William Hill cuts software time-to-market by weeks after deploying SmartBear ReadyAPI for automated API testing

Background

William Hill's software team faced the recurring challenge of creating API and middleware test scripts from scratch for each new project, making it impossible to reuse test assets across projects. This extended delivery timelines and forced teams to spend extra time clarifying requirements before testing could begin.

What Was Implemented

• Evaluated ReadyAPI Test and ReadyAPI Performance alongside eggPlant and IBM Rational, selecting SmartBear
• Deployed ReadyAPI Test for functional API and middleware testing covering popular API protocols
• Deployed ReadyAPI Performance, enabling reuse of ReadyAPI Test functional tests for load and performance testing
• Integrated both tools into the CI pipeline so test scenarios exist before code is complete
• Enabled cloud-accessible sandbox testing environment for collaboration between UK and Gibraltar teams

Results

After deploying SmartBear ReadyAPI, William Hill reduced software time-to-market by weeks and gained the ability to deliver multiple applications in parallel . The 20-person combined QA/developer/integrator team can now fix issues on-the-fly during continuous integration, and cross-office collaboration between UK and Gibraltar teams improved. No specific MTTR or defect reduction percentages are stated in the primary source.

Lessons

• Reusable test scripts are a compounding productivity asset: the investment in creating them once pays off across every subsequent project and release cycle
• Integrating API tests into CI before code is complete (test-first for API contracts) reduces the cost of late-stage defect discovery
• Building a business case (cost of testing tools vs. cost of extended delivery timelines) is an effective internal strategy for securing budget for test automation