Today, businesses have to compete in an
unforgiving environment. They need to execute a host of activities including
meeting tight deadlines, responding to client or customer issues in real-time,
addressing downtime, and delivering superior customer experiences, among
others. This can be a tedious exercise given the multi-dimensional approach
businesses take to run their day-to-day activities. To infuse agility and
efficiency, businesses use ERP systems. These systems bring multiple
departments and processes under an integrated umbrella and help stakeholders to
get better insights from the available data.
The data-driven approach of an ERP system
helps in better planning and optimization of available resources leading to
cost savings. However, notwithstanding the advantages of implementing an ERP
system, businesses often face several challenges. These include gathering
requirements, removal of redundant data, migration of assets, rationalization
of processes, and change management, among others. ERP testing helps in addressing
such challenges and allows businesses to preempt any malfunction.
What is an ERP system?
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system helps
an organization to integrate and control its core processes such as finance,
HR, sales and marketing, administration, manufacturing, and so on. It enables
the seamless flow of data and information within the system and sub-systems. An
ERP system helps organizations in doing way with repetitive manual work and generates
relevant data in real-time for the stakeholders to take suitable decisions. It
is only through a rigorous ERP software testing
exercise that various processes and their deliverables are validated as per the
expected parameters.
Various types of ERP testing services
To ensure the ERP system remains stable,
functional, secure, and scalable, a crucial role is played by ERP quality assurance and testing. Some of
the commonly used ERP testing processes are:
# Performance testing: This type of
ERP QA tests whether the performance
of the system is as per expected parameters or not. It identifies the threshold
up to which the software can perform in a robust manner. For example, during certain
days in a year, the load on the ERP system can be immense. These may include processing
payslips for all employees, the last date of submission of investment
declarations, and the issuance of hike letters, among others. Unless
performance testing is carried out, the functioning of the system when
subjected to load conditions cannot be ascertained.
# Functional testing: This type of
ERP software testing validates
the functioning of each module within the ERP system as per the expectations.
# Security testing: The ERP
system deals with a quantum of sensitive business, customer, and client-related
data. If such data fall into the wrong hands, the implications can be dire. Moreover,
given the rising menace of cybercrime where hackers use several tricks to steal
data, an enterprise resource planning testing activity with respect to security
can work wonders. It can identify the inherent vulnerabilities, fix them, and make
the software robust, secure, and safe.
# Integration testing: The flow of
data across various modules of the ERP system can only be seamless if proper
integration has taken place. This can be validated using integration testing wherein
both the accuracy of data and functioning of modules are tested.
# Regression testing: Whenever a
new feature or module in the ERP system is launched, the same is validated
through regression testing. In this type of automated
ERP testing, the entire software is not checked but only the
specific function, module, feature, or process that has changed.
Best practices to follow to test ERP implementation
solutions
·
Proper test planning to be done
by collating relevant information of every touchpoint of the organization. This
helps in achieving enhanced test coverage.
·
Goal setting to be done in
advance to understand the type of testing needed for each module or function. It
will also give insights into the team structure, test plans, and resources
needed for the test.
·
The test cases for various tests
should be identified beforehand to ensure better test coverage. Further, the entire
testing process and its results should be documented for further analysis.
·
A proper test lab configured with
necessary specifications will help to address any performance issues during
testing.
·
The failure reports should be
analyzed to understand the kind of defects the ERP system can face during
real-time operations.
Conclusion
ERP systems have become the need of the hour
for organizations, be it small, medium, or large, to streamline processes,
deliver better output, and achieve ROI. However, without proper ERP testing of various modules, achieving the desired objectives can remain a
pipedream.
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