When the City of Raleigh set out to migrate from CCB 2.8 to CCB-CS, the team knew testing couldn’t be an afterthought. Here’s how automated testing with Oracle Utilities Test Automation (OUTA) became a cornerstone of their success and what other utilities can learn from their approach.
THE SETUP: A FAST-GROWING CAPITAL, A COMPLEX MIGRATION
WHAT IS OUTA — AND WHY DID IT MATTER HERE?
Oracle Utilities Test Automation (OUTA) is Oracle’s purpose-built testing framework for utilities running Oracle CIS platforms. It allows teams to build, execute, and manage automated test cases, reducing the manual effort required for regression testing and release validation.
For a CCB-CS migration where Oracle pushes regular cloud releases and your system must be validated after each one, manual testing alone isn’t a sustainable strategy. You need automation that runs reliably, catches regressions quickly, and frees your team to focus on the work that truly requires their expertise.
It’s also worth being clear about what OUTA is not: it’s not a point-and-click tool. Building an effective OUTA library requires real scripting expertise, which is why USP staffs dedicated OUTA developers on every implementation rather than treating it as a side task.
That’s exactly what Raleigh built.
HOW RALEIGH BUILT THEIR OUTA PROGRAM
The team approached OUTA implementation as a phased, intentional build, not a last-minute add-on. Here’s what that looked like in practice:
1. Start as Soon as Test Scenarios are Identified
USP’s approach is to begin OUTA script development the moment test scenarios are identified, not after analysis wraps up or when UAT begins. For Raleigh, that meant starting almost immediately. They were already running CCB and had a mature, well-documented test library in place, so the team had a strong foundation from day one.
For utilities moving from a legacy system to CCB-CS or CCS for the first time, the same principle applies: as Analysis progresses and scenarios are defined, those cases are converted to OUTA scripts in parallel. There’s no waiting.
USP also brings a pre-built library of base product OUTA scripts to every engagement, so clients aren’t starting from zero, and the team reaches meaningful automation coverage faster.
2. Build for the Release Lifecycle – Not Just Go-Live
The biggest testing mistake USP sees on cloud migrations is skipping OUTA entirely during the project and then realizing post-go-live that every Oracle release (two per year on CCB-CS) requires a full manual regression cycle. That’s not a testing problem. That’s a business operations problem.
Raleigh avoided it entirely. The team built their OUTA library with the ongoing release lifecycle in mind, not just the go-live milestone. By the time they went live, OUTA was already executing 372 automated tests to support release testing and the library has continued to grow.
3. Staff It Like it Matters – Because It Does
Getting to 372 automated tests by go-live didn’t happen by accident. USP had two dedicated, skilled OUTA developers on the project from start through UAT. Not part-time. Not borrowed from another workstream but dedicated.
That investment is what separates an OUTA library that carries your release testing long-term from one that sits half-finished and gets abandoned six months after launch.
4. Let Automation Handle the Routine SO Your Team Can Handle the Hard Stuff
With OUTA handling regression and release validation, the testing team could shift focus to the scenarios that needed them — complex integrations, vendor coordination, edge cases that no automated script would catch on its own.
In a project with multiple vendor integration challenges, including a bill print vendor that went out of business mid-project, third-party contracting issues, and a middleware replacement attempt — having the routine testing handled meant the team could stay focused on what was actually on fire.
5. Built to Last — Not Just to Launch
Post-go-live, OUTA isn’t sitting idle. Raleigh is actively adding test cases to support future releases and reduce ongoing manual effort. The team is already planning the next platform version: they’re moving to CCB-CS 26.10 in October 2026.
WHAT MADE RALEIGH READY
Not every utility walks into a CCB-CS project with Raleigh’s level of testing maturity. Their existing test library, built and refined over years of running CCB, gave the team a real advantage: the ability to hit the ground running on OUTA scripting almost immediately.
USP has been a partner to Raleigh since 2017, and that history mattered. Understanding how robust their testing library was and knowing their system deeply before the project kicked off meant the team could trust that all scenarios were identified and ready to go. There was no discovery phase for what needed to be tested.
For utilities earlier in their testing maturity, the same principles apply, the starting point just looks different. USP’s base OUTA script library helps bridge that gap, and test scenarios get built out in parallel with Analysis rather than after it.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR UTILITIES CONSIDERING CCB-CS
Raleigh’s experience offers a clear message for any utility evaluating cloud implementation: the cloud changes your testing obligations, not just your infrastructure. On-premises upgrades happen on your timeline. Cloud releases happen on Oracle’s. You need a testing program that can keep pace, or you’ll spend your post-go-live months in reactive fire-drill mode.
The utilities that do this well build OUTA into the project from the beginning, not as a nice-to-have, but as core infrastructure. They invest in building the right test library before go-live, so the automation is already working when it counts.
Key takeaways from Raleigh’s approach:
- Start OUTA development early in the project — not as a UAT phase add-on.
- Come in with a solid test library. The better your starting point, the faster OUTA delivers value.
- Staff it with dedicated OUTA developers. It requires real scripting expertise — treat it accordingly.
- Build for the release lifecycle, not just go-live. Two Oracle releases per year means your automation has to work long after launch day.
- Let automation carry the regression load so your team can focus on the complex work that actually needs them.
THE RALEIGH BLUEPRINT: CONFIDENCE BY DESIGN
Cloud projects don’t have to be painful. Raleigh’s Oracle CCB-CS migration is proof that when you approach testing with structure and intention, you don’t just get to go-live. You build the foundation for everything that comes next.
USP has been a trusted partner to the City of Raleigh since 2017, through multiple CCB upgrades, managed services engagements, advisory work, and, now a successful CCB-CS cloud implementation. That continuity means we knew their system, their team, and their risk tolerance before the project ever kicked off. That’s not something you can replicate by starting from scratch.
About USP
USP is a leading system integrator firm specializing in the mid-market utility industry. Our team of experienced professionals helps utilities get the most out of their software investments by providing implementation, integration, and support services. Founded in 2013, USP offers the utilities industry a comprehensive range of services and software solutions. USP has been successfully servicing the utilities industry for more than a decade.
