Top 5 Tips for Successful ERP Implementation Testing
What is ERP?
Think of an integrated system that brings all departments of your organisation together and ensures they work in a single methodological manner. As a result, all you are aiming for is a smooth platform that delivers an easy and uniform flow of information under clearly defined codes and procedures. An ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning system refers to a combination of software and systems utilised for planning and managing all the core supply chain, manufacturing, financial and other essential business processes for an organisation.
Usually, giant ERP E-business suite providers like Oracle and SAP share standard business modules for companies to customise and Implement into their systems as per their specific needs. Companies then look out for ERP testing services to ensure the modules are adopted as per the company requirements, keeping in mind the end goals and strategies involved.
Why should you conduct ERP system testing for your business?
Once you have effectively customised your EBS modules, it’s important to check if they are effectively absorbed into your system. An ERP testing consultant here will check if all the segments connected are in place, data transfer is happening without any glitches, ensures zero loopholes and the appropriate amount of data privacy is maintained throughout the system.
Moving forward we will see why is it necessary to conduct a full-fledged ERP system testing for your business.
1. Keep a tap on the technical sections of your business
As mentioned earlier, your ERP system is a one-stop integrated platform for all your business requirements. A comprehensive ERP system testing can help ensure all these Integrated business segments are working as per the required specifications. These specific requirements can include ensuring smooth data flow between two business segments, reduced bugs and zero system glitches into your system.
The below-mentioned software testing solutions need to be performed in sequence to ensure zero defects in your fully Integrated ERP business suits.
- Compatibility testing
- Localization testing
- Security testing
- Reliability testing
- Stress testing
- Recovery testing
The ideal way to move forward is to identify any defects and share these defects with your developers to get them fixed hand in hand while the system is still being incorporated into your business scenarios.
2. Ensure you are aligned with other business requirements
Each of the ERP systems is custom build as per the end goals and strategies of any enterprise. To get the maximum benefit out of these systems it’s important to ensure they are properly configured and well-integrated with your systems.
Adequate ERP testing with the help of an expert software testing company can help ensure your current systems supports all your business operations and needs and performs as per set requirements.
3. Keep track of implementation stages
There could be many factors that may influence the functioning of your project or cause ERP failures while implementation. These factors may include lack of organisational change management, inadequate company resources, insufficient infrastructure requirements, extensive software customisation and lack of business process reengineering methods.
Sufficient ERP testing can help ensure your project remains on track. It involves time to time check-ins and verifications that ensure every facet of your system aligns with your business requirements. Additionally, it ensures that when finally releasing the software into your system, your ERP system will be fully aligned with your business processes and running as per the expected functionality.
4. Ensure complete documentation
A lot of industries across the globe operate on partial or full dependency on accurate documentation and system testing activities to verify correct system operation. One of the biggest examples of such an industry is the manufacturing units where one faulty component can have devastating effects in multi-folds across the entire supply chain.
For instances such as these, it’s essential to have proper ERP test cases. Working closely with an ERP testing service provider to help define the exact inputs, conditions, procedures and results required can help ease out the process. Additionally, it can help spot issues in the application design and verify the system’s functionality.
5. Verify & validate bugs throughout the process
End to end ERP testing can help your technical team effectively identify and isolate bugs in your EBS along with assuring that these bugs have been resolved from scratch. Skipping a loophole here can result in huge technical failures and miscommunication, resulting in massive company losses.
Most companies use codeless test automation technologies that help them with easy test management and defect tracking systems while ensuring they save a lot of time by reducing redundancy in tasks and increasing accuracy.
The problem statement with ERP Testing
The main issue that needs to be discussed here is what is the right way to approach effective testing of ERP Systems so that your business is able to meet the requirements of your users and address the risks associated with failure well in advance.
You need a well-integrated set of testing methods and tools to support the following:
- Results based management
Results-based management or benefits realisation as its most commonly called includes modelling of result chains to provide inputs to a benefits-based testing approach
- Experience-based risk assessments
These are focussed risk assessments that can help provide valuable inputs to a risk-based testing approach
- Integrated user modelling
These are automated & manual processes and interactions modelled in a format useful to testing professionals while executing a project
- Derivation of objective
You derive measurable and manageable test objectives from the three models mentioned above and then use the most relevant testing technique to move forward in the testing process.
- Integrate
In the end, your objective is to combine the three testing models into a non-proprietary life-cycle test methodology that can be systematically managed.
5 Tips for Successful ERP Testing
Below we have listed 5 of the most successful ERP testing tips that any ERP testing consultant should refer before approaching to an ERP project.
1. Don’t rush on time
It’s important to ensure that processes specific to a particular business group are adequately tested and fully functional as per the set requirements. Taking a jump over this step can in most cases lead to crucial implementation failures. As a result, your ERP business suite could time and again reflect issues that could have been rectified much before in the testing phases. This reduces the efficiency of your system, increases loopholes and end with unsatisfied end users.
2. Too much testing is a myth
It is extremely important to test all interfaces and if necessary, all software modification of a system to ensure optimum functionality of the systems. Making sure they are up to mark can be a tricky task hence there is in effect no such thing as too much testing. Just make sure do not leave out any of these systems to avoid any loopholes.
3. Don’t jump ahead!
Jumping ahead just because the earlier testing phases could not identify bugs can lead to bigger loopholes towards the end. Therefore, a wise decision would be to ensure each of the test phases is executed effectively without skipping any to have a fully functional and well-executed system towards the end.
4. Have an in-house project manager
Even if you are hiring the best ERP implementation partner to help you throughout the implementation phases, you must have an in-house project manager supervising the entire project from end to end. It is important to understand that the manager appointed by your implementation partner does not report to you as a client but to their own company supervisor. Therefore, having an in-house project manager would ensure you are updated with all the necessary in project movements, project success and milestones achieved.
5. Patience is the key
Though approaching your testing methods with the latest test automation techniques, it may seem like a busy task that involves 24/7 efforts, but ensuring you exercise patience throughout is necessary before moving forward. By making sure you follow every testing phase with due diligence without skipping any loopholes, your company may save on a lot of money and resources in the long run. This would also ensure that your implementation stays focussed on getting your ERP system fully integrated with your organisation and go live as soon as possible.
Hire an ERP System Testing Expert for Your Business
As mentioned above almost all ERP system modules are perfect at first glance. It only after you customise these modules as per your business systems and try to implement them that complications seem to arise. You need to ensure that all your components are working in synchronisation with each other without any loopholes. Looking at the cost involved in hiring an ERP system testing provider, it is essential to understand that the repercussions of leaving these technical points unchecked could be huge and cause disruption across your enterprise.
It is always preferable to connect with an expert in ERP testing that can help you optimise your ERP implementation. We at ImpactQA, offer cutting-edge QA services, and customised solutions for your end-to-end ERP testing projects starting from test planning, strategies, and test preparation to test management, coordination, and implementation.
Request a free consultation to speak with one of our ERP consultants for your next project.
