Varunkumar Manikandan
Mobile - +1-847-***-****
**************@*****.***
Guidewire Test Lead and Release Coordinator
Current Role Description: Guidewire Test Lead and Release Coordinator
Responsible for QA lead testing activities on a Guidewire PolicyCenter implementation for Personal Lines of business for multiple state rollout project
Involved in Project Planning, execution and monitoring, estimation, Project schedules, Test Plan Preparation, Metrics Collection, Status Reporting, resource plans, risks, issues, Change Management and Release Management Process, Co-coordinating and Decision Making.
UBI release level coordination and Leading the policy center team for UBI Implementation
Define, allocate, monitor and review the task done by the team.
Ensure defects are being worked effectively and coordinating with all defect owners, reporter and BA to meet the SLA
Identifying and implementing the process improvement for different areas in testing lifecycle.
Causal Analysis on the defects and implementing the lesson learnt in the future releases
Planning, Monitoring and controlling the release from planning to implementation.
Offshore coordination which includes allocating task and following up on the same
Using the tools such as Guidewire PolicyCenter & BillingCenter, HP Quality Centre 9.2, QTP8.2, SOAP UI, Share point, Splunk, MS Office, Visio
Experience Summary
Highly dedicated and self-motivated professional with 9.5 years of IT Experience which includes 8.5 years of testing (Manual) and Automation(1 Years) on insurance (Life, Auto), and Telecom banking application.
More than 6 years of experience in testing Auto Insurance using Guidewire policycenter
2 year of experience in testing AT&T applications on telecom domain
1 year of experience in central print testing and Exigen policy administration tool
2 years of experience in testing web application and Web services using SOAP UI.
Experience as a Scrum Master in Agile projects
Extensive experience Water fall model, Agile, STLC, Defect Life cycle and easily adaptable to any other customized methodologies.
Experience in developing Business requirement document (BRD), Functional Requirement Specification (FRS), Software Requirement Specification (SRS) and Use Case Specification.
Expertise in entire process of Manual Testing (Functionality Testing, Integration Testing, Positive and Negative testing), Automated Testing, Regression Testing and System Testing through UAT
Experience in writing queries in SQL to assist in Database related testing
Experienced in preparing Excel Macro, Black Box testing, Testing metrics, Defect coordination, Risk Management, Problem Solving Skills, Escalation process, coordinating status meetings, Business meetings, Alert meetings, handling team, internal and external Audits
Involved in identify the test case for automation, running/modifying the regression automation test scripts using DevTest and Selenium
Consulting the pain areas in testing and proving solution and implementing the process improvement
Facilitating scrum activities including Sprint Planning, retrospectives and daily standup
Tools:
Guidewire PolicyCenter & BillingCenter HP Quality Centre 9.2, QTP 8.2, SOAP UI, Test Link, Share point, Splunk, MS Office, Visio,Hermes
Value Adds:
Re-Usable Test cases - Prepared test case for re-usability in project for a major release and reduced the cost by a huge margin
Web Data entry tool - This is an automated tool which is used to make entry on the web application
Metrics Tool - Prepared a tool which will generate all the testing metrics, which is used in most of the projects.
Defect Report - This tool is to generate the defect report with the defect metric
Automatic Schedule Tracker - Prepared an excel sheet will automatically updated the schedule based on the duration and effort
Process - Improved the process and reduced the defect leakage in each phase.
Worked on shift left approach
Created a Documents Data base which is reused for documents regression Testing
Worked on Central print validations for document packets
Achievements:
Awarded with Certification of Appreciation for commitment and dedication in process related activities.
Awarded Best Performer in Cognizant Technology Pvt Ltd – Q4 FY13.
Awarded Star Performer in Cognizant Technology Solutions - Q3 FY10 and Q2 FY14.
Internal Process Auditor in Cognizant Technology Solutions and have attended ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Audit.
Implemented new process to save time and cost which is well appreciated by clients
Professional Memberships / Certification:
ISTQB - Foundational level in Software Testing
Cognizant Technologies Certified LOMA Professional
Cognizant Technologies Certified Software Testing Professional.
INS21 certified professional
Experience Profile – Key Projects:
Parent Company – Cognizant Technologies Pvt Ltd
Customer name: American Family Insurance Company – USA (Oct 2012 to till now)
Project Description: Implementation aimed to replace existing legacy system and implementing PolicyCenter and BillingCenter for the Personal Auto and Home owners Line of Businesses. My Job profile includes performing the functional testing in Guide wire PolicyCenter and BillingCenter, External interface reports using SOAP UI and Defect management using Jira tool in Agile – Scrum methodology. Leading the team of 10 members in offshore and one in onsite to implement the various functionalities for the multi state rollout which includes the verification of various common requirements and state specific requirements for each state.
Role: Test Lead - PolicyCenter state Rollout
Responsibilities:
Analyzing BRD, HLD, LLD, involving in estimation, define, allocate, monitor task, creating/reviewing test plan, test strategy, test scenarios, test cases, Execution and defect tract, preparing/reviewing test summary report, evident of test, .
Creating Project Management Deliverables such as Project schedules, Project Status reports, resource plans, risks, issues, dependency.
