SAP S/4HANA Cloud projects require extensive testing. You want to verify that your business processes continue to function as intended after go-live. In this blog article, We will discuss the fundamental differences between SAP Cloud ALM and SAP Solution Manager in terms of test management. With this information, you will be able to choose which ALM solution is best for you. This is another installment in my blog series ALM for SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

Test Cases

Knowing what to test is the foundation of test management. A list of all test cases is required to ensure that all cases have been conducted and that the results are good.

You may attach test cases to Process Management procedures in SAP Cloud ALM (see my corresponding blog). You may use this to develop test cases for these business processes. For each process step, a test activity will be produced. You decide which of them are subject to your examination. You may explain to testers the steps to be done while conducting the test activities using instructions and descriptions of expected results. Test cases, activities, and actions can be manually entered or uploaded using Excel.

SAP Best Practice information in SAP Solution Manager includes more than just process flow diagrams from which to generate test cases. It includes Word documents with test scripts for the individual best practice procedures as part of the solution documentation. The test scripts, on the other hand, are general. You may need to update them to suit your process design, just as you keep instructions and anticipated outcomes for test operations in SAP Cloud ALM.

Test Planning

You design the test execution after gathering the appropriate test cases. The preparation status in SAP Cloud ALM is set to Test Case Prepared. This makes the test case visible for testing. If you simply want to focus on the test cases allocated to a single requirement or user narrative, you may attach them to requirements or user stories. SAP Cloud ALM does not currently support the assignment of test cases to test plans or testers.

In addition to applying test cases to work packages and work items (which correspond to requirements), SAP Solution Manager and the Focused Build add-on allow you to gather several related test cases into test plans and test bundles. This allows you to create unique test case collections for specialized reasons, such as a work package. The ‘Released for Test’ state allows all test cases in the test package to be performed.

You may assign testers to test cases in SAP Solution Manager. This provides users with a clearer understanding of which test cases are included in their workload. It is also easy for you, as the test manager, to determine if a delay is to be expected.

Test Scope Optimization

Extensive testing might require significant effort. As a result, it is important to limit the test scope to those situations that are truly impacted by modifications. SAP Solution Manager’s Business Process Change Analyzer (BPCA) and Scope and Effort Analyzer make this possible (SEA). You may use BPCA to study the consequences of a technical change to discover which business activities in your solution landscape are affected. You can limit your testing to only those business processes or process steps that are affected by a change.

Without the requirement to physically deploy software packages, SEA predicts major cost and effort drivers of maintenance programs. SEA can be used in the early phases of a project to plan software modifications and BPCA in the latter stages, during project implementation, or after the project enters steady-state operations.

SAP Cloud ALM still does not provide such in-depth analysis for test scope optimization.

Test Automation

Automation of testing processes results in significant cost savings. You reduce the need for manual testers in repeating the testing process. This impact will be increased by the number of test repetitions. Furthermore, you prevent additional expenses by repairing flaws in your production landscape, as well as project delays caused by defects discovered late in the implementation process.

A test automation tool is available in the public SAP S/4HANA Cloud. This program has predefined automated test scenarios that may be utilized and customized. The program is given with content. There is no need for manual creation.

The test automation tool would be used to manage automated tests on SAP S/4HANA Cloud. SAP Cloud ALM interfaces with this product to provide you with access to relevant test data (single source of truth). The integration APIs are open to the public. They may also be used by third-party test automation tools to interface with SAP Cloud ALM. Other solutions, such as SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, should be tested using these tools. We are aware that test automation tools are working on interaction with SAP Cloud ALM, but we have yet to hear about the availability of such a situation.

Component-Based Test Automation is provided by SAP Solution Manager (CBTA). It supports most SAP UI technologies. You may easily develop modular automated tests that are simple to restore if they are broken by software changes. The script is created in the background by CBTA using reusable components that are simple to fix and maintain.

Partner tools coupled with SAP Solution Manager via the Test Automation Framework can be used to enhance the capabilities of the SAP Solution Manager test suite. It allows you to easily connect certified test automation technologies from partners and third-party sources with SAP Solution Manager. This allows you to quickly test non-SAP apps as well as those SAP UI interfaces that CBTA does not currently support.

