Novus Investing in the future of software testing and development www.capita-itps.co.uk/novus
Our credentials v FTSE 100 v Partnerships with leading IT and computing institutes v Accredited by leading global vendors v Supporting UK graduates
What is Novus? Novus is a groundbreaking concept, developed by Capita to bring UK talent to the forefront of the software test and development industry. We only take the best computer science and IT graduates, investing time, money and our industry expertise to train them. Using real-world projects they become the next generation of future-proof test analysts and developers. Novus can then be used by our clients as a low cost, low risk way to expand or backfill teams. Our Novus test analysts and developers make a two-year commitment to Capita. This provides our clients with guaranteed contract extensions for assignments between four weeks and two years after the training programme is completed. Key benefits of our model v Guaranteed skills: Novus graduates acquire industry-recognised accreditation v Complete UK geographic flexibility v Two year tie-in to Capita, guaranteeing client ROI v After two years there is the option to retain your Novus as a permanent employee v Ongoing support and career development provided by our senior delivery staff v Novus can be optimised as a standalone solution, or in conjunction with Capita s wider service offering v Supporting the next generation of diverse UK talent v Futureproofing your team in line with emerging technologies v Capita s investment in graduate talent helps our clients meet CSR targets ethically
Our training bridges the gap between academia and business Partnerships We engage with universities throughout the UK, running mini assessment days and workshops. This allows us to select and progress the most promising talent to interview stage. Our graduate selection process v From more than 400 applicants per training stream, we progress them through a rigorous interview process, advancing a maximum of 40 on to our intensive assessment day. v Our assessment day tests graduates on a comprehensive range of technical, interpersonal and business skills. The programme v Three to five month experienced based, in-house training programme (depending on stream). We have found that this is the minimum time period required to coach successful graduates in the real-world business and technical skills required to work in a commercial environment. v There are only six to eight graduates per training stream. This ensures the tutor can dedicate the time that each individual requires. v Training modules can be enhanced and customised for specific client requirements. v Supplementary modules can be added if clients request them.
Ongoing support Driven by our clients individual requirements, we fast-track careers by offering our Novus graduates ongoing support in the following areas: v Career development v Objective-setting v Performance management v Capita s continued management support for two years Novus community Our test analysts and developers become part of our Novus community where we provide: v Ongoing career development v Both on-site and out-of-hours project support v Access to community events throughout the year Experienced based training Novus offers clients a wide range of solutions across current and next generation platforms, methodologies and skillsets. Please refer to the skills insert for a full list of core roles and specialisms.
Risks v Unknown project length, or short-term project proving difficult to plan? v Communication problems? Need UK-based resources on-site? v Headcount issues or unreliable contract staff? v Trouble finding quality candidates displaying the appropriate skillset? v Problems retaining skills and knowledge in-house? v Management headache or overworked HR department? v Lack of time to recruit from the open market? v Volatile market prices? v Looking to nurture UK talent?
Benefits v Novus offers the same flexibility as the contract market with guaranteed resource continuity. v We offer a viable UK-based alternative to offshore / on-shore solutions and Novus can be used as the building blocks for an in-house, retained team. v Novus graduates are permanently employed making a commitment to Capita for two years, allowing continuity of resource, tangible ROI and the support and service levels expected from a FTSE 100 company. v Capita is able to offer bespoke training to Novus graduates, reflecting individual client requirements. v Novus graduates are tied into us for two years, allowing guaranteed contract extensions and the opportunity to retain them in a permanent capacity. v All Novus graduates are supported by senior Capita delivery staff to help manage holiday, HR issues, further learning and development through our online learning portal, which can be aligned with client-specific requirements so you don t have to. v We carry a bench of readily deployable Novus allowing us to react quickly to your project demands. v Novus costs can be fixed for up to 12 months, allowing for greater accuracy when budgeting. v The Novus programme takes the best of UK talent to create the next generation of test analysts and developers.