Send Daily/Weekly/Monthly Status Report to Clients Managers and Leads.
Prioritize the task, implement Risk based testing in execution, resolving the issues
Involved in Functional testing, regression testing, development integration testing, Web service testing using Soap UI, Mobile testing, Hermes, Exploratory testing, integration testing and Gray box testing.
Identifying the risk/issues and preparing the contingency and mitigation plan and identifying the dependency for the project and tracking it to closure.
Tracking the defects till closure with necessary coordination with development team.
Ensuring the team execution and delivery the committed sprint work
Project Description: KnowYourDrive is a new initiative which gives the discount based on the driving nature of the insured. This project includes testing with the external vendor who gives the support for the UBI device.
Device was purchased from the external vendor who records the driving information and send the files to Amfam on daily basis.
Role: Release Coordinator - Usage Based Insurance Implementation
Responsibilities:
Leading the PolicyCenter team for the UBI discount implementation
Coordinate with other Test Lead through daily touch point calls in understanding release needs, test planning, and status update and to resolve any issues.
Coordinate with environment management team with test environment availability and to resolve any issues with the test environment during off hour support.
Creating Project Management Deliverables such as Project schedules, Project Status reports, resource plans, risks, issues, dependency.
Send Daily/Weekly/Monthly Status Report to Clients Managers and Leads.
Verifying the messages are passed through different integration systems using Hermes tool
Prioritize the task, implement Risk based testing in execution, resolving the issues
Leading the functional Integration testing which includes the different Amfam Teams and the external vendor
Helping the UAT team for the Beta testing with the vendor on preproduction environment.
Tracking the defects till closure with necessary coordination with development team.
Parent Company – Cognizant Technologies Pvt Ltd
Customer name: American Automobile Association (AAA) – USA (August 2010 to Oct 2012)
Project Description: PAS is an application which is used to create policies in Exigen tool. Leading a documents team of 15 member. Responsibilities includes testing different document packets using PDF comparator tool.
Managing the defects from different teams and maintaining the SLAs of the different defect status.
Role: Team Lead- Central print documents and Defect Coordinator
Responsibilities:
Understanding the Functional Requirement from the User Story.
Performing tests using Manual Testing Technique.
Performed a role as defect coordinator and
Leading a documents team of 15 member.
Discuss the Test Acceptance Criteria with BAs to determine any additional requirements for testing.
Run the Test Acceptance Criteria through Tech. leads to identify Development-Testing gaps and get sign-off.
Create and Execute feature test cases/scripts in QC and perform Requirement traceability in QC Test Plan module.
Document feature test results in QC Test Lab module.
Worked as a regression automation tester.
Involved in various Testing like Regression testing, System Testing, Role Based Testing and Automation Testing.
Prepared DSR, WSR, Test Summary Report and Monthly dashboard for the team.
Awarded Best Techie Award for the Quarter Jan 2012- Mar 2012
Parent Company – Aricent Technologies Pvt Ltd
Customer name: Johnson Controls International - Canada (Feb 2010 to Aug 2010)
Project Description:
JCI is a web based application where My Job profile includes executing and creating test cases. Regression testing and performance testing in System and web application.
Role: System Tester
Responsibilities:
Prepared requirement traceability matrix and created test scenarios based on requirements
Prepared test plan and strategy based on the requirement
Design & execution of test cases
Prepared test coverage and test schedule documents
Preparation of daily and weekly status report
Defect capture, reporting and follow up to ensure high quality applications
Planned KT activities for new talents joining into the team
Planned activities for team building and knowledge enhancement and management within the team
Parent Company – IBM INDIA PVT LTD
Customer name: AT&T (Sept 2007 to Jan 2010)
Project Description:
IGLOO is an ordering application which is used by the Customers for ordering the new connection of making changes for the existing Connection. As this application is used by the customer directly it is always a critical application in our group.
Role: System Tester
Responsibilities:
Analyzing BRD, HLD, LLD, involving in estimation(TCP), define, allocate, monitor task, creating/reviewing test plan, test strategy, test scenarios, test cases, Execution and defect tract, preparing/reviewing test summary report, evident of test, .
Coordinate with onshore Lead through daily touch point calls in understanding release needs, test planning, and status update and to resolve any issues.
Coordinate with offshore team to prioritize the task, implement Risk based testing in execution, resolving the issues
Involved in Functional testing, regression testing, development integration testing, batch testing, Mobile testing, exploratory testing, integration testing and Gray box testing.
Responsible for the quality and on-time delivery of one or more projects under supervision.
Tracking the defects till closure with necessary coordination with development team.
Providing value adds in process and application to reduce the manual effort.
Employment Summary
Dates
Organization
Role
Aug-2010 to Till Now
Cognizant Technology Pvt Ltd
Test Lead and Release Coordinator
Feb 2010 to Aug 2010
Aricent Technologies Pvt Ltd
System Tester
Sept 2007 to Jan 2010
IBM India Pvt Ltd
System Tester
Education Summary
Major
University
Completion Year
Computer Applicaton (BCA)
Bharathiar University
2007
Personal Details
Full Name
Varunkumar Manikandan
Marital Status
Married
Nationality
Indian
Visa Type and Validity
H1B - 06/30/2019