For several years TESTCo managed issue tracking for its software testing projects using either Microsoft Excel or its customers' issue management systems which were often home grown solutions. With an expanding customer base and a testing team distributed throughout the world, the company needed a better system to manage the software testing process, including monitoring issues generated, ensuring that all issues were resolved, and documenting how they were resolved.

TESTCo's John Gillespie, Vice President of Customer Service, began researching options via the Internet and through personal referrals. He evaluated several options including open source solutions, hosted solutions, and packaged products. "We needed a system that would allow us to streamline our issue management process, enhance communication with staff distributed across multiple continents and ensure that every detail of each project we work on is documented so that nothing falls through the cracks," said Gillespie.

Through its research, TESTCo discovered ProjectLocker, a premier provider of managed software development services. TESTCo selected ProjectLocker based on its flexibility, competitive pricing, and the fact that it was a Web-based solution. "Based on our research it just made sense, ProjectLocker was the best option for what we needed," said Gillespie.

Today TESTCo uses ProjectLocker's Issue Manager extensively in day to day operations of the company. With TESTCo's world-wide team of testers, which include employees in India, Romania, and Ukraine, Issue Manager acts as a centralized repository of information that is used to manage daily activities throughout the organization. Each software tester uses Issue Manager as a tool for structuring their work day, including determining priorities for work, researching historical information pertaining to bug fixes, raising issues during the testing process and communicating the status of the client projects they are working on.

Gillespie leverages the information contained in Issue Manager to provide succinct updates to clients on the status of their software testing projects. His weekly updates provide valuable details on how the testing process is going and where the major issues are occurring. As a result, clients benefit from strategic recommendations on adjustments that can be made to the software development process to minimize future issues.

"ProjectLocker's Issue Manager has streamlined and automated what was once a very time intensive and manual process for TESTCo," said Gillespie. "In addition, it provides an excellent history log of our work. We can go back at any time to see how something was completed and leverage those details going forward. All of these things help us provide an even better service to our current and future customers."

TESTCo uses ProjectLocker's Source Control to manage and protect critical information online. "This robust system helps us keep test cases organized and provides a verifiable and traceable copy of our work, all in a highly secure environment," said Gillespie. "Using ProjectLocker's Source Control also minimizes the risk of losing valuable information as everything is consistently backed up."

Since working with ProjectLocker, TESTCo has greatly benefited from using the company's issue tracking and source control services. "Using ProjectLocker's Issue Manager, TESTCo saves at least five hours a week on issue management alone, which translates into thousands of dollars a year ," said Gillespie.

ProjectLocker's services allow TESTCo to more effectively work with its teams of testers, which in turn provides a better service to its own customers. "Using ProjectLocker's services enforces a consistent process across the organization and helps us to communicate project requirements, defects and production needs to our entire team in a sound and effortless manner. ProjectLocker's services are easy to use, and that is essential when working with teams of testers throughout the world as we do."