Oyj, which provides electricity distribution services. Elenia is Finland’s second-largest electricity distribution company, serving 440,000 customers directly and over a million indirectly through its customer companies. As an industry leader, Elenia is also transforming the electricity market by enabling new technological and service innovations as part of the ongoing energy transition.
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