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Lesson 5 of 5

Test plans

9 min

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A test case describes how to test something. A test plan decides when, by whom, and in which cycle it is tested. SAP describes test plans as optional, but on any real program you will want them: they are how you run the same test case in SIT 1, SIT 2, UAT and regression, each time with its own results, defects and tester.

Creating a test plan

  1. Open the Test Plans app and choose Create.
  2. Enter a title, the responsible person, start and end dates, and tags.
  3. Choose Assign Test Cases and select Prepared test cases by scope, process or tag.
  4. Optionally set a sequence where test cases depend on each other.
  5. Assign a tester to each test case. Only one tester can be assigned per test case within a plan.
  6. When the plan is ready, set its status to In Testing and save.

Plan statuses

StatusWhat it meansWhat testers see
In PreparationThe plan is being builtNothing; test cases are not yet visible to testers
In TestingThe cycle is running; Prepared test cases in the plan are releasedAssigned test cases in Test Execution; the plan can no longer be deleted
FinishedThe cycle is closedThe plan's results remain for reporting

Test plan statuses.

  1. In PreparationPlan built: Prepared test cases assigned, sequence and testers set; nothing visible to testers
  2. In TestingTest cases released to assigned testers in Test Execution; the plan can no longer be deleted
  3. FinishedCycle closed after the exit decision; results stay frozen as evidence
The three test plan statuses and what each one means for testers and for reporting.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-alm-203

When a plan is In Testing, it appears as work for each assigned tester, and testers filter Test Execution by test plan and by their own name to find what is theirs. Testers must already exist as Cloud ALM users with the Tester role before they can be assigned; check this a week before the cycle, not on the morning it starts.

One test case, many plans

The same test case can sit in several plans, and each plan keeps its own execution context: runs, statuses and defects. That is how Contoso reuses "O2C sell from stock: standard" in SIT cycle 1, SIT cycle 2, UAT and the first regression plan after go-live, while reports still show each cycle separately.

SIT cycle per streamConsultants test their own processes in sequence, for example order to cash for plant 1710
SIT end to endConsultants run cross-stream scenarios such as procure, produce, sell and pay
UAT by business areaKey users like Maria run the processes they own
UAT end to end and regressionBusiness users run full scenarios; the same plans later become regression
Typical Contoso test plans, by scope of scenario and by executing team.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-alm-203

Naming and structure

Plans become the grouping in every progress report, so name them predictably: program, cycle, stream and site, for example "S4 SIT2 O2C Detroit". Keep plans small enough that one person can own them. A plan with 600 test cases and 40 testers is a reporting bucket, not something anyone can manage.

Set realistic time windows. A plan's start and end dates are the promise the test lead makes to the program, and the analytics compare progress against them. Work back from the cycle exit date: allow time for retests of fixed defects, for evidence review by key users, and for the cycle exit meeting. At Contoso, Priya plans SIT cycles of three weeks with the last four days kept free for retests, and she closes each plan as Finished only after the exit decision is recorded, so the plan's results stay frozen as the evidence for that decision.

  1. Week beforeCycle entry decisionTesters exist with the Tester role; data loaded; plan set to In Testing
  2. Days 1 to 11First-pass executionTesters run assigned test cases in sequence; defects raised from failed runs
  3. Days 12 to 15Retest windowLast four days kept free for retests of fixed defects and evidence review
  4. Exit meetingExit decision recordedResults, open defects and descopes agreed with the process owners
  5. After the decisionPlan set to FinishedResults frozen as the evidence behind the decision
A three-week Contoso SIT cycle worked back from its exit date, with time kept for retests.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-alm-203

What would you do?

Two Contoso key users want to share the UAT test case "Sell from stock, fleet customer" and both be assigned in the same plan. What should Priya do?

Key points
  • Test plans group Prepared test cases for a cycle, with dates, a responsible person, sequence and testers.
  • Plan statuses are In Preparation, In Testing and Finished; In Testing releases test cases to testers.
  • Only one tester per test case within a plan; the same test case can be reused across plans.
  • Name plans predictably and record a cycle entry decision before setting In Testing.

Check your understanding · not graded

Lesson check

  1. 1. How many testers can be assigned to one test case within a plan?

  2. 2. Which plan status releases Prepared test cases to testers?

  3. 3. Why can one test case appear in several test plans?

  4. 4. What should the test lead confirm before setting a plan In Testing?