Tricentis Test Automation for SAP Solution Manager is available to SAP customers that have a valid SAP Enterprise Support maintenance contract (TTA). This is a separate material of the maintenance contract, not part of the SAP Solution Manager use permissions. However, TTA and SAP Solution Manager connectivity is available, allowing you to use both for automated testing of SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition.

Test Result

Following test execution, you should get an overview of the test results. This will show if the quality is good enough to begin further operations such as a go-live. A Test Execution card is seen in the SAP Cloud ALM project overview and offers an overview of the test case status. You may then drill down for more information. The requirement traceability tool also provides test execution information. Also, the Test Execution Analysis may be utilized to monitor the progress of test execution over time. If a test fails, you may generate defects and track how they were resolved.

The Test Suite Dashboard in SAP Solution Manager and the Focused Build add-on offer additional information about the state of testing. Individual test plans or waves can have their status and flaws viewed. This provides a more detailed view than simply monitoring the test case status of the entire project. Defect management is also available. In Focused Build, test cases and defects are assigned directly. This is not yet accessible in SAP Cloud ALM.

For regulatory reasons, certain businesses demand electronic signature confirmation of positive test findings. This is not yet possible in SAP Cloud ALM; it is only possible in SAP Solution Manager.

As-is process models are manually generated representations of how individuals – experts or process participants who deal with the process daily – believe a process truly functions in conventional Business Process Management (BPM). To-be models, on the other hand, explain how a process should, ideally or pragmatically, run in the future. The differences between the as-is and to-be models of the same process may then be used to determine the adjustments that must be made to the existing process to attain the intended future behavior. The emergence of process mining presents certain concerns with this viewpoint:

1. Can a manually constructed process model that is not based on execution data still be regarded as an as-is model, given that we can generate process models from event logs?
2. Even though such a process model may still be treated as-is, isn’t it inferior to a mining model, and shouldn’t the name reflect this?

We set out to clarify these problems in this blog article, while also considering comparable difficulties around the concept of a to-be process model.

As-Is: Beliefs, Experiences, Data, and Knowledge 

The goal of as-is process models is to capture how a process works in practice. However, as-is models do not have to replicate all of the intricacies of real-world behavior of all process instances. Given the famous George Box comment that “all models are flawed, but some are helpful,” an as-is model may, for example, merely reflect the happy path through a process to provide readers with a basic idea of how the process works at a glance. As-is process models can be developed using expert input, feedback from process participants, event log data, or a combination of the three:

• Experts may specify how a process is probably carried out by one or more IT systems.
• A group of process participants can share their subjective experiences of performing the process in collaboration with IT systems and human actors. These participants may be internal (typically employees) or external (generally customers) (e.g., customers or suppliers).
• An event log of the process may be pulled from the necessary IT systems to build a process diagram automatically.

In all cases, the type of model is a stand-alone model with different strengths and weaknesses:

• While the experts may have a good understanding of the process and related IT systems and roles, their model may not accurately capture the aspects of IT system behaviors, as well as human decision-making and cooperation “on the ground.” It just represents the experts’ opinions on the procedure.
• Participants in the process help the development of a model that reflects human experiences, which must be acknowledged. However, people may report process behavior from the perspective of their subjective human biases, such as their own career goals. Additionally, complicated IT system behavior may not be understood or even obvious to participants.
• Event logs may accurately represent process behavior that occurs in specific IT systems, but they ignore important aspects of human behavior, such as workarounds humans may use outside of the context of the IT systems to speed up the process or facilitate process outcomes that are desirable for human participants. Also, judgments about the abstraction level of the process must be made both when extracting data for event log creation and when evaluating event log data: first concerning event granularity and subsequently about the number of variations that should be necessitated by the model.

Models that primarily use expert and process participant feedback are based on beliefs and experiences, whereas data-driven models are based on records. Only by integrating human-centered and data-driven viewpoints can we secure process knowledge; and, in any event, the amount of trust we have in a process model changes from instance to situation. The value of human experience is reflected in SAP Signavio’s Journey Modeler and Journey-to-Process Analytics tools.