Case studies Ocado Ocado had previously used its own in-house developers for software testing, and wished to free up developers from testing commitments in order to increase the productivity of the systems development function. Capita was engaged to provide functional and acceptance test resources and expertise to ensure that projects delivered on time and to an acceptable level of accuracy and efficiency. By engaging a mixture of experienced test resources and Novus graduate test analysts, Ocado planned to improve the structure, control, coverage and effectiveness of testing for both software and warehouse operation. Capita was selected because of the depth and focus of its testing experience and its consultancy leadership in acceptance testing principles. Capita has successfully supported Ocado across both the pilot project and the new facility commissioning projects and helped Ocado achieve more comprehensive testing within original delivery timescales. Capita has also helped in the management of workload balancing and the inevitable tensions that exist in such multi-supplier projects. Capita has demonstrated real value in independent testing and has contributed hugely to the productivity of our developers. In addition, Capita was a key element in our ability to deliver a large warehouse solution on-time and with a high level of quality through their ability to work alongside and integrate with our complex supplier relationships. Alex Harvey, Head of Project Management, Ocado
Azzurri Communications Azzurri immediately wanted to replace a key member of its Scrum team and looked to Novus to provide a cost-effective alternative solution to contractors. We supplied quality profiles, quickly enabling Azzurri to keep the existing project on track and within budget. After visiting our Novus training centre and discussing the syllabus with our trainers, the project leader felt confident that we could supply resources fit for purpose. We supplied a Novus test analyst to fulfil the main QA role as scrum team leader, working with the development team as their social media connector across Facebook and Twitter. Using Novus gave us a third more time for our money vs traditional contract solutions, enabling us to deliver our project on time. The interaction and relationships the Novus test analyst has built within the team are outstanding. He is not an individual but part of our team. John Barratt, Software Quality Assurance Manager, Azzurri Communications With minimal supervision from the client, the Novus graduate got up to speed quickly. Working closely with our account manager, the team leader quickly resolved any issues, allowing the Novus graduate to become productive in Microsoft Test Manager and TFS within a couple of weeks. Novus enabled the client to deliver the first release on time.
My Novus journey Capita is proud to support UK graduates, IT is notoriously difficult to break into, but Capita launches and progresses the careers of outstanding candidates. Joining our training scheme gave Vikesh the chance to bridge the gap between university and corporate life. Capita fully supported my transition to becoming an IT professional by providing expert skills training within a team-based, experience-led working environment. Capita s delivery directors ensure all our Novus graduates integrate successfully into client teams. Vikesh s role expanded to include test planning. Throughout my time on-site, my Capita line manager kept in regular contact, eliminating potential issues and keeping up with progress. The training Capita s training programme was vital to the progress of my career as a software test analyst, says Vikesh. The training covered the whole of the software testing lifecycle, including requirements engineering and test scripting through to next generation platforms, methodologies and skillsets. And all this was supported by professional accreditations. Our programme puts both Capita IT Professional Services and our graduate stars ahead of the game in terms of next generation technology and techniques. This enables our clients to bridge the skills gap while supporting UK graduates and ethically achieving CSR targets. Reality on-site Thanks to our broad client base, we are able to place our graduates across a wide range of environments. Vikesh landed his first role at Standard & Poor s: a fast-paced, results-driven setting. Vikesh was immediately responsible for executing tests, defect logging and test planning.
About Capita Beyond Novus After a year and a half at Standard & Poor s, Capita ITPS then facilitated further progression of Vikesh s career via a placement at a leading media company. I m excited about the future and progressing my IT career. Vikesh, Novus test analyst Vikesh slotted into the team and company perfectly from day one. His positive attitude and enthusiasm to learn is fantastic. As a PM I was keen to be able to hand tasks to Vikesh and have him work independently with minimal supervision. I am happy to say that he completed the objectives and, through diligence and hard work, managed to bring the project in early. Alan, Project Manager, EMEA Application Development, Standard & Poor s Capita is the UK s leading provider of business process management and integrated professional support service solutions to the private and public sectors, involving the delivery of change, transformation, outsourcing and large ICT solutions. Our IT professional services business delivers expertise in effective business change, facilitated by technology. This means building on our experience and working closely with our clients to deliver positive business outcomes. We provide end-to-end services in: v Business change and technical consultancy v Governance and assurance v Data management and business intelligence v Project and programme management v Testing v Application lifecycle management v Web applications v Security We have expertise in ERP technologies including SAP and Oracle and mobile ERP. We operate on-shore, near-shore and offshore and are happy to discuss innovative ways to engage with our clients on a bespoke commercial and contractual basis.
For further information about Capita IT Professional Services visit: www.capita.co.uk/itprofessionalservices Follow us: @CapitaITPS Capita IT Professional Services CapitaITPS Further information about the Capita Group can be found at: www.capita.co.uk