In an era where automation and AI are revolutionizing industries, quality assurance (QA) and testing in the financial sector are undergoing significant transformations. Leading this charge is Srirang Srikantha, Founder and CEO of Yethi Consulting. Under his leadership, Yethi Consulting has become a pivotal player in delivering innovative QA and test automation solutions to major banks globally. In a conversation with Tech Achieve Media, Srikantha shares his insights on the future of QA, the strategic roadmap for Yethi Consulting, and how his company is positioning itself to capitalize on emerging trends in the BFSI and IT/ITES industries.
TAM: How do you see automation and AI transforming quality assurance and testing in the financial sector?
Srirang Srikantha: Automation and AI are reshaping quality assurance practices across various industries, including the financial sector. As we move forward, QA professionals must adapt to testing AI-based platforms and AI-generated solutions as part of their daily responsibilities. AI-based platforms, which operate on probabilistic models rather than deterministic ones, are gaining widespread acceptance. However, this shift presents new challenges. Identifying conditions under which AI responses may be unreliable requires specialized tools and techniques.
Meanwhile, AI-generated platforms are on the horizon. Although they promise more efficient code, comprehensive testing remains essential before full reliance. These platforms may exhibit obvious or rare error patterns, necessitating innovative testing approaches. In summary, QA teams must devise distinct testing strategies to accommodate the evolving landscape of automation and AI in the financial industry. The industry’s excitement is palpable around these advancements, especially in reducing the need for extensive programming. As these technologies mature, we foresee a significant impact on improving the speed, precision, and reliability of quality assurance and testing processes in the financial sector.
TAM: Can you share your strategic roadmap for Yethi Consulting over the near future, particularly in the context of the rapidly evolving BFSI sector?
Srirang Srikantha: Yethi Consulting, is a leading name in delivering QA and test automation solutions to leading banks globally. In addition to the changes impacted by the adoption of AI, we are looking at 3 growth initiatives – Geographic Expansion, Introducing New Service Lines and Product Enhancements. With our eyes set on geographic diversification, we aim to consolidate our dominant position across the Middle East, Africa, and SAAR. Our near to mid term focus is to drive our presence in North America, Latin America and W. Europe. These regions are our primary focus as we continue to grow and strive for market leadership globally.
New Service Lines – Our traditional markets of India & Middle East have not fully leveraged advances such as service virtualization, simulators, observability & SRE and DevOps adoption. These can make a significant difference in ease of testing. We plan to double down and increase the market awareness and usage of such techniques. On a relative basis, our Yethi derives a majority of its revenues from Retail Banking and parts of corporate banking. We are looking at expanding our business volumes in transaction banking, treasury, payments, investor servicing and wealth management. Finally, Tenjin has been a “test-automation” platform for the past decade. This year, we have enhanced it to become an integral part of the Design-Plan-Execute-Track process for testing in an enterprise setting. We have also launched a SaaS version of the product and targeting it to the NBFC and MF industries.
TAM: What major trends do you foresee impacting the BFSI and IT/ITES industries in the coming years, and how is Yethi Consulting positioning itself to capitalize on these trends?
Srirang Srikantha: We see 2 things happening – a shortage of skilled resources who will greatly benefit from low-code/ no code and automation and agility to ensure a rapid go-to market for their offerings across different environments which highlights the need for a robust testing and QA process to ensure consistent reliable performance. Beyond AI, we observe two pivotal trends: Firstly, how we leverage AI in our own processes and assist customers in integrating AI tools effectively. Secondly, adapting workforces to the ‘new normal’ where AI and Automation enhances productivity, delivers reliability in their application roadmap. Over the next 12 months, our focus will be on reskilling our teams and optimizing their workflows with AI.
The global maturity of QA varies, with North America and Western Europe leading the way due to their longstanding investments. However, there is a challenge in transitioning from familiar, established methods to promising but relatively new AI-driven approaches. The competitive landscape has also evolved significantly in recent years. When we pioneered no-code test automation eight years ago, we were among the few in the field. Now, the market is becoming more segmented by industry. For instance, e-commerce and BFSI sectors have distinct requirements and challenges. E-commerce focuses on issues like accurate product displays, while BFSI needs computation and multi-stage validation.
As new-age platforms adopt AI, validating AI-driven decisions—such as credit scoring for home loans—becomes crucial. We are developing methodologies and techniques to ensure these AI systems deliver reliable and accurate assessments. This ability to validate and assure AI performance is a key area where Yethi Consulting is positioning itself to lead, ensuring we stay at the forefront of technological advancements in the BFSI and IT/ITES sectors.
TAM: How does Yethi Consulting ensure the reliability and success of its clients’ financial applications, particularly in a diverse and complex global market?
At Yethi Consulting, we ensure the reliability and success of our clients’ financial applications through a combination of expertise, experience, and a structured methodology. Our team is composed of industry specialists who possess deep knowledge and understanding of the specific sectors they serve. Our experts bring a wealth of industry-specific insights, ensuring tailored solutions that meet the unique processing requirements of each sector. They are well-versed in the intricacies of the sub-verticals within the BFSI, providing validation that aligns with operational needs.
Moreover, Yethi Consulting leverages the collective expertise and experience of our entire organization. Our corporate oversight and rigorous methodologies ensure that our processes are robust and comprehensive, minimizing the risk of errors. This approach means the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts, combining individual expertise with strong organizational support to deliver exceptional results for our clients in the complex global market.
TAM: Can you provide examples of how Yethi Consulting has driven significant value for its clients through your solutions?
Srirang Srikantha: Yethi Consulting has a proven track record of delivering substantial value to our clients through innovative solutions. Here are a couple of compelling case studies: In one instance, we collaborated with a major IT firm that was evaluating whether to build test automation internally or license our Yethi Tenjin platform. By working closely with their metrics, we demonstrated that leveraging the pre-built capabilities of Yethi Tenjin could result in a cost savings of 25-30% over a five-year period. This clear, quantifiable benefit highlighted the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of our platform.
Another example is our partnership with an international bank rolling out a new version of their banking platform across six countries. They engaged us for the rollout in three of these countries. By building our automation in the first country, we were able to dramatically reduce the validation time for the subsequent countries—from 8 weeks down to just 8 days. This also significantly lowered headcount requirements and operational costs. This case underscores how effective implementation of automation can enhance coverage, reduce effort, and save time, ultimately delivering significant advantages to our clients.
