TodayTix is a digital ticketing platform for theatrical and cultural events in the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada. Since the company’s launch in 2013, over 5 million users have accessed TodayTix’s free mobile apps for iOS and Android to purchase theater show tickets.
To ensure the apps function flawlessly for all user devices across geographies, TodayTix tests on BrowserStack. Leveraging test automation and parallelization on our constantly updated real device cloud, Dev and QA teams at TodayTix have sped up testing to improve release frequency and product quality. They have also simplified the testing experience for their remote teams that now spend less time, money, and effort to deliver quality at scale.
Previously, TodayTix used BrowserStack but moved on to try an in-house solution. This solution consisted of emulators, simulators, and a few physical devices. But they hit the wall with this approach due to rapid changes in the device market and remote work.
Their testing needs grew rapidly, making their limited in-house solution ineffective in covering all user devices. Configurations were also continually changing, requiring more and more investment to purchase new, upgraded devices. Besides, teams were blocked as they had to wait to access limited physical devices for testing. These problems compounded massively during COVID when the team started working remotely.
“As a business-to-consumer company, we have to test across many different devices, but investing in all of them for our in-house solution was not feasible. We couldn’t compete with the speed at which new devices and upgrades hit the market. This meant we were at risk of not delivering the quality our customers expect,” explains Preeti Garg, Head Of Quality Assurance at TodayTix Group.
To tackle these challenges, increase test automation coverage and release frequency, and improve product quality, the team reverted to testing on BrowserStack.
Having used BrowserStack before, switching back was easier than ever, with a great working relationship. “The BrowserStack team is very helpful and happy to provide technical support. They are extremely approachable and have helped us resolve complex issues. We – TodayTix and BrowserStack – enjoy working as one team,” says Preeti.
BrowserStack’s real device cloud is regularly updated, so the TodayTix team always has instant, maintenance-free access to the latest devices and configurations. “We periodically check what devices our customers are using to ensure we deliver the quality they expect on their devices. BrowserStack allows us to do this flexibly, testing as and when needed on a wide range of devices. This helps us stay customer-centric.”
Outlining the many benefits of using BrowserStack, Preeti says, “With BrowserStack, nobody at TodayTix has to depend on physical devices for testing no matter where they are working from. They can test whenever they want on whichever device they want. They don’t need to waste their time waiting for something they can do instantly. BrowserStack has made our life much simpler, especially during COVID. The cost is offset by the bugs we catch and the devices we would have had to invest in if we didn’t use BrowserStack. We are spending less time and money to improve the overall quality of our systems.”
BrowserStack is used by multiple teams across the SDLC at TodayTix. “Right from Development to Testing, we use BrowserStack in many different ways. Dev teams use it to check if everything works as intended. QA teams use it for manual, functional, and automated testing to see if new features render properly across our customers’ devices,” she explains.
To improve release frequency, the team leverages test automation and tests on multiple devices in parallel. “Before test automation on BrowserStack, regression cycles would take 2 days. But with parallelization, it now takes just a few hours on different browsers. This means we cover several days’ worth of work in less than an hour. This is a big win for us to move into continuous delivery mode.”
Based on TodayTix’s positive experience with BrowserStack and the massive improvements in team productivity and product quality, Preeti is happy to recommend BrowserStack to other organizations looking for an all-in-one testing partner. “I would definitely recommend BrowserStack to customer-focused businesses. It gives you the capability to test across browsers, devices, and operating systems, improve test automation coverage, and speed up releases with better reporting, easier integrations, and more. We now have visibility into valuable insights like how tests are running or what the battery usage is like, which we leverage to improve our apps.
TodayTix is currently also evaluating screenshot comparisons using BrowserStack’s visual testing tool Percy. “It is going to be a boon for organizations to know something has visually changed before the change snowballs into a problem,” says Preeti.
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