Cakewalk

Challenge

Automate and improve product development and testing processes

Solution

Serena TeamTrack

Results

• Streamlined testing, start to finish
• Provided real-time visibility
• Eliminated manual entry of external testing data
• Tracked feature requests
• Improved communication with customers
• More effective, higher-quality software

Music Software Leader Maximizes Product Quality and Enriches
Product Capabilities with Workflow-Driven Issue and Feature Tracking

In the world of music, artists are always testing the creative edge – continuously seeking the perfect sound to express themselves. Traditionally bound by the limits of their instruments, the possibilities for today’s musicians have been broadly expanded, thanks to sophisticated new software that takes advantage of digital audio technology. And forging the way in this innovative creative arena is Cakewalk, an industry-leading provider of products for creating music and sound on the desktop.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Cakewalk offers music professionals a range of products that support recording and audio CD creation, post-production editing, film and video soundtracks, and the integration of sound with computer games, multimedia applications and the Internet. The company also provides the latest tools, loops, synths and effects for DJs and remix artists, as well as software and plug-in effects for guitarists/songwriters. In short, Cakewalk is revolutionizing the recording industry with computer-based tracking, editing, and mixing that is taking music to a whole new level.  With the exacting standards of music professionals as its benchmark, Cakewalk places a heavy emphasis on quality at every stage of product development. Therefore, all Cakewalk products are scrupulously tested to uncover and address any potential problems. No one understands the demands of this process better than Tom Roussell. As program director for Engineering at Cakewalk, Roussell is responsible for managing the Quality Assurance, Documentation, and Build/Release groups in the company. He also acts as the principal liaison between all of Engineering and Product Management, helping to keep both groups on the same page in terms of product requirements and project schedules.

Cakewalk uses a milestone approach to software development, with the vast majority of its testing performed manually, although a small-scale automated test effort is under way. Scheduling and tracking testing progress for multiple products in various stages of development is a formidable challenge. And while Cakewalk had a defect tracking system in place, the depth of its capabilities was limited.

“We needed a fast and reliable system that could support a standard back-end database, such as SQL,” explains Roussell. “We also wanted to provide our beta testers with direct access to the system via the web.” Roussell and his team found the ideal solution in TeamTrack, a web-based business process management solution from Serena Software. “We performed a thorough survey of available tools, and TeamTrack always stood out from the competition, both for its feature set and its competitive pricing,” recalls Roussell.

Tightly Managed Process Enhances Product Quality

Today, Cakewalk uses TeamTrack to support its entire testing process, as well as to track defects and monitor feature requests. Roussell developed a workflow in TeamTrack to track tests from submission and scheduling through completion, including any stops and starts along the way. Once completed, he can easily report to management how many test cases were run, passed, failed, or blocked, providing them with an up-to-the-minute view of the testing effort.

“TeamTrack is central to helping us meet our test goals,” reports Roussell. “Using TeamTrack, we can monitor incoming problem reports by severity and assign priorities to them in almost real time. That way, we can identify the most critical problems more easily and earlier in the process. It’s very easy to model a process with TeamTrack, and that’s enabled us to track our testing process with much more depth and timeliness than we ever could before.” In TeamTrack, Cakewalk now schedules tests, assigns them to Quality Assurance engineers, and then monitors testing progress every step of the way. “We have much more visibility into the process than ever before, which is a huge benefit to QA,” asserts Roussell.

External Testers Submit Feedback Online via TeamTrack

As a 100 percent web-architected product, TeamTrack enables Cakewalk to provide its beta testers with direct access to the system, where they can submit defect reports and feature requests. Previously, a full-time intern manually entered feedback from beta testers. With TeamTrack, the company completely eliminated the need for manual entry. “Allowing external testers to access our defect tracking system enables us to be more productive,” observes Roussell. “Now, they can enter their reports directly, freeing us to do more internal testing of our own.”

As the TeamTrack Administrator, Roussell also realized additional value from TeamTrack’s web environment: “It was very important to me that we choose a solution that was truly designed for the web. It was difficult and time-consuming with our old system just to support our internal users; it would have been a nightmare if we also had to install software for all our beta testers. Instead, the Admin tool in TeamTrack made my job easy and we are able to support our beta testers without installing any software on their systems.”

Feature Request Workflow Supports Stronger Products

In addition to managing the testing process and tracking defects, Cakewalk created a second TeamTrack workflow where beta testers and customers can submit feature requests. By monitoring requests as they come in, product managers can determine which ones to put on the implementation plan. For those that make the cut, Cakewalk can set priorities and target specific releases. As the development process moves forward, TeamTrack provides an easy way to track the status of the feature within that process. “Prior to using TeamTrack, feature requests were collected in a variety of places, making it difficult to process them effectively,” explains Roussell. “By using TeamTrack, we can now ensure that all requests are given the consideration they deserve.”

“TeamTrack is a great benefit to our product development process,” affirms Roussell. “In fact, the real benefit is to our end users who will gain additional value from the ideas that have come from other end users. Ultimately, TeamTrack is helping us deliver better, stronger products that truly respond to our customers’ needs.”