ERP Testing

After my most recent blog, which you can read here, I have had several interesting conversations with clients about testing their ERP systems. It seems that everyone knows they should test their ERP systems but a lot of people/companies either don’t or do not test effectively.

ERP testing is the process of validating the functioning of your ERP system. It is pretty much a quality assurance check designed to ensure the ERP system is correctly implemented. It is vital that you test your ERP system after the go-live to make sure everything has been installed correctly and is running smoothly. This prevents situations such as, the system crashing at go-live etc.

Without ERP testing, arguably throughout the implementation process, you risk the implementation failures. Having testing stages allows you to address any bugs/issues before the go-live date. This will save you a lot of time. In addition, a system that crashes or does not work well will never go down well with new users who are having to learn a new system. Bugs can also slow down the process of training users on the new system.

Normally when it comes to testing the ERP system, the focus tends to be on specific modules functionality under specific situations. There are three different phases for testing:

1.??????Preparation – this includes setting up the test system, test suites preparation and creating test data

2.??????Execution – executing the test created during the preparation period and logging all defects and reporting the status of the tests

3.??????Evaluation - this includes analysing any defects found, reviewing test plans, test suites preparation and recording the whole process.

There are also different forms of testing when testing your ERP system:

1.??????Functional Testing – you want to know whether the ERP system offers the solutions required for a specific company need. It will involve testing the business features and the software and hardware the help run the ERP system. To ensure successful testing here, I would recommend considering the goals and objectives that you want to achieve

2.??????Performance Testing – this tests the ERP systems ability to perform tasks in specific situations. ERP systems usually run with other integrated systems therefore it is crucial to test the performance during high demand situations

3.??????Automated Testing – this refers to the automation of tasks, making tedious tasks more efficient

4.??????Integration Testing – this involves assessing business scenarios. The aim is how the ERP system handles a company’s business processes to deliver the expected results

5.??????Other Testing – data handling, security, adaptability, usability and installation testing.

What are your thoughts about ERP testing? Do companies do enough testing during ERP implementations? I would love to hear your opinions.?

Charlotte Wilson