This blog post is targeted specifically to SAP S/4 HANA Public cloud customers/prospects to let them understand the key steps involved to make efficient use of test automation tool offered by SAP. As we all know SAP S/4 HANA Public cloud promotes implementing SAP best practices to various business processes and from year 2022 the upgrade cycle has moved from Quarterly to Half yearly upgrade for SAP S/4 HANA Public cloud releases .

During the implementation and upgrade schedule, considerable time and effort is required to test all of the required business processes across various business functions to make sure the processes work as per Business requirements and also there is no regression impact due to the upgrade/additional scope items being implemented.

As we normally witness in many projects, project teams tend to test only the specific business scenarios that is being changed or implemented but forget/ignore to test the connected scenarios due to time constraints or lack of knowledge. In order to overcome all these challenges, SAP has come up with the test automation tool that can help to faciliate to automate all of the testing required in a SAP S/4 HANA Public cloud system that saves lot of time and effort for IT and Business stakeholders involved in testing the application

Below are the list of FIORI apps that SAP has provided to set up and execute automated testing in the system environment

FIORI Apps for Automated Testing

• Manage your Test processes – Involves using Standard test scripts or preparing Custom test scripts across various business functions that need to be executed as part of testing. (Business role required for access – SAP_BR_ADMIN_TEST_AUTOMATION)
• Test your processes – Involves preparing the test plan and data using data variants to execute and analyze test results
• Analyze Automated Test results – Dashboard to view and analyze test results with screenshots and exportable logs captured in the system
• Test Data Container (TDC) – Centralized repository of all test data variants to be used for testing
• Manage Post Upgrade Tests (PUT) – Test processes targeted to test system upgrades

Manage your test process

SAP has provided predelivered test scripts for standard business processes across various business functions. Based on the scope items that are activated in the Q-system, the test user will be able to see list of standard test processes. Test user can use these processes As-Is or copy  the standard into a custom processes and modify the process steps as per business requirements. For creation of custom process step, SAP also provided UI recording functionality to record any steps as required. All custom process steps created would need to be adapted for every upgrade release before executing the test script. Apart from these two test processes, SAP delivers post upgrade test (PUT) processes as well that are specifc to upgrades which can be used to run post any system upgrade

Steps involved to set up Custom Test processes using Manage your test process app

• Creation of custom test process by copying standard test process
• Changing the visibility to make it visible for test plan creation
• Edit custom test process/process step

Test your processes

This is the main application where the user sets up the test plan, Test data containers, Test variants, execute and analyze test results. All of these process steps are detailed out with clear cut guidance in every detail for each step involved.

Steps involved to set up and execute test plan using Test your process app

• Create or upload your test plan
• Edit test plan to add/delete test processes
• Edit Action data in process steps (Standard and Custom) using variants
• Execution of Test plan (Schedule and Ad-hoc)
• Analysis of test results (with screenshots and logs) and correction of test plan (as required)
• Download/Print Test plan execution summary and detailed summary
• Re-execute failed test plan as required

Below are some important tips to be considered when using SAP Test Automation tool

Set you local version

The test processes are displayed based on the local country version that the user selects in Manage your solution. Pls check and select the correct country for which test processes are to be displayed

Use TDC (Test Data Container) for your testing variants

TDC is the central repository of logical grouping of all test data required for testing of various business processes in the organization. TDC helps to re-use the test data variants to execute test for a given series of scope items and avoids redundant test data variant creation. Pls refer to the blog on TDC using link  TDC blog.

Use Auto Bind feature to bind TDC fields

When using TDC, SAP offers auto binding functionality to bind TDC fields, this auto binding feature will help to reduce lot of manual effort and time in completing the field binding process. If the system identifies duplicate field labels during auto binding, a field selection dialog box will automatically pop up which will provide list of duplicate field labels and property paths. The user can select the correct field from the list for binding.

Use UI control repository for custom fields/process test step

SAP has provided UI controls to make sure custom test scripts are adapted to the evolving software upgrade/release changes.  For more details on, click on this link UI Control Repository.

Use API based Test Automates for testing when available

SAP offers use of ODATA/SOAP based API automates for testing. During software upgrades, there are possibilities that the underlying FIORI UI applciation might be changed which could impact UI based test automates hence API based automates are highly recommended which is more robust and extensible. Use this link to get more details on API Test Framework

Use CALM (SAP Cloud ALM) to Integrate and Track progress of Test automation

The SAP test automation tool is integrated with CALM (SAP Cloud ALM) solution. Make use of this integration to track the progress of test automation suite during implementation and upgrade

Use Accelerators in SAP Roadmap Viewer

SAP has provided multiple accelerators in SAP roadmap viewer for using the test automation tool. Pls use the link Roadmap Viewer for Test Process Automation for further details on how to modify action data in custom scripts and manage visibility using Manage your test process

Hope the above blog provides step by step guidance on how to use SAP test automation tool, feel free to share any feedback that you have so that I can update/make future references. I have added link to other interesting and useful SAP blogs published by fellow community members that gives more insights on this tool, i encourage readers to review these blogs for further detailed understanding.

References to other SAP useful blogs on the test automation tool

https://blogs.sap.com/2021/09/07/sap-s-4hana-cloud-test-automation/

https://blogs.sap.com/2022/04/28/sap-s-4hana-cloud-test-automation-tool-test-data-container-features/

https://blogs.sap.com/2021/09/12/api-automation-using-sap-s-4-hana-test-automation-tool/