The Award winning app for fans of HEMA shopping.
For HEMA, Polteq tested the new mobile app to boost the online conversion rate of loyalty customers. The app had to communicate with numerous HEMA backend applications through a new API. Polteq was selected because of its testing expertise and years of experience testing mobile apps. HEMA chose Polteq as its independent mobile app tester to provide the development team with continuous feedback, from design to app release.
High demands
To build the new architecture for the app and API and grow from a standalone digital HEMA customer card to a fully integrated online HEMA store, many steps and releases were brought to production.
The qualitative requirements were high: build a stable and robust app that works fluidly with a multitude of existing backend systems. The app needed to be easy to test, provide full insight into user data, and have a broad-based testing approach.
Testing approach
From the refinements, test examples were named, risks were identified and the scope was determined. Each user story thus became a small test plan, which also gave the developers ideas for developing new features. During the sprints, individual features were tested on physical devices to discover possible edge cases. For each release, the automated API regression suite was run. In addition, risk-based app regression tests were performed manually.
Easier and faster testing
To make the HEMA app easier and faster to test, two methods were used: isolate and integrate. The app and API could be tested separately. The app could be isolated from the HEMA backend systems by using a proxy and local mocks. The app also had a Driven UI library that allowed new components and pages to be tested separately from the “real” data. Isolation also involved testing features separately before testing the new functionality within the entire app. To test push notifications, Firebase configuration parameters were used.
Integration tests come in different shapes and sizes, and the list of integration tests was extensive. Polteq used the components below, among others, to test the entire system:
- API and app refinements for translating data to screens and vice versa
- Validation of server-driven UI components and screens in conjunction with the business rules
- Disentangling product models and all variants
- Generation of test data
- Stability tests
- Use of a representative mobile test lab (so that testing could always be done on physical devices)
- Integration between the app and the HEMA website (switching between the mobile app and the website)
- Usability testing with end users during sprints
- Activating analytic events from within the app
- Cross-check of API with mobile app
Testing on production
After the release to production, testing continued. Payment configurations were retested because the configuration in the test environment was just different than in production. Therefore, Polteq conducted a number of test orders on production. In addition to production testing, Polteq also provided support to the HEMA DevOps team for bug analysis. Our testers have extensive system knowledge and help with problem analysis and retesting after a bug is fixed.
Dutch Interactive Award
The HEMA app won a gold Dutch Interactive Award in 2021. The DIA are the prizes for the very best interactive online work by Dutch agencies and have been awarded annually since 2010. The HEMA app received the award in the E-commerce category, with judges praising its high quality and innovative technology.
“The judges awarded the gold rating to a technically advanced case that used innovative new technology. These are wonderful steps for a very strong brand.“
Jury Report Dutch Interactive Awards 2021
Polteq thus tested beyond what was asked of it.
The following services were used for this case:
“Testing is a dedicated job. That’s why we hire professionals from Polteq.”
Floor, Product Owner HEMA app team
“Their software testers are almost irritatingly good at finding edge cases and bugs.”
Wietske, app developer at Q42