To-Be: Standardized Reference and Individualized Target Behavior

We discussed above how well an as-is model reflects real-world process behavior. Therefore, we may analyze how well a potential model captures desired, attainable, and viable target process behavior. A future process model, for example, may represent the standard process that an enterprise software module implements or it could mirror an organization’s heritage process, although with a higher degree of automation. As a result, to objectively analyze the condition of a future process model, one might look at how well the model reflects:

• How to process participants and stakeholders would want to work (desirability).
• How the organization may function while taking into account technological and socio-organizational restrictions (feasibility).
• How the organization should function while keeping business restrictions and objectives in mind (viability).

Additionally, we must evaluate the to-be model’s use case, which influences the planned granularity and breadth. To-be models with the use case of automation, for example, may have more technological features than models produced for risk and compliance purposes, which may include descriptions of risks and controls that an ‘automation’ model does not. The use case consideration also extended to existing process models.

Naming

There are alternative name pairings for as-is and to-be. Current and future states, in particular, are commonly employed. For the following reasons, we advocate using as-is and to-be:

• It is commonly used terminology.
• It is pretty interesting.
• It does not employ the term state, which in engineering language usually refers to the state of running instances, i.e., to instance-level properties rather than model-level attributes.

Conclusion

To determine whether a process model is indeed fit for its purpose, we recommend analyzing its limitations, i.e., whether the human or data-based input for as-is models accurately reflects reality, and whether the technological, socio-organizational, and business contexts of a process have been fully considered when developing a to-be process model. In a data-driven environment, we have presented a set of guidelines for how to think about as-is and to-be process models. We especially advise utilizing as-is and to-be as descriptors of a model’s purpose rather than its information origins.

SAP is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software developed by SAP SE, a German software firm. It supports the integration of business processes such as customer monitoring and commercial transactions. A system, Application, and Products (SAP) are acronyms for System, Application, and Products. It aids in the integration of many business divisions and partners into the organization, as well as providing a platform for handling large volumes of data on a single platform.

Many diverse firms rely on SAP because it gives convenient, safe, and rapid access to a large database of workers, customers, and transactions. It contains integrated modules to assist with the process, so it covers all parts of the business. It ensures management consistency and openness. The demand for SAP courses in countries all around the world has increased dramatically. Many good programs provide SAP training to professionals to help them improve their skills.

Advantage

It offers some advantages that make it more helpful as an enterprise resource planning platform, including:

1. Covering a Wide Range of Aspects: One of SAP’s most significant benefits is that it contains a large number of distinct modules capable of handling a wide range of business operations.
2. Strong Workflow Capabilities: It enables very secure and convenient access to a wide range of data. The platform ensures consistency and can handle large volumes of data.
3. Expense-Effective: Uniformity in the system of access to various data helps to reduce the cost that would have been paid to analyze and access the data.
4. Easy Access: It is quick and time-saving to be able to access multiple types of data from a unified platform.
5. Data Documentation: It allows for the documentation of all data and transactions, as well as keeping track of them.
6. Secure: SAP is a highly secure platform that allows for secure data access.

Career in SAP

SAP is a platform that encompasses all elements of a company, from human resources to accounting and control. In today’s industry, SAP-trained employees are in great demand. Depending on your level of expertise in a given subject, you can select any SAP module. There are several SAP modules.

1. Human Resource Management (SAP HRM), also known as Human Resource (HR)
2. Production Planning (SAP PP)
3. Material Management (SAP MM)
4. Financial Supply Chain Management (SAP FSCM)
5. Sales and Distribution (SAP SD)
6. Project System (SAP PS)
7. Financial Accounting and Controlling (SAP FICO)
8. Plant Maintenance (SAP PM)
9. Quality Management (SAP QM)

Individuals are trained for various organizational functions through these various modules. SAP is a fantastic career choice since it is so extensively utilized and offers so many benefits. It is also a very long-term career option with a highly attractive compensation package. Employers are mostly looking for expertise on how to configure systems. There are many various sorts of modules in Sap, and determining what you want to concentrate on is one of the first steps you should take. You should also be continually studying additional modules to increase your job market adaptability, which can be accomplished through professional SAP training.

