Importance of test automation
With its integrated test automation tool, the SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud offers a way to efficiently test and continuously validate business processes. The tool is specially designed to meet the requirements of a cloud environment and enables automatic regression tests after semi-annual release upgrades.
Advantages and functions
Test automation reduces manual effort and increases test coverage, which improves the quality of business processes. To take advantage of these benefits, SAP provides various functions that optimize the entire test process.
- Accelerated tests: Preconfigured test scripts enable tests to be carried out more efficiently
- Regression testing: support for regular testing after cloud upgrades
- Analysis functions: precise test results and logs with insights into test status and errors
- Documentation: complete records with screenshots and status reports
- User-defined customizations: Flexibility to create your own test scripts via a user-friendly recording function
Best practices for sustainable test processes
A structured test strategy ensures that test automation remains efficient in the long term. The use of proven methods helps to avoid compatibility problems and optimally adapt test processes to release updates.
The test scripts supplied by SAP can be used as the basis for test automation.
- Use of standard test automation: Minimize customization for better compatibility in future upgrades
- Use data variants: Instead of customizing existing test scripts, it is recommended to use data variants for better master data management
- Gradual enhancements: Only change or adapt necessary process steps to ensure standard compatibility
Challenges and solutions
Despite the benefits, there are challenges that companies need to consider in order to ensure smooth test automation. Two key aspects are upgrade compatibility and the efficient management of test data.
- Upgrade compatibility: SAP recommends performing tests after each release update to ensure that key functions remain stable
- Data binding: Efficient management by using the "data variants" function to access specific test data
Activities to be performed by SAP after a system upgrade
SAP actively supports customers by carrying out automated tests after every upgrade. This significantly reduces the amount of manual testing required. Customers benefit from automated validation of their activated business scenarios.
- SAP automatically creates test plans based on activated business scenarios after the upgrade. The prerequisite is that the customer provides valid business data.
- SAP executes automated tests after the upgrade based on activated business scenarios in the customer's Public Cloud Q-System.
- SAP makes the test results available in the "Analyze results of automated tests" app. Customers can review and analyze these results.
Activities to be carried out by the customer after a system upgrade
Despite SAP's automated tests, some tasks remain the responsibility of the customer. These measures ensure that the tests are carried out completely and in a company-specific manner.
- The customer must ensure that relevant master data and transaction data are maintained so that automated tests can be executed successfully.
- Customers can copy and adapt SAP test plans if specific requirements exist.
- If standard test processes are not sufficient, the customer must create their own test cases. Customer-specific adaptations require manual or modified test automation.
- Customers must analyze the test cases and results executed by SAP. If errors occur, they must be identified and rectified.
A structured test process makes it possible to use standard test scripts efficiently and to customize your own tests in order to continuously validate business processes.
Key steps in the test automation process
A structured test automation process ensures that business processes in the SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud are tested efficiently and reliably. The following steps show how companies can optimally set up and use test automation. The key steps are as follows:
1. determine test scope
The more clearly you define the scope of test automation for yourself, the better the most important functions of your apps are covered.
- Review of standard SAP best practices test scripts
- Identification of gaps and necessary adjustments based on the fit-to-standard workshops
2. preparation for the test automation tool
The following preparations should be checked in advance:
- Access to the Testing Tool Admin Guide and user manuals
- Checking the semi-annual release information on new features in the SAP Help Portal
3. setting up the test tool
Before using the test automation apps, a few preliminary settings should be made
- Obtaining the quality system
- Creation of an active business user
- Managing the user roles for test cases
- Calling up the "Test processes" app
4. check standard test automation
By activating a business scenario, the supplied test scripts can be used for test automation:
- Review existing standard test processes in the "Manage test processes" app
- Identification of processes that can be adopted directly
- Adaptation of processes by copying and modifying (if necessary)
5. creation of own test processes (if required)
However, it is also possible to create your own test processes, depending on which functions you want to safeguard with test automation.
- Creating new test processes using the recording function
- Manage user-defined processes in the "Manage test processes" app
6. creation and management of test plans
Once the test processes have been defined, you can incorporate them into test plans and execute them regularly.
- Creating test plans with the "Test processes" app
- Assignment of test processes to test plans
- Definition of test data variants
7. test execution and error analysis
The results of the executions can be found in a separate app. These can be analyzed and executed again after rectification
- Execution of the automated test plans
- Check the test results in the "Analyze results of automated tests" app
- Error analysis and re-execution of tests after corrections
Advantages of test automation with Fiori
The use of SAP Fiori Apps simplifies and accelerates the test processes. The main advantages are:
- Automated test runs significantly accelerate business processes and regression tests
- Semi-annual SAP upgrades can be validated more quickly as standard test scripts are available
- Companies save manual testing effort thanks to preconfigured SAP best practices tests
- Automated tests minimize human error and ensure higher quality assurance
- Regression tests enable quick identification of problems after an upgrade
- Customers can use SAP standard tests or create their own test scripts with the recording function.
- Test plans can be individually adapted to specific business processes
- Automatic logging and results analysis facilitate audits and reports.
- Test results are documented with screenshots and error logs
Summary
Test automation in the SAP S/4HANA public cloud enables companies to test their procurement processes continuously and efficiently. It reduces manual effort, supports regular updates and offers comprehensive analysis options for optimizing business processes.
