SAP Testing: Intricate or Ignored

        During almost 5 years journey with Product & DB Testing , Before coming finally into SAP Testing, in long list of testing types, methodologies, approaches,  area of product, nature of technology. . . Now I find this phase is having quite more importance with SAP applications from costing point of view, quality point of view & most important maintenance efforts /rework (time consumption) point of view. What essence I learnt during small tenure in Testing SAP application is – testing in SAP environment needs a suitable methodology for integrated atmosphere & dynamicity in approach to cope up with highly vibrant business needs.

Methodology: With very much specified approach, process and documentation from requirement study till the development of the object, somewhat no precise methodology I find from performance testing up to the functional testing. This might be because of ignorance of method to follow or no definite method at all. Till the date I never find a distinct methodology which can address at least the majority if not all repetitive issues in almost all projects, though the SAP applications are highly integrated implementation & very expensive to rework in its own. Can parallel run of development & testing phases get rid of rework & low quality deliverables or the Spiral model to be best to follow while it comes to ‘delivery with least maintenance’ !?

Frenziedly Flow of Requirement:  Extremely vibrant flow of requirements is the root cause of the poor testing cases and execution of these as much as I observe. Sometimes in real work environment when it comes to the end of testing an object, functional specification gets new turn. 

        If we watch carefully then up to creation of blue print, things can go step by step, but would be more efficient from quality point of view if we put Functional Specification, Development and testing 3 major steps in Parallel *** Spiral manner. 

Call for Simulation: A chief remedy which can trace the issue at very preliminary stage is concentration on the simulation part of the test environment & test bed .More similar the Test environment to the Production, greater the possibility of early catches of issues. Complexity & size/permutation of the data, at least be exactly replicated in test environment.

Skill set: Testing whether Functional or Integration or Performance is not only difficult because of nature of SAP itself but also because of the wide range of functionality/business/surroundings it addresses to. I always find it compulsory to one must have knowledge of at least one business-line & know-how of technical stuff as well to make a move towards SAP Testing.  ‘Testing of application’ sometimes touches the line of ‘Testing of business’ as well.

         In real time picture, functional knowledge matters equally as the Test tool knowledge. Now it can broadly be classified as Business Testing & Purpose testing. No issue in both cases this skills set will be a sure shot.

Wrapping up the thought with these learning till I gain:  For testing purpose model should be a blend of Spiral & continuous tracking of requirement. Resource must be entirely for testing (1 resource: N business line) & plan must have a committed section of test strategies according to nature of Business. No issues even in best case from development side, continuous performance testing is always a field which demands on-going watch & improvements. And as compared to any other Product early work on Integration Testing will always lessen the rework efforts & Cost of maintenance.

Anyway dynamicity in this area is always agreeable & full-of-life 🙂