Test Methods and Tools for ERP Implementations

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems represent a huge market in the commercial arena. Products from suppliers such as SAP, Oracle and more recently, Microsoft, dominate the market. Testing in these projects is a significant effort but is hardly supported by methods and tools other than those provided by the suppliers themselves. Experience shows that testing in these projects is critical, but often neglected. Recent 'lessons learned' work by the author indicates that a benefits-, risk- and coverage-based test approach could significantly reduce the risk of failures. Some foundation/visionary work to define ERP-specific test methods and tools has already been performed by the author. However, the approach needs more research, rigor and proving in a commercial environment. Academic and commercial partners are sought to refine, develop and prove these methods and tools.