Developing a Global Testing Framework for SAP

Mark S. Smith and Parul D. Parikh

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Topics

• Purpose and approach

• Company overview

• Testing Framework

− Vision

− Content

− Approach

− Table of Contents

• Discussion

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Presenters

• Mark S. Smith – US Special Projects Director

− Manages the shared Automated Regression Testing (ART) team

− Manages the shared SAP Basis and Infrastructure team

− Has been involved in various SAP projects as test manager

• Parul D. Parikh – ART Team Lead

− Manages the daily activities of a team that utilizes HP/Mercury’s suite of tools to automate and execute testing for projects and production support

− Has been involved in various SAP projects in testing, functional design, and learning capacities

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Purpose

• BP tends to staff SAP projects with new resources each time

− Once employees learn about systems testing, they move back to the business

− If we use an experienced contract resource, they leave after the project ends

• We are attempting to create a testing framework that can be used by any SAP test manager

• We don’t think we know all the answers or angles

− We are looking to benefit from your experience and knowledge

− Tell us what is good in the approach

− Tell us what won’t work

− Tell us what can be improved

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Today’s Approach

• I will provide some context on the environment inside of BP

• I will describe the testing framework as proposed

• I would then like to enter into a discussion around the proposal

• Thus, I would like to limit questions during the initial part of the session to those for clarity or understanding, then really get into the bulk of the discussion towards the end

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BP

• BP is a multi-national Oil and Gas Super Major

• It recent years, it has grown through mergers and acquisitions

− Amoco

− Arco

− Veba/Aral

− Castrol

• This created a company with multiple legacy systems and over 114 accounting book of records

• In 2004, BP re-organized to create the structure on the next slide

• This re-organization provided the FC&A (Financial Controls and Accounting) function with the authority to declare SAP as the mandated ERP for accounting

− FC&A then created the GFT, Global Financial Template

− FC&A also created the MIF, Management Information Framework to report the GFT in a consistent format

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Lord JohnBrowne/

TonyHayward

CEO

E&P R&M

Gas Power &

Renew-ables

Inter-nationalSupply &Trading

Functions

FC&A HR Tax IT

BP Organization and SAP Projects

Segment =Customer

FacingBusiness

Functions =SharedService

GFTP2PMIF

GFTDARTM&SGMMIF

LegacySAP

GFT

GFTMIF

HRMI

MI

GFT =Global

FinancialTemplate

MIF =ManagementInformationFramework

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Testing Framework – Vision

• As you can see, there are many different large scale SAP programmes in progress

• Each programme has multiple releases to various countries set up as individual projects

• Each project has an obvious need to do testing

• By providing a common framework, we can

− Incorporate the experience and best practices of FC&A

− As well as insights gathered today

− Incorporate, as much as possible, the experience and best practices of other areas in BP

− Jumpstart the creation of any project with a robust testing approach

− Execute robust testing in a common way across the projects

− Provide a standard to evaluate the testing efficacy of an existing project to inform the Go/No Go decision

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Testing Framework – Content

• Applies to all systems testing associated with the project, but concentrates on SAP

− Technical testing

− Unit/string

− Stress/performance

− Security

− Operational Acceptance (back up/restore, DR, etc.)

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Testing Framework – Content cont.

− Business testing

− Regression

− Conversion

− Functional

− Integration

− EIT (Expanded Interface Test – running crucial interfaces in the proper order with production sized input files)

− GAIT (Group Accounts Information Telex, feeding financial information to the corp. consolidation system)

− Mock close (closing a financial period using the actual people who do the work)

− Pre-flight (a limited, prioritized test between dress rehearsal cut over and Go Live)

− UAT (user acceptance test)

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Testing Framework - Approach

• Create and agree the “Table of Contents” of framework (see next slide)

• Build out documents, templates, processes, procedures, etc.

− Utilizing good pre-existing material whenever possible

• Store the framework on a common SharePoint site that can be accessed by anyone in the corporation

• Provide on-going support for the projects about the framework

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Testing Framework – Proposed Table of Contents

• Purpose

• Generic testing theory

− Why test?

− How much to test?

• Testing models

− V-model

− W-model

− Risk-based

• Test phases

− Phases and definitions

− What each test phase attempts to answer

− Appropriate entrance and exit criteria

− Testing input to Go/No Go decision criteria

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Testing Framework – Proposed Table of Contents – cont.

• Test processes

− Traceability matrix

− Test and defect tracking

− Testing tools and automation

− Quality assurance of the testing

− CMMi aspects of testing

• SAP testing nuances

• Challenges of testing at BP

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Discussion Questions

• Has anyone else in the room done this?

• What’s missing from the Framework?

• What was your approach?

• What were your challenges?

• What worked for you?

• What didn't work?

• How did you get support from the business/projects to take on the Framework?

• Did you go incrementally? Or try and implement the entire Framework from the start?

• What was the feedback?

• How is it evolving?

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Comments?

Thank you for your participation

• Mark S. Smith

• +1 630-836-5957

• mark.smith1@bp.com

• Parul D. Parikh

• +1 630-836-5266

• parul.parikh@bp.com