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The majority of enterprises using Cloud ERP solutions are struggling to keep pace with the frequency, depth, and breadth of their updates. Vendors like Oracle, SAP, Workday, Kronos, and Veeva are rolling out updates on a more frequent basis, and many organizations are realizing that manual testing processes can’t keep up. However, a number of misconceptions about automated testing continue to proliferate. Let's set the record straight!
In this blog, we’ll try to answer some of the most common questions that business owners, IT leaders, and CIOs have in regard to automated ERP testing.
1. Why is software testing crucial for your business?
Since ERP applications are part of your core business processes, it’s vital to test them frequently and ensure these critical workflows don’t break. If bugs carry over into production, they can slow down your company’s efficiency and cost you revenue, reputation, and clients.
A great example of what can go wrong when enterprise software doesn’t work as intended can be seen with Haribo a few years ago, when they migrated 16 candy factories in 10 countries to SAP’s S/4HANA ERP software. While the migration was highly anticipated, it wasn’t as smooth or seamless as expected. Almost immediately, issues with the platform caused hiccups in Haribo’s supply chain operations. Production constraints led to missed supermarket deliveries, and by the end of the year, the company experienced a 25% decline in sales.
2. How important is testing to ERP implementations and migrations?
If not performed carefully, an ERP implementation or migration can be disastrous. Another real-life example occured when Citibank switched from Oracle's Flexcube to Finastra's Loan IQ in 2020. A software bug caused over $900 million to mistakenly be sent to the wrong hedge fund, which resulted in Citibank spending millions on litigation fees.
In short, your enterprise needs a test-focused strategy that has pre-migration, in-migration, and post-migration testing scenarios. Continuous ERP testing throughout the migration/ implementation process will ensure your data will stay secure, your cloud environment will be properly configured, and your applications run smoothly.
3. How can test automation speed up testing projects?
To understand this, let’s consider a few use cases:
- User case 1: Cloud Migration – Migration from an on-premise to Cloud ERP is a complex project that requires multiple test cycles, to ensure that legacy business processes continue to work in their new environment. Repetitive testing is time-consuming and can become monotonous for business users, which often results in human error. Enterprises are switching to test automation to free their users from the burden of testing during migrations, and increase the overall test quality.
- Use case 2: ERP Updates – ERP vendors are rolling out updates more frequently than ever. Oracle’s quarterly updates, SAP’s bi-annual updates, Salesforce’s seasonal updates, and more need to be tested prior to each push to production. Manually testing each scenario is extremely time-consuming, but failure to test each critical workflow can expose your business to serious risk. Test automation allows project teams to optimize the tests they run by helping enterprises focus on only their most at-risk processes.
4. How easy is it to set up automated ERP testing?
If you’re looking to build a framework from scratch, it will be costly and time-consuming. Utilizing code-based tools requires technically-trained employees.
Unlike frameworks built from scratch, Opkey platform customers can get up and running in just a few days. Additionally, any employee can create and automate tests with Opkey’s no-code test automation platform—no technical expertise is required.
5. Is automated ERP testing as reliable as manual ERP testing?
Manual testing, in today's business environment, is error-prone, time-consuming, and costly. Often, test engineers create test cases based solely on their personal experience and educated guesses about what business users are doing. As you can imagine, this unscientific method often leads to inconsistencies and inadequate test coverage.
Intelligent test automation tools like Opkey utilize test and process mining technologies to surface the tests that actually need to be run to ensure risk reduction. And since machines are executing the tests, not humans, they’re far more reliable and can run 24/7, regardless of holidays and weekends.
Read our Whitepaper: "Manual Vs Automated Testing - Top Considerations" to know more.
6. Can automated testing tools like Opkey handle a wide range of tests?
Opkey can perform the following types of testing, plus more:
- Functional testing
- Integration testing
- API testing
- Security testing
- Usability testing
- Performance testing
- Load testing
- Regression testing
- Parallel testing
7. What are the benefits of automated ERP testing?
- Reduce test execution time by 50% to 95%.
- Achieve optimal test coverage by only focusing on the most at-risk business processes.
- Minimize the time and resources used for testing.
- Accelerate testing cycles and project delivery.
- These are just a few examples. Find out more to get a sense of how automation could help your enterprise.
See the benefits of ERP test automation firsthand, and contact one of our testing experts today.
