As we’ve said time and time again, implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution is a massive undertaking resulting in a big impact on your business. When enterprise resource planning software is first implemented, you want to make sure that everything has been installed correctly and runs smoothly. How would you accomplish this? By conducting ERP testing.
What is ERP Testing?
ERP testing is a quality assurance (QA) processes that verifies the functionality and configuration of an ERP software throughout the implementation process to ensure success.
Testing the ERP implementation process is important because of the very crucial role it plays in your daily business processes. There are several different ways to test your new ERP software to ensure that your business is getting the most out of your ERP.
Categories of ERP Testing
- Functional Testing: analyzes what the software is expected to do. These test cases are designed from functional requirements, and developers and end users validate if the requirements are met (user acceptance testing).
- Integration Testing: evaluates the ability of the ERP system to connect to the necessary data, properly pass and receive it, and perform its functions or facilitate other systems’ functions. These tests also confirm the integrity of the data passed.
- Performance Testing: Certifies that software can handle the expected processing loads without a deficiency of performance or failure. Also determines the maximum computing loads the system can manage in periods of high use or high demand.
- Security Testing: Evaluate the security controls and determine potential vulnerabilities to help to minimize the risk of a data breach or security incident. Additionally, help users understand data process, such as sensitive employee and financial information.
- Regression Testing: When an ERP is launched in a phased implementation or has post-production patches and upgrades, these tests ensure that the new components do not negatively impact the functionality of the existing production elements.
- Additional categories include: automation, data handling, adaptability, usability and installation.
Getting Started
With ERP testing, the focus tends to be on each modules functionality under specific circumstances and scenarios. The process tends to be carried out manually or automated. There are three different phases of preparing for testing.
- Preparation: setting up the test system, test suites preparation and creating testing data.
- Execution: execution of the test created during the preparation period and logging all defects and reporting the status of the tests.
- Evaluation: analyzing any found defects, assessing test plans and causes, test suites preparation and documenting the overall testing process.
Testing should begin when system configuration does. Each and every module should be tested to ensure that it works correctly and gives a company exactly what they are looking for. Users should also be included in the testing process. Paying attention to their questions and comments, can allow for necessary changes to be made.
5 Tips for Successful ERP Testing
- Don’t hold back on time. It’s important that processes specific to particular end-users are tested and are fully functional.
- There is no such things as “too much testing”. Interfaces and software modifications are among the most likely to be buggy, so there is no such thing as testing them “too much”.
- Don’t jump ahead to implementation. Just because the initial test phases are smooth and bug free, don’t jump ahead to your implementation. Each phase tests different aspects of how the ERP software will function post go-live, so follow each step carefully.
- Clearly define project roles.
- Be patient! Testing might seem like “busy work” to some, but by carefully following through on each aspect of the testing phase, you will save your business both time and money. You will also ensure that your implementation stays focused on getting the new ERP software fully integrated and up and running as soon as possible.
Testing your ERP software requires a lot of work, but it will be well worth it.
Contact the ACC Software Solutions team to begin your ERP roadmap today!
