Key Challenges

The client faced challenges related to delayed release cycles, test execution, and lack of a robust framework. They aimed to significantly reduce testing efforts and costs, thereby enabling quicker release cycles by setting up a robust and scalable test automation framework from scratch.

1. Manual Testing Effort: The client was running multiple test cycles across 15 different business processes in an Agile environment with frequent releases, necessitating significant manual testing effort.
2. Repetitive Execution: Testers needed to execute test cases repeatedly to ensure they were current with the latest changes, leading to time and resource constraints.
3. Framework Requirements: A robust and scalable test automation framework was needed that was user-friendly for both functional and business test users.
4. Regression Cycles: The expectation was to run weekly and monthly regression cycles for critical scenarios across multiple countries, alongside multiple test cycles in alignment with the application's release cycles.

Specific Needs

• Customized SAP Fiori Applications: The applications had highly dynamic IDs for business objects
• Lack of Existing Automation Practice: The absence of an automation practice led to redundant and time-consuming manual testing.
• Environment Verification: The same test cases had to be verified in different Production and Non-Production environments, increasing manual testing efforts.
• Frequent SAP Releases: With multiple minor releases and at least one major release every quarter, there was no change impact analysis being performed, expanding the test scope for each release cycle and increasing the overall testing effort.

Proposed Solution

We recommended a model-based test automation framework that was script-less and easy to implement to accommodate both SAP GUI and SAP Fiori application test steps. This approach was selected for its agility, robustness, and ease of adoption, reducing the time needed for both implementation and maintenance.

Key Highlights of the Proposed Solution:

1. Readable and Script-Less Test Cases: Test cases were designed to be easily readable and did not require scripting knowledge, making them accessible to all team members regardless of technical expertise.
2. Reusable Artifacts: The creation of reusable artifacts was emphasized to facilitate their application in multiple test cases, thereby reducing maintenance efforts.
3. Distributed Execution: The solution supported the distributed execution of test cases across both Production and Non-Production environments in various geographic locations, ensuring comprehensive testing coverage.
4. Centralized Test Data Service: Centralized test data service capabilities were introduced to provide a robust test data management solution, significantly reducing test data maintenance efforts.
5. Automated Documentation: A custom solution was developed to automatically document testing artifacts and store them in a shared location, minimizing manual effort and intervention.
6. SAP Change Impact Analysis Integration: The automated solution was integrated with an SAP change impact analysis tool. When used in conjunction with the existing automation suite, this integration aimed to reduce overall automation efforts and costs by approximately 80%.