When Katalon made the decision to adopt its own quality platform across all internal Quality Engineering (QE) teams, the spotlight was on the tools: Katalon Studio for automation, TestOps for orchestration, and TrueTest for AI-powered generation.
But behind the scenes, what made the transformation successful wasn’t just better tooling. It was the way we managed change.
The rationale was simple but strategic: to build world-class testing tools, we had to use them ourselves: at scale, under pressure, and without exceptions.
By embedding our products into every aspect of our quality practice, we gained firsthand insight into their strengths, limitations, and opportunities for improvement. This internal adoption became both a validation loop and a forcing function, aligning product development with real-world practitioner needs.
Tool migrations are often treated as technical upgrades. At Katalon, the platform shift became a change management masterclass—one that reshaped not just how we tested, but how we collaborated, led, and learned. Here's what we discovered along the way.
Change Happens in Layers, Not All at Once
While the vision was “one platform, all teams,” the path there wasn’t linear. Teams moved at different speeds based on their maturity, dependencies, and sprint rhythms.
Some teams were ready to dive in. Others held off—waiting for workflows to stabilize, documentation to improve, or integrations to mature.
There wasn’t a single rollout date. There were waves. And with each wave, we had to track not just logins and project setups—but changes in behavior.
“We didn’t declare success at go-live—we tracked when the platform became the default way of working.”
Leaders quickly realized that adoption wasn’t a technical event—it was a behavioral journey. We adjusted our metrics accordingly.
Visibility Builds Confidence
Skepticism is natural. Especially when teams are asked to change what already works for them.
To build confidence, we made adoption visible. Teams were invited into a shared QE workspace, where they could see how others were organizing test assets, managing execution, and reporting results. Shared dashboards weren’t just for reporting—they became proof points.
We also used internal show-and-tells. Teams would walk through their latest setups—not just what worked, but what didn’t.
“Being able to walk through another team’s setup made the new system feel less theoretical—and more achievable.”
Change became less about mandates—and more about momentum.
Overcommunication Isn’t Overkill
Our rollout wasn't just about configuration—it was about conversation.
Weekly check-ins with team leads gave us a window into adoption health: where blockers were forming, which teams were excelling, and what common questions kept coming up.
We published not just product updates, but context: why a feature was prioritized, how others were using it, and what teams should expect next. We treated internal enablement with the same care we’d offer customers.
And we kept our champions briefed a sprint ahead—so they could prepare peers for upcoming changes, rather than reacting in real time.
“The tools were new—but how we communicated had to be old school. We leaned heavily on 1:1s, Slack threads, and open forums.”
Don’t Just Train for Today—Enable for Tomorrow
Our initial training focused on mechanics: how to create a test case and how to configure pipelines. It was effective—but not enough.
As usage matured, gaps emerged: What happens when you test across web, API, and mobile in one flow? How do you onboard a new team mid-sprint?
We introduced scenario-based training—centered on real, cross-functional use cases. More importantly, we gave power users early access and sandbox environments. Some of our best internal innovations came from unscripted exploration.
“Training is what happens before people ask for help. Enablement is what happens after.”
That mindset shift helped us build not just proficiency—but resilience.
Change Fatigue Is Real. Celebrate Milestones.
After the initial push, energy dipped. Teams had done the migration. Now came the harder part: maintenance, standardization, and continuous learning.
We hit what many orgs experience—change saturation. Teams weren’t resisting. They were just tired.
So we paused. We acknowledged the grind. We celebrated what was working. We spotlighted teams who had gotten creative with automation strategies, modularized test assets, or streamlined cross-squad reviews.
These stories weren’t just internal kudos—they became catalysts. Teams started challenging themselves to outdo each other. Not to check a box—but to raise the bar.
“We moved from compliance to pride. Teams started showing off what they’d built.”
That cultural shift did more for long-term adoption than any training session ever could.
Final Thought: You’re Not Just Migrating Tools—You’re Migrating Mindsets
The story of Katalon on Katalon is often told as a technology case study. But underneath the platform gains was a human transformation.
We didn’t just learn how to use our tools—we learned how to lead change with empathy, transparency, and shared accountability.
That’s the real shift. And for any organization thinking about consolidating platforms or adopting new systems, we offer this advice:
- Plan the rollout.
- Lead the behavior.
- Stay close to the people doing the work.
- And never underestimate the power of a visible, vocal, and supported champion.
Because software doesn’t change companies. People do.
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