Demand in the Global Market for SAP

SAP simplifies business data and gives standard access to it, as well as a quick and simple but secure way to access it. The need for SAP-trained individuals has risen dramatically in recent years. SAP is used by over 8000 enterprises (approximately), which is up 43 percent from the previous year. SAP is being used for business all around the world. SAP is mostly used in large enterprises for its simplicity and ease of access to protected data. In the communication and service industry, there has been an increase of almost 43%. With that stated, there are up to 48 percent more vacancies than last year for SAP Specialists, SAP Project Managers, SAP Managers, SAP Developers, SAP Architects, and SAP Analysts to fill.

It is reasonable to predict that the need for SAP specialists would continue to increase. The steady rise of SAP in the worldwide market has been supported by corporate digitalization and development. The criterion for selecting the ideal sap course is to choose the level of specialization you desire.

Have you heard of SAP before? System Application and Processing (SAP) is an acronym for System Application and Processing. Companies mostly use this program to boost corporate performance, and it may be integrated with the business you’re working on. SAP was originally utilized by industrial enterprises, and it has been growing in popularity in Indonesia since the 1990s. One of them is SAP Gold Partner, which provides apps and integrates all of the company’s existing data.

SAP is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-based software that can handle a variety of high-complexity jobs. SAP was formed by IBM Germany staff in 1972 and was initially developed in 1972. To date, the program has been utilized by more than 12,000,000 people in 120 countries, working for a variety of government bodies. Software is employed not just by huge corporations, but also by small and emerging businesses.

SAP Benefits for Companies

The importance of SAP is that, in addition to assisting firms with their difficulties, there are other reasons why organizations should use SAP, which may be utilized as a management system. The advantage of SAP is that the company’s success can be tracked more quickly and easily. The SAP system is also used to determine if the organization and its workers have successfully adopted SOPs or have fallen short of expectations.

The most essential factor is to be able to eliminate human error-related mistakes and increase the company’s business quality. SAP can increase the firm’s monitoring and control in their separate divisions inside the company, making it more responsive to existing market developments.

SAP Business One Modules

SAP modules are quite diverse and interconnected. Depending on the demands of the firm, each module offers distinct perks and duties. In SAP Business One, the following modules are available:

• SD-Sales & Distribution

SD-Sales & Distribution functions are the major module, and they are used to boost corporate operations such as sales management, purchasing, and so on.

• MM-Materials Management

This sort of module can help businesses with inventory management and procurement.

• HR-Human Resources Management

This single module may be used to combine human resource procedures such as registration applications, time management, financial management, and even employee salaries.

• AM-Aset Management

The AM-Aset management module may be used by businesses to manage assets such as investment control.

• Financial Accounting

A specialized financial accounting module is used to swiftly prepare financial problems. Account payable or general ledger work are examples of financial work that can be done.

SAP Business One Has a Lot of Benefits

SAP, which stands for System Application and Processing, provides the organization with some significant benefits.

• Directly available

The most notable benefit of SAP is real-time processing. This implies that when data has been changed, there is a direct access procedure anyplace. SAP has integrated one module with another such that when one module receives new information, the other module is automatically updated. For example, one of the company’s accountants began entering data into the software’s module, allowing the company’s branches to automatically receive these updates. However, if the organization utilizes SAP and the same data source, this is possible.

• Gets data transparency

Other SAP users can view the company’s existing data. As a result, data transparency exists, and it will be easy to spot those who falsify data. Almost all changed data is instantly accessible to other users.

• All types of transactions are supported

Another benefit of SAP is that it can handle any type of internet transaction. That’s because the supply chain management module, which is already connected with SAP, is there to help.

Disadvantages of using SAP Business One

Apart from the benefits, SAP Business One has some disadvantages:

• Expensive prices

Although SAP software is free, it only has a limited number of modules, which will limit the company’s performance. The cost of both investment and upkeep is likewise rather high. Aside from that, the cost of software is also high.

• Has a high risk

SAP stands for System Application and Processing, and it has a significant level of risk due to its complexity and application development.