Test Improvement for Highly Reliable NYSE Trading Systems

With billions of dollars changing hands every day, financial trading systems demand extremely high accuracy and reliability. So, how do you improve test process performance in the areas of time to market and efficiency and at the same time reduce failures? Over the last three years, using process and project measurement data as a guide, SIAC has focused on doing exactly that. Steve Boycan highlights the key elements of the process changes that have led to SIAC's current performance: the use of a rigorous requirements engineering process; controlled parallel and iterative work flows; changes to the level of abstraction in test documentation; emphasis on test planning, analysis, and design; causal analysis; and improving the test team's skills. Throughout the improvement program, SIAC has used quantitative information to guide the way, monitor performance, and plan each test project on one of the most critical NYSE floor trading systems.

• Test process changes that can significantly improve performance
• Key test process, planning, and tracking metrics
• Examples of improvements in test cycle time and defect containment