subject: Sap Testing In Erp Environment [print this page] Organizations implement ERP applications to respond to major business challenges of reducing costs and improving revenue.
ERP applications make use of a single, centralized data repository for all modules. This interrelationship between ERP applications and the shared data structure creates the need to implement robust testing and monitoring programs to ensure the health of the company"s mission-critical applications. The main focus in any ERP implementation is to ensure that all business requirements are satisfied prior to releasing the application
into production.
IN-HOUSE TESTING DIFFICULTIES
The time and cost of testing can add up a substantial portion of the total resources needed for an SAP implementation/upgradation project. Several problems can arise if thorough testing strategy has not been included in the implementation process. Enterprises that do not test and tune the entire system (applications, networks, and hardware) are likely to experience technology-based failures that will negatively affect the business.
Often Clients tend to use in-house functional resources for their testing and validation processes ending up with issues such as
*Super Users being senior functional resources, ensuring their complete commitment to testing is often not feasible for the organization.
*Difficulty in balancing commitments towards ones' own function and participating thoroughly in the testing processes.
* Primary focus of a functional super user is limited to ensuring replication of previous system processes minimizing scope for further improvement during testing.
* Testing of high risk areas are not prioritized due to lack of SAP product knowledge.
*Lack of expertise in testing methodologies and tools.
WHY 3RD PARTY SAP TESTING
* Independent 3rd party SAP test specialists implement industry best practices and provide stakeholders with an expert evaluation of risks and deliverables thus acting as customers's advocates in meeting project goals.
*Independent 3rd party testing allows the business to direct, control and monitor deliverables thereby consistently improving quality.
*Passing on the varying demand cycles of testing processes to the independent testing partner leads to reduction in costs of human and other resources.
*In scenarios where multiple vendors are responsible for various components of the implementation, 3rd party testing entities bring in a holistic and objective perspective towards the system being tested leading to greater accountability through comprehensive single-point validation of cross-vendor
deliverables.
TYPES OF TESTING DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION LIFECYCLE
There are different types of testing that occur during the SAP project lifecycle, and each plays a critical role in the project's ultimate success.
Functional Testing - Functional testing is normally the first testing phase which is focused towards the program's inner functions, rather than towards the integration. This is the lowest level of testing where the program or transaction is tested and evaluated for errors
Integration Testing - Integration testing is accomplished through the execution of predefined business flows, or scenarios, that emulate how the system will run your business. These business flows, using migrated data from the pre-existing systems, will be performed in a multifaceted computing environment comprised of R/3, third-party software, system interfaces and various hardware and software components. It is this environment that builds the necessary level of confidence that the solution is complete and will perform in your business.
Regression Testing - The selective retesting of system that has been modified to ensure that bugs have been fixed and that no other previously working functions have failed as a result of the reparations. Regression testing also validates that newly modified part of system still complies with its specified requirements and that unmodified part of the system has not been affected by the maintenance activity.
Authorization Testing - Authorisation and User Profile Testing is designed to ensure that SAP security profiles have been created to the specification of the role mapping and to ensure that the profiles are appropriate to the business processes being delivered.
Performance Testing - Testing conducted to evaluate the compliance of the system with specified performance requirements. Performance testing measures the response time of key business processes and transactions, uncovering end-to-end performance problems. This is typically performed using an automated test
tool like Load Runner, Win Runner etc to simulate large number of users and voluminous data.
