From Excel to TestRail: How Photron Improved Test Visibility and Efficiency
Photron Ltd. (Photron) develops and sells hardware and software for image processing and digital engineering. Since its founding in 1968, the company has expanded globally through advanced, original technology. Today, Photron’s business spans multiple areas, including high-speed cameras and image measurement systems, 2D and 3D CAD solutions, and video file transfer platforms that support production workflows.
To evaluate whether TestRail could support this transition, Photron worked with Techmatrix, TestRail’s local partner in Japan, which provided access to a TestRail evaluation environment during the selection process.
Die Herausforderung
As Photron reorganized its development structure to improve efficiency across software teams, the company needed a better way to manage testing across a growing portfolio of products.
Before adopting TestRail, Photron managed its testing for products such as the Zuno RAPIDPRO Series and Zuno CAD3D Series in separate Excel files. As more products were added and the volume and complexity of test cases increased, that approach became much harder to sustain.
According to Yuta Waku, Deputy Manager of the Engineer Group in Photron’s Software Development Division, the existing process was no longer sustainable:
Yuta Waku
Deputy Manager of the Engineer Group, Photron
Because test cases were managed in separate spreadsheets, creating new files for newly added software had become a major burden. Tracking test history, execution time, and progress across products was cumbersome, and comparing text-heavy spreadsheets made it difficult to quickly understand testing status.
Photron needed a solution that could replace Excel, reduce the effort required to manage testing, and give both development and test leaders a clearer view of progress.
Die Lösung
To support its software development reorganization and reduce time spent on test management, Photron adopted TestRail as its centralized test management platform.
The team evaluated several factors during the selection process, but three stood out most: integration potential, ease of implementation, and operational reliability.
Integration with existing tools
One of the biggest advantages of TestRail was its ability to fit into Photron’s existing workflow. In 2019, Photron had already introduced TestRail’s sister company Ranorex, as a company-wide UI test automation tool, so TestRail’s ability to integrate with Ranorex was a major consideration.
By connecting the two tools, Photron saw a clear path toward automatically registering automated test results in TestRail. The ability to integrate with issue tracking tools also made it easier to share defects found during testing with the development team.
Fast implementation and low maintenance
When Photron first tested TestRail’s free version, they found it quick to set up. And because it could be deployed in the cloud, the company did not need to invest in additional physical infrastructure, so the maintenance burden remained low.
For a team looking to move away from Excel without creating a new operational headache, that simplicity mattered.
Confidence in day-to-day operations
Photron also valued the reliability of local support in Japan. Having access to updates and support through a Japanese distributor gave the team more confidence that TestRail could be adopted smoothly and used long-term without unnecessary disruption. During the evaluation stage, Techmatrix provided Photron with access to a TestRail evaluation environment, helping the team assess whether the platform was the right fit for its test management needs. That confidence helped Photron move forward with implementation.
Building a tester-friendly workflow
Rather than trying to recreate its Excel process exactly inside a new tool, Photron used the transition as an opportunity to rethink how test management should work.
Working closely with test leaders, the team focused on building a TestRail structure that would be easy for testers to use in practice. Because TestRail is highly customizable and allows a wide range of information to be captured in a consistent format, Photron spent time designing a structure that balanced flexibility with usability.
As a result, testers were able to adapt quickly and begin working in TestRail at the same speed as before, or faster.
Yuta Waku
Deputy Manager of the Engineer Group, Photron
Die Ergebnisse
Photron began using TestRail at full scale and quickly saw measurable improvements in its testing workflows.
Faster test case creation and review
Before TestRail, creating new test cases often meant copying and reformatting Excel sheets, then manually checking for omissions. That process was slow and difficult to review.
With TestRail, test cases could be created in a standardized web-based format, which reduced registration gaps and made it easier to reference and reuse existing test cases. This significantly improved both speed and consistency during test case creation.
Yuta Waku
Deputy Manager of the Engineer Group, Photron
Better visibility into test progress
TestRail also improved how Photron tracked testing progress. Under the old Excel-based process, development and testing leaders had to compare spreadsheets side by side to understand the current status.
With TestRail, both teams can now check the latest progress whenever needed. Customizable reports make it easier to share the right information with the right stakeholders, and the visual interface gives team leaders a clear, at-a-glance view of what is happening.
This improved visibility made progress management more accurate and far less time-consuming.
Reduced administrative effort
Since adopting TestRail, Waku estimates that he saves one to two working days per month that were previously spent on test management tasks. That time can now be spent on higher-value work, including reviewing and refining software specifications.
In other words, TestRail did not just make reporting easier. It helped free up time for the work that improves product quality upstream.
Faster reporting for release decisions
Photron also saw a major improvement in how it prepared materials for shipping approval meetings, which serve as a final-stage review before release.
Previously, preparing those materials took about a full day. By using TestRail’s reporting capabilities, the same work can now be completed in just a few minutes. The reports are also easier to understand, which improves communication and supports faster decision-making.
The Results at a Glance
Since switching from Excel to TestRail, Photron has:
- Improved the accuracy of test progress management
- Reduced the time required to manage testing
- Cut the major test case reformatting work from one month to one to two days
- Reduced oversights during test case creation
- Made release review materials faster to prepare and easier to understand
By centralizing test management in TestRail, Photron gained a more scalable process that supports both day-to-day efficiency and long-term improvement across teams.
Zukünftige Ziele
Photron plans to further expand its use of TestRail by further integrating it with Ranorex so that automated test execution results can be registered in TestRail automatically.
The company also sees the migration as an opportunity to improve more than just tooling. Moving away from Excel helped expose workflow issues, giving the team a chance to rethink and improve how testing is managed across the organization.
Yuta Waku
Deputy Manager of the Engineer Group, Photron
As Photron continues to unify and improve its software development operations, TestRail will remain an important part of its effort to make testing more efficient, visible, and scalable.
About Techmatrix
Techmatrix is a full-service IT company operating across a wide range of industries in Japan — from network security and medical imaging management to automotive embedded software, customer service infrastructure, and educational platforms.
As the regional partner who brought this project to life, Techmatrix played a key role in making this collaboration possible. Their team combines deep technical expertise with a long-term commitment to building a better future through technology, as reflected in their medium-term management plan launched in May 2021.
Working in Japan and need a trusted local partner? Get in touch with Techmatrix.
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