Deliver SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 Upgrade Projects on Time, with Less Risk and under Budget

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My previous blog post was about the first optimization steps of any upgrade project—preparation and cleaning using BI-on-BI tools. As mentioned, completing upgrade projects is getting increasingly more difficult since business intelligence (BI) is now widely used within organizations for managing and driving business.

The most important steps of any upgrade project are the last ones—successful upgrades ensure providing appropriate content with minimal business disruption. Maintaining SAP BusinessObjects report accuracy and consistency is thus critical.





SAP BusinessObjects report regression testing is a tricky but very important task in the course of upgrade operations. We are all aware that testing is necessary and that it’s a recurring process in the SAP BusinessObjects world. Unfortunately, testing doesn’t generate any real added value—it is more often seen as extra expenditure, costing time and resources.

I’ve seen upgrade projects involving spending 50% of the total expenditure on manual testing with minimal risk mitigation. Others were at a standstill because end-users were not available for running tests. Testing is critical!

Indeed, in the course of an upgrade project, SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence reports are impacted by various calculation engine changes brought by newer versions. Everyone can agree that using automated SAP BusinessObjects testing tools helps organizations mitigate risks inherent to manual testing, while also reducing costs. GB&SMITH ‘s¹ 360Bind makes BI report testing significantly more efficient and dramatically reduces operational risks during upgrades.

360Bind is an automated regression testing tool allowing users to compare Webi, Crystal, and Deski reports across different versions of SAP BusinessObjects. Outputs (data within tabs) or images are compared with a 1-pixel accuracy level (data within charts). Comparing twenty reports manually may take several hours with no assurance of testing accuracy. 360Bind enables you to compare thousands of reports within a few days,  remove human error, and ensure 100% accurate tests. Just pinpoint differences:





Non-regression testing tools will help IT teams but also risk managers. From a risk control perspective, such tools significantly increase efficiency and reduce operational risk when testing BI reports during BI, data base, and server upgrades.

Conclusion

With budget constraints, limited resources, and short timeframes, organizations must, more than ever, look into cutting-edge technology to address their upgrade challenges. 360Bind is an automated report regression testing solution designed to help you optimize time and effort, resulting in substantial cost savings when migrating your SAP BusinessObjects deployment to BI 4.2. We estimate our solution can help save time and money by up to 50%.

Ultimately, ensuring cross-platform SAP BusinessObjects report accuracy and consistency on a daily basis is essential to avoid going through the aforementioned steps in future migration projects. Running automated regression testing on a regular basis is therefore highly recommended.

¹GB&SMITH, an SAP technology partner, improves the SAP BusinessObjects user experience and helps organizations maximize their investment. For more information, visit https://www.360suite.io