Transform Your Testing Process: SAP Cloud ALM Meets S/4HANA

In our previous blog, we introduced the new features that are available in the Change Management tool in SAP Cloud ALM, and in this chapter, we will be talking to you about the Test Management tools, especially from the Test Automation in S/4HANA Cloud.

As you might be aware, the Implementation Service in SAP Cloud ALM covers the Test Phase that is required on the SAP transformation journey, as it offers a holistic orchestration platform for all types of functional tests, including Integration Tests (IT), Regression Tests (RT), User Acceptance Tests (UAT) and end-to-end tests.

During the testing orchestration, the Test Management tool allows you to structure Test Cases via Scopes and Processes. These can be executed either manually with continuous testing using Test Step Design or automated on different test levels required for the program. Automation can be achieved by integrating automatic execution engines, such as the Test Automation S/4HANA Cloud (public edition) or Tricentis Test Automation.

A powerful combination of Test Automation S/4HANA Cloud and SAP Cloud ALM

When working directly with the S/4HANA Cloud (public version), SAP has enabled the use of accelerators, which work as a library of pre-defined automated test scripts and test cases tailored for S/4HANA Cloud processes. This option expedites the testing process by improving the test coverage for the S/4HANA platform which is paramount for the relevant Business Processes and Process Steps the team members are working on. Additionally, SAP Cloud ALM still offers you the possibility of building your script by using the Test Step Designer functionality (if that is required), making the testing customisable to meet the project expectation and the defined deadlines.'

One point to consider during the test orchestration in S/4HANA Cloud, especially when talking about Regression Testing, is the fact that Test Automation can help customers achieve higher quality software and reduce costs associated with manual testing (let’s be honest, this approach will be time-consuming and impractical!). Therefore, Test Automation can be much faster to accelerate the test cycle and detect potential issues introduced by new changes, which is essential in modern software development.

Now, if the implementation you are working on is a more complex implementation, where additional development systems, such as Ariba, SuccessFactors, Concur and other platforms are included, you might need to consider orchestrating test automation with Tricentis.

The elements of the Test Automation S/4HANA Cloud

The integration between the Test Automation S/4HANA Cloud and SAP Cloud ALM is already delivered and performed via an API, which is ready to use, however, there are some concepts that might be worth considering when working with this platform: 

• Test Plan (in S/4HANA Cloud): This is a repository that contains the Test Process (Script) and a Data Variant that refers to different versions or subsets of test data that can be created and maintained within a Test Data Container (TDC).
• Test Data Container:  It is a centralised repository which stores and maintains a consolidated dataset of master data and business data tailored for testing business processes (data such as values, company codes, regions and so on).
• Execution Environment: Refers to the setup or infrastructure required to run automated tests, which includes hardware, operating system, browsers, devices, test data, and any other software components or dependencies required to run the automated tests.

Additional benefits of SAP S/4HANA Cloud  

The S/4HANA Cloud system provides robust test management capability that is tightly integrated with SAP Cloud ALM, and these are some key benefits of the Test Management capabilities in S/4HANA Cloud:

• Centralised Test Orchestration: The integration enables centralized test orchestration, allowing you to synchronize and execute the automated test cases for S/4HANA Cloud from within the SAP Cloud ALM platform.
• End-to-End Test Management: SAP Cloud ALM offers a holistic test management platform for S/4HANA Cloud projects, enabling you to manage both manual and automated tests.
• Leveraging Pre-Delivered Test Assets: The integration allows you to import and utilise the pre-delivered automated test cases and custom test scripts from the S/4HANA Cloud Test Automation Tool within the centralised SAP Cloud ALM platform.
• Defect Management: Any defects identified during the testing process can be logged, tracked, and managed within SAP Cloud ALM's defect management functionality.
• Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics: SAP Cloud ALM provides robust reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing you to monitor test execution progress, analyse test results, and gain insights into test coverage and defect trends for S/4HANA Cloud projects.
• Alignment with SAP Best Practices: The Test Automation Tool for S/4HANA Cloud includes pre-delivered automated test scripts and test cases tailored for SAP Best Practices processes.

As you can see, by combining the integration between SAP Cloud ALM and the S/4HANA Cloud system, organisations can streamline their testing processes, improve and accelerate the test preparation, and ensure the quality of their S/4HANA Cloud implementation. 

We hope this dive into the test automation capabilities of SAP Cloud ALM has provided you with valuable insights on streamlining your S/4HANA testing processes. By leveraging the powerful integration between SAP Cloud ALM and S/4HANA Cloud, you can significantly enhance your test management, reduce manual effort, and ensure high-quality software delivery.

Ready to take the next step in your SAP transformation journey? Sign up for a FREE SAP Cloud ALM Readiness Check today and discover how you can fully harness the potential of automated testing for your S/4HANA projects. Empower your team, accelerate your test cycles, and achieve seamless implementation with SAP Cloud ALM.

Sign Up for the SAP Cloud ALM Readiness Check

Stay tuned for more updates and best practices on leveraging SAP Cloud ALM to its fullest potential. Happy testing!