#erp software testing

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What is ERP software testing? and Why is it important? | QAble

To increase the output of your business, ERP software testing is mandatory. Make your system more powerful by removing all the errors and bugs.

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Why are ERP Testing Services so Important for your Businesses

Today, businesses have to compete in an unforgiving environment. They need to execute a host of activities including meeting tight deadlines, responding to client or customer issues in real-time, addressing downtime, and delivering superior customer experiences, among others. This can be a tedious exercise given the multi-dimensional approach businesses take to run their day-to-day activities. To infuse agility and efficiency, businesses use ERP systems. These systems bring multiple departments and processes under an integrated umbrella and help stakeholders to get better insights from the available data.

The data-driven approach of an ERP system helps in better planning and optimization of available resources leading to cost savings. However, notwithstanding the advantages of implementing an ERP system, businesses often face several challenges. These include gathering requirements, removal of redundant data, migration of assets, rationalization of processes, and change management, among others. ERP testing helps in addressing such challenges and allows businesses to preempt any malfunction.

What is an ERP system?

An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system helps an organization to integrate and control its core processes such as finance, HR, sales and marketing, administration, manufacturing, and so on. It enables the seamless flow of data and information within the system and sub-systems. An ERP system helps organizations in doing way with repetitive manual work and generates relevant data in real-time for the stakeholders to take suitable decisions. It is only through a rigorous ERP software testing exercise that various processes and their deliverables are validated as per the expected parameters.

Various types of ERP testing services

To ensure the ERP system remains stable, functional, secure, and scalable, a crucial role is played by ERP quality assurance and testing. Some of the commonly used ERP testing processes are:

# Performance testing: This type of ERP QA tests whether the performance of the system is as per expected parameters or not. It identifies the threshold up to which the software can perform in a robust manner. For example, during certain days in a year, the load on the ERP system can be immense. These may include processing payslips for all employees, the last date of submission of investment declarations, and the issuance of hike letters, among others. Unless performance testing is carried out, the functioning of the system when subjected to load conditions cannot be ascertained.

# Functional testing: This type of ERP software testing validates the functioning of each module within the ERP system as per the expectations.

# Security testing: The ERP system deals with a quantum of sensitive business, customer, and client-related data. If such data fall into the wrong hands, the implications can be dire. Moreover, given the rising menace of cybercrime where hackers use several tricks to steal data, an enterprise resource planning testing activity with respect to security can work wonders. It can identify the inherent vulnerabilities, fix them, and make the software robust, secure, and safe.  

# Integration testing: The flow of data across various modules of the ERP system can only be seamless if proper integration has taken place. This can be validated using integration testing wherein both the accuracy of data and functioning of modules are tested.

# Regression testing: Whenever a new feature or module in the ERP system is launched, the same is validated through regression testing. In this type of automated ERP testing, the entire software is not checked but only the specific function, module, feature, or process that has changed.

Best practices to follow to test ERP implementation solutions

·       Proper test planning to be done by collating relevant information of every touchpoint of the organization. This helps in achieving enhanced test coverage.

·       Goal setting to be done in advance to understand the type of testing needed for each module or function. It will also give insights into the team structure, test plans, and resources needed for the test.

·       The test cases for various tests should be identified beforehand to ensure better test coverage. Further, the entire testing process and its results should be documented for further analysis.

·       A proper test lab configured with necessary specifications will help to address any performance issues during testing.

·       The failure reports should be analyzed to understand the kind of defects the ERP system can face during real-time operations.

Conclusion

ERP systems have become the need of the hour for organizations, be it small, medium, or large, to streamline processes, deliver better output, and achieve ROI. However, without proper ERP testing of various modules, achieving the desired objectives can remain a pipedream.

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How to conduct ERP application testing

Enterprises are realizing the need to leverage the SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, and Cloud) model to accelerate growth. However, overhauling core processes administered by legacy ERP applications is equally critical. ERP applications help enterprises manage various functions, departments, and processes, including the data generated therein.

These applications help enterprises to run as one single unit and, in the process, generate outcomes such as improved productivity, better efficiency, reduced waste, enhanced customer experience, and increased ROI. In view of the criticality of ERP applications for organizations, they should be tested and validated. Testing ERP applications can ensure the smooth functioning of multiple tasks within organizations. These may include tracking inventory and customer transactions, managing finances and human resources, among many others.

 Why is ERP software testing needed?

ERP software is cost-intensive and requires a lot of investment in time and effort. Every ERP software comes with multiple versions and requires customization to suit specific business requisites. Moreover, since every element in the application is connected to some other module, upgrading them can be a challenging task. For example, creating a sales order would need access to the inventory management module. If any of the modules does not function to its optimum, the entire ERP application may be impacted. This can have a cascading effect on the performance of the company as well as create bad customer experiences. Hence, testing ERP applications shall ensure the correct implementation of the software and prevent crashes.

ERP software testing, besides checking the software’s functionalities, should ensure the generation of reports and forms accurately. By identifying and removing bugs during the testing phase, testers can avoid facing post-implementation blues. Moreover, it can lead to an early adoption of software and ensure its smooth running. ERP application testing services validate business processes, functions, and the rules governing them. They help reduce operational risks within the constraints of available resources and time.

Approaching the testing of ERP applications

It is imperative for enterprises to set up a robust testing strategy. The strategy should prioritize the testing of processes depending on the short and long-term goals.

Setting up KPIs: At the outset, testers should setup the KPIs or performance metrics and evaluate how they will impact the overall organizational goal as well as departmental objectives. Thus, establishing the KPIs will help derive the right ROI for the organization.

