Two complex projects. One QA partnership with Sharp

Sharp Europe provides workplace technology, from multifunctional printers and smart displays to cloud-based software and IT services.

Its products serve a wide range of customers, including companies, schools and public sector teams, with digital applications playing an increasingly important role in how people use and manage its technology.

Two projects, different challenges

Sharp was managing two major technology initiatives: developing its Synappx Cloud Print applications and rebuilding its B2B ecommerce platforms for 19 international markets.

Each came with different challenges. Synappx needed to work reliably across physical printers, mobile devices and web applications. The ecommerce programme involved multiple markets, customer requirements and release schedules.

With testing previously shared between development and support teams, Sharp wanted a more consistent approach to QA without building a dedicated internal testing function. Working with an independent software testing partner gave them access to the expertise and capacity they needed across both projects.

Our role was to bring the expertise, structure and capacity needed to support both projects, while giving Sharp's teams better visibility of progress and release readiness.

Making testing part of the Synappx release cycle

Synappx Cloud Print allows customers to manage printing across Sharp multifunctional printers through connected web and mobile applications.

Testing needed to reflect how these products worked together in real environments, including the tasks IT administrators perform when setting up devices, managing users and assigning permissions.

We introduced a structured approach that combined scripted and exploratory functional testing, using physical Sharp printers alongside mobile and web applications.

Working from Sharp's user stories, our testers covered everyday workflows while exploring how the applications behaved beyond expected scenarios.

We also developed a reusable regression testing pack and aligned testing with Sharp's bi-monthly release cycles. This replaced ad hoc checks with a more predictable approach, giving the team consistent coverage as Synappx evolved.

Our partnership subsequently expanded to include independent penetration testing of Synappx Cloud Print, supporting Sharp's work to assess the security of its web and mobile applications.

Bringing consistency to ecommerce delivery across 19 markets

Alongside Synappx, Sharp was rebuilding its B2B ecommerce platforms for 19 international markets.

The programme involved different customer requirements, languages, content and product information. With multiple releases to coordinate, Sharp needed a clearer picture of what was ready for testing and when each market could move forward.

We worked with Sharp to establish practical QA processes around development handovers, defect management and release planning.

This included defining what a build needed before entering user acceptance testing (UAT), introducing consistent checklists and coordinating defect triage with the development team.

We also designed a two-phase migration testing strategy. The first phase focused on customer journeys and functionality, while the second covered content, localisation and product information across the different markets.

A central rollout calendar and reusable reporting templates gave Sharp greater visibility of the work ahead and helped teams coordinate delivery.

Greater control, clearer releases

The impact was felt across both projects.

Sharp launched its primary ecommerce market on schedule, supported by clearer development handovers, coordinated testing and more structured release planning.

Across Synappx, repeatable testing and regression coverage gave the team a more consistent way to validate new releases and identify issues before they reached customers.

For Sharp, the wider benefit was having experienced QA support that could adapt to different products and delivery requirements without adding the overhead of a permanent internal team. Our ongoing partnership continues to provide additional testing capacity alongside Sharp's internal teams, helping them maintain momentum while keeping quality part of the delivery process.