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Achmea

Quality insurance is impossible without robust quality assurance – the Achmea story

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increase in regression test executions

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more testers able to automate, democratizing test automation

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reduction in required test capacity through automation

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Company overview

Achmea, one of the largest insurers in the Netherlands, is renowned for its focus on innovation and sustainability. With over 13 million customers, 17,360 employees, and €265 billion in invested assets, the company prides itself on delivering value while embracing efficiency and agility. To sustain this momentum, Achmea sought to modernize its software development processes and partnered with Tricentis to reinvent its approach to quality assurance.

Achmea faced a growing challenge in adapting its software quality assurance to support its agile transformation. The existing processes could not handle the scale and speed required, and testing risked becoming a bottleneck in the development lifecycle. “When we started adopting agile in 2017, we quickly found that an agile way of working instead of a project approach led to more iterations, more testing and more regression testing,” says John Bertens, Change agent & SPC at Achmea. “The legacy QA tool we used, did not fit that agile approach.”

Achmea set out to find a solution that could integrate with its agile methodologies, support multiple technologies, and foster collaboration among teams—all while ensuring that testers remained engaged and motivated. The choice fell on Tricentis Tosca as an end-to-end testing solution, not only because it fit the top requirements of being low-code and the concept of reusability, but also because of the maturity of the solution and its satisfied customer base. As a market leader, it’s also easier to find available resources at consultancy firms. It goes without saying that the close relationship between SAP and Tricentis also helped tip the scale in choosing Tricentis.

Achmea partnered with Tricentis to implement Tosca as part of a holistic transformation strategy. The collaboration went beyond tool implementation, focusing instead on creating a methodology, fostering a mindset shift, and building a strong community of practice. Together, they introduced a four-pillar approach.

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    Industry: Insurance
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    Organization size: 17,000+ employees
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    Location: Netherlands
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Iterative and incremental rollout

Achmea began with a phased implementation: piloting Tosca in one division, expanding it in two phases as a lighthouse project, and scaling it company-wide. This measured approach allowed the team to start small, learn from the first experiences and adapt the way of working before rolling out across different divisions. This ensured a long-term successful adoption throughout the organization.

Follow the rules – break the rules – transcend the rules

To implement Tosca, Achmea followed the Japanese principle of Shu Ha Ri. Closely related to the phased approach, the teams kept trying out new things to see how they could get the most out of the solution. Achmea has a culture of learning from mistakes and was not afraid to fail. Living the agile approach, the team accepted that you learn as you go along and improve from there. “We took a three-pronged approach,” says Joost van Lieshout, Test Manager at Achmea IT: “first we let Tricentis’ Professional Services team do the work while we watched their way of working. Second, we took over while they still supervised us. And third, we were fully in charge, with some assistance from our QA partner Sogeti.”

Based on best practices from Tricentis

Achmea partnered closely with Tricentis Professional Services to maximize the value of Tosca. From the outset, Achmea recognized that the success of the transformation depended on more than just the tool—it was about leveraging Tricentis’s deep expertise. “Every tool has its own specificities, and you need specific knowledge to make a difference with Tosca,” says van Lieshout. “Tosca comes with a lot of best practices. Following these helps you scale the solution and makes it successful in the long run. These best practices are an added value that working closely with a vendor can bring.” Tricentis’s Professional Services team played a vital role in guiding Achmea through each phase of the transformation. By embracing the philosophy and methodology of Tricentis Professional Services, Achmea was able to cut corners without missing a beat.

Rather than testing everything, Achmea took a risk-based approach. Test cases were selected based on their value to critical business processes and customer impact, allowing the teams to focus their efforts where it mattered most. This transparent approach—clearly communicating what was tested and what wasn’t—led to significant cost savings and fostered stronger collaboration across departments, especially during cross-functional discussions like architecture reviews.

Building a Strong Community

Achmea’s success was driven by the vibrant community it built around quality assurance. From the start, Achmea established a Community of Practice (CoP) for test architects, which became the backbone of the transformation. The Community of Practice (CoP) at Achmea played a pivotal role in the success of the transformation. Achmea created a community of testers and a community of test architects. “Whenever we tell our story, the way we empowered this community test architects draws a lot of attention,” said Bertens. The weekly meetings of test architects served to keep everyone focused on the project, exchange best practices and ask questions from each other. Regular bootcamps in which Sogeti or Tricentis also participate helped to take the know-how of the architect to the next level. During community meetings, when challenges were identified, individuals did not hesitate to step up and take ownership of finding solutions. This proactive approach and strong sense of accountability ensured that momentum was maintained throughout the project and contributed to its overall success. The communities also ensured that the transformation went beyond technical implementation and aligned with Achmea’s broader organizational goals. By fostering collaboration across divisions, the CoP strengthened the impact of the transformation at an enterprise level. “Building and sustaining such a robust community required deliberate effort, said Bertens. “We invested significant time and resources to keep the CoP active, ensuring consistent participation and meaningful discussions.”

Results

Thanks to the phased approach and the agile way of working, Achmea started getting ROI faster than expected. In its business case, the team had set out a goal of 30% savings. While that goal was not met immediately, the QA team did experience an exponential increase in speed, enabling teams to test earlier and more efficiently. At the same time, thanks to the many technologies Tricentis supports, Achmea saw enhanced capabilities to handle diverse technologies and integrate testing seamlessly into the agile lifecycle. By focusing on people and their experience, Achmea ensured teams remained motivated and energized throughout the transformation.

The transformation Achmea achieved with Tricentis can be clearly seen in the measurable results. The company went from performing an average of 70 regression tests per year to 205—nearly tripling test execution speed and coverage. At the same time, five times as many testers are now able to automate, thanks to the accessibility of Tosca compared to the specialist skills previously needed. This democratization of test automation has not only accelerated delivery but also increased engagement across teams. On top of that, Achmea realized an estimated 25% reduction in test capacity needs through automation, freeing resources to focus on higher-value activities.

To further drive success, Achmea set up a Tosca Automation Factory, together with its QA partner Sogeti. Near-shore resources in Spain help the Achmea teams set-up regression tests faster, or replace the legacy UFT test cases. “Knowing we have these resources available is a great comfort to us,” said van Lieshout. “As the Sogeti team in Spain works closely with our local test managers, we constantly elevate each other’s knowhow.”

Achmea’s transformation underscores the power of collaboration, vision, and a people-first approach. By partnering with Tricentis, Achmea has not only modernized its QA processes but has also created a replicable model for success. Their journey demonstrates how a strong partnership, combined with a relentless focus on people and methodology, can deliver extraordinary results.

  • Arrow Icon3x increase in regression test executions (from 70 to 205 per year)
  • Arrow Icon5x more testers able to automate, democratizing test automation
  • Arrow Icon25% reduction in required test capacity through automation
  • Arrow IconFaster and more efficient testing earlier in the lifecycle
  • Arrow IconSeamless integration of testing into agile processes

Challenges

  • Legacy QA tool did not fit Achmea’s agile way of working
  • Agile transformation led to more iterations, more testing, and more regression testing
  • Existing QA processes could not handle the required scale and speed
  • Risk of testing becoming a bottleneck in the development lifecycle

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