End-to-End Testing and Governance Excellence: How Avocado Supported a Major Super Fund Transition
Case Study
About Our Client
Overview
A leading Australian superannuation fund, managing over $95 billion in assets for more than 1 million members across 135,000 employers, is currently undergoing a major transformation. The organisation is transitioning from its former administration partner to a new provider. Due to the highly regulated and member-centric nature of the business, this ambitious transition—executed as a “Big Bang” cutover across eight concurrent project streams—requires exceptional quality assurance and regulatory alignment.
To navigate this complex, first-of-its-kind shift, the fund engaged Avocado to provide expertise in testing, independent governance, and test management. The program successfully went live in April 2025, with members gaining access to the new administration platform by early June.
Avocado developed and implemented a comprehensive program-level test strategy, delivering governance and quality assurance across all streams.
Services
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- Test Leadership
- Comprehensive Testing (E2E, UAT, Performance, Test Automation)
- Independent Governance
- Stakeholder Communication and Regulatory Assurance
- Testing Maturity Uplift and Capability Building
- Lifecycle Support and BAU Integration
- Defect and Release Management Coordination
Sector
Superannuation
”Avocado has been able to consistently provide the client with insight and input to manage significant program risks inherent with delivering a program of this scale.
The Challenge
This transformation presented multiple challenges due to its scale, sensitivity, and technical complexity. Avocado was tasked with leading the end-to-end testing effort while simultaneously providing independent oversight of vendor delivery, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and stakeholder expectations.
The organisation’s existing in-house testing capabilities were largely feature-focused and lacked cohesive integration. Avocado’s involvement was crucial in evolving these practices into a quality-driven, program-level approach. With eight parallel project streams delivering functionality via seven distinct production pathways, synchronised governance and coordinated milestone tracking were vital.
Furthermore, the organisation needed to assure external stakeholders—such as regulators and members—of data integrity, risk management, and full compliance. Transparent communication and reporting were essential throughout the project lifecycle.
Avocado played a pivotal role in overseeing independent governance, upholding quality benchmarks, and uplifting internal testing maturity through structure, coaching, and capability-building initiatives.
The Approach
Avocado’s strategy was rooted in program-level execution, independent governance, and regulatory assurance:
– Comprehensive Testing and Independent Governance
A structured governance framework ensured consistent oversight of vendor testing activities. Avocado also led internal testing efforts—spanning end-to-end, UAT, and performance testing—to move the organisation from isolated feature testing toward integrated, program-level quality assurance. Governance practices were extended to internal development teams to ensure reliable functionality delivery.
– Stakeholder Communication and Regulatory Assurance
Avocado translated technical outcomes into accessible, stakeholder-aligned insights, reinforcing transparency and compliance. Regular updates, accessible reporting, and quality metrics enabled confidence and trust among executive stakeholders and regulatory bodies.
– Vendor Collaboration and Governance Milestones
Working closely with the new administration provider, Avocado established governance milestones, influencing the testing roadmap to align with the organisation’s standards. When it became clear that the vendor had not planned performance testing for their platform, Avocado raised this as a critical risk. They recommended and executed performance validation through integration testing on the organisation’s side—ultimately identifying scalability issues, which the vendor then addressed.
This proactive intervention ensured the stability of the platform during go-live and beyond, highlighting Avocado’s dedication to broader program success.
Beyond this, Avocado embedded stage gates for test planning and reporting, ensuring that the vendor and other third parties delivered more thorough and consistent testing than initially scoped—raising the overall quality benchmark across the program.
– Testing Maturity Uplift and Capability Building
Avocado provided hands-on training, implemented lifecycle-based testing tools, and introduced automation and leadership frameworks. These efforts allowed the internal teams to adopt scalable, repeatable testing practices, embedding sustainable quality assurance standards into the organisation.
– Lifecycle and Automated Testing Expansion
As trust in Avocado’s delivery grew, their role expanded into business-as-usual (BAU) operations, supporting internal squads with end-to-end automated testing. Additionally, Avocado introduced strategic solution performance testing to verify response times across member channels and the contact centre—ensuring they met service-level expectations.
The Outcome
– Expanded Team and Lifecycle Support
What began with a single program test lead has grown to a six-person team overseeing governance, testing execution, and BAU integration. The organisation now benefits from continuous, end-to-end lifecycle assurance—ensuring consistent quality and compliance across all development initiatives.
– Cultural Shift and Quality-Centric Practices
Avocado’s maturity uplift initiatives helped foster a cultural shift, embedding quality and regulatory compliance into daily practices. This evolution from feature-driven testing to cohesive program delivery enables the organisation to meet the complex demands of major transformation programs while satisfying stakeholder and regulatory expectations.
– Trusted Partner for Compliance and Lifecycle Management
Through their governance expertise and lifecycle support, Avocado has become a trusted long-term partner. Their support extends from major transformation to everyday operations—ensuring sustainable quality, compliance, and transparency throughout the organisation.
By consistently providing clear insights, managing risk, and adapting to evolving delivery challenges, Avocado has played an essential role in the successful execution and ongoing stability of this transformation program. Their efforts continue to deliver value by empowering internal teams, satisfying regulatory requirements, and supporting the organisation’s commitment to exceptional member service.
