Implementation projects involve various tests at different stages to meet specific objectives. The three primary types are:
- Implementation tests
- User acceptance tests (UAT)
- Regression tests
Implementation tests take place during the Realize phase of the SAP Activate methodology. At this stage, partner LoB configuration experts configure business processes in the development system's customizing tenant and transport these settings to the test and production systems.
Testing an individual component of a business process is a unit test, while linking multiple unit tests together is a string test. You must also test business role customizations to verify that data access and functionality are correctly restricted. Eventually, you perform an entire business process test using test scripts from SAP Signavio Process Navigator.
Hint
If a set-up instruction document exists for a process, complete it first, as it often covers essential integration or initial activities required before the test script's prerequisite steps.
Business processes should be tested in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud test system after integrations are set up and data is migrated to simulate a realistic environment. While unit and string tests are informal and occur during configuration, an end-to-end business process test is formal. These formal tests, which may include several sequential business processes, must be documented in the SAP Cloud ALM Test Management apps. Integration and data migration tests are also formal and require documentation.
User acceptance tests (UATs) also occur in the Realize phase but involve a different audience. Ideally, the customer LoB experts who participated in the Fit-to-Standard workshops should perform the UAT. Since these experts provided the initial feedback on business requirements, they are best suited to verify that the partner configuration experts have addressed them correctly. Furthermore, because they are already familiar with SAP S/4HANA Cloud navigation, they typically require no additional training.
For UAT, partner configuration experts set up manual test cases using the SAP Cloud ALM Test Management apps. Customer experts then use these apps to document their findings after executing the procedures in the test system. UAT is a formal process and a critical opportunity to resolve issues before the system goes live. Ensure all issues are resolved and documented before proceeding to the Deploy phase.
Regression tests typically occur in the Run phase after go-live. Their purpose is to identify whether release upgrades affect the customer's configuration or customizations. While customers are responsible for regression testing after go-live, the Test Automation Tool can automate much of this work.
If an upgrade occurs during the implementation project, the partner team must pause current activities to test the implemented processes against the new software version. Customers can also opt-in to post-upgrade tests for standard, non-customized processes. By providing consent in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud test system, SAP can run these automated tests automatically after a release, reducing the testing workload for both customers and partners.
To ensure smooth upgrades, partner experts should set up the test process automate using the Test Automation Tool as they finish working through the configuration and customization of a business process. For example, if custom business logic is added to a standard process, the automated test must be updated to reflect this logic. During an upgrade, you can run these automates in the test system instead of manually executing scripts. After go-live, customers use these automates for customized processes and post-upgrade automates for standard processes.
Note
Use the Scope and Dependencies spreadsheet to plan your testing activities. You can find it in SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition→ Accelerators→Getting Started→Availability and dependencies of solution processes.