Testing SAP R/3: A Manager's Step-by-Step Guide

Chapter 6. Test Tool Review and Usage

Test tools are composed of test management tools for test planning, test design, and test execution and test tools for capturing manual keystrokes that can be played back with multiple sets of data.

Some of the key questions to address before introducing test tools to a project are as follows:

1. Who will support and maintain the test tools and test management tools?

2. Who will provide end-user training for the test tools and test management tools?

3. Which business processes are good candidates for test automation?

4. Will test automation take place in-house or be outsourced to a third-party vendor?

5. How much documentation for test cases, test scripts, business process procedures (BPPs), and flow process diagrams exists within the project to support test automation?

6. Does the project have a dedicated SAP test environment and instance to support test automation?

7. How will the test management tools be customized?

8. When (realistically) can automation efforts be initiated given the project's deadlines, constraints, and resource bandwidth?

9. How will automated test cases be approved, signed off, and maintained?

Commercial SAP test tools bring benefits that exceed mere capturing and playback to support test execution. Various vendors have produced test tools that are compatible with SAP or supplement SAP's eCATT. The tools vary in price, scripting language, and how recorded objects are maintained. Test tools supplement the testing effort but do not replace it. Activities such ...