Smarter testing, lighter load: How UKSBS is reshaping our testing through automation
The challenge
Our test automation team had the clear ambition to bring automated testing into real-world practice. Today, that ambition is delivering tangible results for colleagues and clients across UKSBS and UKRI.
Our new Cloud ERP system is more than a system upgrade, it's a cornerstone of our transformation, enabling modern capabilities and agile responses to client needs. Since go-live, the team has implemented quarterly releases alongside numerous fixes and changes. At every step, thorough testing has been essential. But traditional manual regression testing is time-intensive, drawing heavily on subject matter experts across UKSBS and our clients.
Regression testing, the checks that confirm new features or fixes haven't inadvertently broken something else, needed to become faster, more consistent, and less reliant on manual effort.
The solution
The test automation team set about building a library of automated regression test scripts for quarterly releases. The February 2026 release marked a significant milestone: 62 automated scripts running in place of manual checks.
To ensure confidence in the results, the team ran automated and manual tests in parallel, comparing outcomes and refining scripts to validate the automation. As Phil explains: "This progress hasn't happened in isolation. We’ve worked closely with operational colleagues to ensure the scripts reflect real business processes, not just technical requirements."
The results
Issues identified earlier in the release cycle
Improved consistency across testing
Faster test execution and clearer reporting
Smoother deployments
Colleagues freed to focus on higher-value activities
What comes next
With over 60 validated scripts live, the team is now expanding automated testing to cover Finance and additional HR processes. The goal now is to automate regression testing as comprehensively as possible across the current 500 or so tests.
Each new automated script reduces the burden on the wider team, speeds up release cycles, and continues to reflect UKSBS as a trusted partner, innovatively and cost effectively delivering integrated intuitive services.