All-encompassing: ERP implementation for a large organization with many departments and processes can be a complex and challenging job. However, it is important that all stakeholders are taken into confidence and involved in the process. The process also includes making the necessary investment in training. When everyone is involved in ERP implementation, there is more cohesiveness in the administration of the software.

Data migration: An organization can plan its strategic moves if it can make use of its data emanating from various processes over a period of time. To ensure real data is not lost or distorted in any way during ERP validation and testing, its proper migration process should be planned beforehand.

Selecting the right automation tools: As ERP software can have myriad variables interfacing with various processes, they need to be validated. This requires choosing the right test automation tools - open-source or premium ones. Automated ERP testing can validate a large number of variables for various processes against expected outcomes. The right automation tool will help testers to write and execute test cases.

Identifying test cases: Since it is not possible to test every sinew of an ERP application, proper test cases should be written to ensure the maximum test coverage. Thus, testers should identify the test cases for each test and document them as well. Also, since ERP processes are linked to each other, and even to third-party applications or modules, they should undergo automated ERP testing.

Conducting performance, regression, and security tests: As an ERP system helps to run the operations of an enterprise as a single unit, it should run some critical tests. These include regression, performance, integration, security, and usability tests. This way the enterprise can ensure continuous monitoring of the system, save time and cost, and prevent any sudden downtime or latency.

Proper documentation: Post testing of components in the ERP system, the documented glitches ought to be analyzed to preempt any failure in a real environment. Moreover, the reports can be used for future reference.

 Conclusion

 To sustain in the competitive business environment of today, businesses need to take digital initiatives such as implementing an ERP solution. However, to ensure the successful running of such a solution and derive benefits out of it, enterprises should carry out ERP testing. The approach for such a testing should involve automation and carrying out various types of testing.

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ERP TESTING SERVICES

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How can Test Accelerators support ERP Testing?

The growing competition among businesses is leading them to implement robust ERP solutions. This is done to streamline processes, monitor inventories, manage resources, and leverage databases to help the stakeholders take business critical decisions. Every business department has an inherent way of functioning, which may or may not be in league with the other departments. This often leads to compatibility issues - especially when it comes to following of common protocols or standards. If left to their own, each department working in silos and at its own pace can create bottlenecks and hinder achieving a common objective.

With ERP solutions, the various arms of a business viz., accounts, operations, sales, HR, production, or marketing can work in tandem based on common objectives, protocols, and benchmarks. The criticality of ERP in realizing ROI and other business objectives necessitates its testing before implementation. Since the business outcomes depend on the successful running of an ERP software, it should be tested comprehensively and with considerable rigour.

A comprehensive and rigorous ERP testing methodology needs test automation to realize its true potential. However, the prevalence of a poor test automation environment, non-availability of skilled resources, and high cost of automation tools can limit the effectiveness of test automation. Moreover, implementing an ERP solution can leave a company with challenges leading to time and cost overruns. While test automation helps in identifying and plugging errors in the software codes, shortening the SDLC, accelerating the time to market, and creating a robust test framework to enable future testing, - test accelerators can accelerate activities such as functional and regression testing. The use of test automation accelerators as part of the ERP testing services leads to an end to end test automation covering a slew of technologies.

Why ERP?

Businesses go through a host of transformational activities such as mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers making the management of databases a tedious and complex exercise. Moreover, businesses need to rationalize their operational costs, streamline their processes, estimate the market trends, manage inventories, sharpen their delivery and feedback mechanism and strategize to remain competitive. All these and more can be achieved effectively through the implementation of ERP solutions such as SAP, Salesforce and others.

How can test accelerators help in ERP testing?

Since ERP solutions facilitate the integration and streamlining of various processes, branches, and departments of a business, they are needed to be tested thoroughly. ERP testing should encompass a broad range of testing activities such as performance testing, regression testing, integration testing, functional testing and security testing. The challenge in choosing an automated ERP testing platform and writing robust test scripts that validate functions and processes is that it requires the use of test accelerators. These frameworks help the ERP testing experts to execute automation at the early stages of development. Since test accelerators help in cutting down the complexities associated with test automation, they can enable other business stakeholders to be a part of testing. These help test experts to validate the pieces of codes across the entire SDLC phalanx and technology platforms.

Let us find out how test accelerators can support ERP software testing.

Accelerating the time to market: In the Agile or DevOps setup, test accelerators help to speedily develop, test, integrate, and deliver applications. The frequent release of glitch free applications can drastically reduce the cost, time, and effort that would otherwise had gone into rework. Test accelerators can help experts to monitor the quality metrics in an effective manner.

Better quality software: Test accelerators can execute comprehensive testing of the various arms of an ERP software. These can detect glitches right at the beginning of the development of a software. The speeding up of shift left testing can lead to better integration and delivery of a product. In the ultimate analysis, this helps businesses to stay competitive and achieve ROI.

Optimizing test automation framework: The use of test accelerators can pre-empt the development of a test automation platform right from the inception stage. These facilitate the writing of automated test scripts based on the logical flow of test cases. Test accelerators can drastically cut down the time spent on developing test scripts besides reducing the licensing costs.

Conclusion

ERP implementation can be taxing for an organization given the inherent challenges. These relate to the presence of complex technologies and multiple applications, and regulatory and compliance issues among others. These can invariably slow down the testing process leading the business to lose its competitive edge. However, test accelerators, by automating various aspects of testing, can help in managing cost and accelerate the time to market.

This Article is originally published at Medium.com, How can Test Accelerators support ERP Testing?