Lesson 5 of 5
Testing strategies
9 min
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Strategy behavior is easy to test badly. Create a sales order, run MRP, see a planned order and call it passed. That proves MRP runs; it does not prove consumption, segments or overflow work as designed. A good strategy test sets up a known starting point, changes one thing, and compares the stock/requirements list before and after against a written expectation.
- PrepareClean product in CMQ client 100: no open orders, known stock, PIRs loaded
- Capture beforeStock/requirements list exported or captured; totals noted
- ActOne change: create, change or deliver one sales order
- Capture afterStock/requirements list again; run MRP Live if the step needs it
- CompareOpen PIR, total requirement, segments and proposals against the expectation
Test cases for strategy 40
| Case | Setup | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumption inside the period | PIR 400 on 1 Oct; mode 1, 20 workdays | Order 120 for 10 Oct | Open PIR 280; total 400; no new planned orders beyond 400 |
| Overflow | Same | Order 500 for 10 Oct | PIR fully consumed; 100 extra planned after MRP |
| Outside the period | Same | Order 50 for 15 Dec with no December PIR and no forward period | No consumption; total rises by 50 |
| Order change | After case 1 | Reduce order to 80 | Open PIR back to 320 |
| Delivery | After case 1 | Goods issue for 120 | Stock down 120; consumed PIR stays reduced |
Contoso's strategy 40 cases for CMC-ALT-100. Expected values are written before execution.
Test cases for make-to-order
For CMC-ALT-240 with strategy 20, the evidence is in the segment. After the sales order: a new individual customer segment with the order's requirement. After MRP: a planned order in that segment, lot-for-lot. After conversion and goods receipt: the production order is linked to the sales order item and the finished units sit as sales order stock for that item only. A second order must get its own segment and must not see the first order's stock.
| Check | Strategy 40 (CMC-ALT-100) | Strategy 20 (CMC-ALT-240) |
|---|---|---|
| Where the order appears | Net requirements segment, consuming PIRs | Own individual customer segment |
| PIRs | Open quantity reduced | None for the finished product |
| MRP proposal | Net shortage across all demand | Lot-for-lot per order |
| Stock after goods receipt | Anonymous plant stock | Sales order stock for that item |
| Negative test | Order outside consumption period adds demand | Second order cannot use first order's stock |
Making the evidence stick
- Use a dedicated test product or plant copy so other testers' orders do not change your totals between captures.
- Record the consumption settings and strategy group as part of the setup evidence; a changed MRP 3 view invalidates the run.
- Note PIR and order creation sequence and timestamps; consumption depends on it.
- For SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, capture the Fiori stock/requirements view; the logic is the same.
Expected results are only as good as the arithmetic behind them. For each case, write the starting numbers (stock, safety stock, PIRs by date, open orders), the consumption settings, and the expected open PIR, total requirement and proposals after the action. A second person checks the arithmetic before execution. When a result differs, the first question is whether the expectation was wrong, the second whether the configuration is; only then is it a defect in the system.
What would you do?
A tester reports "strategy 40 passed" with one screenshot of a planned order after creating a sales order. What should Priya ask for?
- Test strategies with a known start, one change, and before-and-after stock/requirements lists.
- For strategy 40: consumption, overflow, outside period, order change and delivery.
- For make-to-order: individual segment, lot-for-lot proposal, sales order stock, isolation between orders.
- Protect the evidence: dedicated test data, recorded settings, and creation sequence.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What makes a strategy test conclusive?
2. A strategy 40 order for 500 meets a PIR of 400. What do you expect after MRP?
3. Which evidence proves make-to-order isolation?
4. Why record the MRP 3 settings as part of the test setup?