8. How easily can ERP automated testing be implemented? How easy is it to implement ERP automated testing?
Implementing ERP automated testing can be surprisingly straightforward (with the right tools and expertise.) Modern automated testing solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly into your existing software development lifecycle and organizational structure. Leveraging proven automation frameworks and strategic best practices makes implementation processes efficient and tailored to your specific requirements.
Customers have many different goals when it comes to implementing test automation. Some are focused on reducing testing bottlenecks. Some desire mainly to cut costs, and others to manage risks and reduce defects. Other benefits include such as improved accuracy, faster testing cycles, and enhanced overall software quality. Test automation tools like Opkey can help you achieve all of these goals and more.
9. Is ERP test automation as reliable as manual ERP testing?
Absolutely! ERP test automation is more reliable than manual testing. The core tests themselves remain the same, whether executed manually or through automation. The key difference lies in how the tests are managed, conducted, and analyzed.
Manual testing inherently carries the risk of human error, fatigue, and inconsistencies. Test automation, on the other hand, leverages the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to execute tests with precision and consistency. It eliminates the variability associated with human testers, ensuring consistent quality and reducing the likelihood of overlooked errors.
Moreover, automated testing can dramatically increase test coverage, as it can rapidly execute many tests that would be time-consuming and impractical for humans to perform manually. This comprehensive coverage ensures that more potential issues are identified and addressed before they impact critical business processes.
Read more: Manual vs. Automated Testing: The Top Considerations
10. Can automated testing be set up to handle a wide range of tests?
Automated testing solutions are versatile and can be tailored to accommodate a wide range of tests across different methodologies and testing types. Whether your organization follows Agile or Waterfall development, conducts performance testing, user acceptance testing, quality assurance, or integration testing, the demand for precision and reliability remains constant.
Industry-leading testing automation platforms, such as Opkey, are designed to handle this diverse array of tests. For instance, Opkey's Oracle ERP Cloud test automation capabilities empower businesses to streamline testing for critical financial processes. By leveraging Opkey's comprehensive approach, you can ensure that your ERP system, as delivered, is stable, efficient, and performs as expected.
The adaptability of automated testing ensures that regardless of your specific testing needs, you can rely on automated solutions to deliver consistent, reliable, and efficient results, ultimately enhancing the quality of your ERP system.
11. What are the benefits of automated ERP testing?
The benefits of automated ERP testing are substantial and can significantly enhance the efficiency and reliability of your software testing processes.
- Increase test coverage for comprehensive quality assurance.
- Minimize manual effort, freeing up valuable resources.
- Accelerate testing cycles and shorten time-to-market.
- Improve accuracy and consistency by eliminating human error.
- Identify and address defects early in the development cycle.
- Enhance the overall quality and reliability of your ERP system.
- Enable continuous testing and faster feedback loops.
- Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
- Optimize testing processes for greater efficiency and cost savings.
Read more: Why Opkey?
12. How do I pick the right automated testing solution for my ERP implementation?
Choosing the right automated testing solution for your ERP implementation requires careful consideration of several key factors:
- Scalability and Flexibility: Ensure the solution can adapt to your ERP system's complexity and scale as your business needs to evolve.
- Compatibility and Integration: Verify seamless integration with your specific ERP platform and other tools in your software development ecosystem.
- Ease of Use and Learning Curve: Go for a solution with an intuitive interface and minimal learning curve to enable rapid adoption by your team.
- Test Coverage and Customization: The solution should support a wide range of test types, including functional, regression, performance, and security testing, with the flexibility to create custom test scripts for specific requirements.
- Reporting and Analytics: Robust reporting and analytics capabilities are essential for tracking test results, identifying trends, and making data-driven decisions to improve your ERP system's quality.
- Vendor Support and Expertise: Partner with a vendor that offers comprehensive support, training, and ongoing assistance to ensure successful implementation and utilization of the automated testing solution.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including licensing fees, implementation costs, and ongoing maintenance, to choose a solution that aligns with your budget.
It's also crucial to look for a solution that delivers end-to-end performance and covers all your testing needs.
Read more: How to Compare Test Automation Tools
If you're ready to explore the benefits of automated ERP testing firsthand, don't hesitate to reach out to experts in the field. Learn how they can help streamline your testing processes and drive business value. Book a free demo now.
