Lesson 2 of 5
Defining expected results
12 min
An expected result is what the system should show, written down before the test runs. It is what turns a test into evidence. "The order saves" is not an expected result; it is a hope. For order to cash, expected results must cover both logistics and finance, because the process owner signs off both.
Five things to specify at each step
- Status: what each document's status should be afterwards (for example, delivery: goods movement complete).
- Quantity: ordered, confirmed, delivered and billed quantities.
- Price: net price, discounts, freight and tax, with the conditions that produce them.
- Output: which output is sent, to whom, through which channel.
- Posting: which journal entries result, with accounts, amounts, profit center and segment.
A worked example
Contoso scenario O2C-01: Great Lakes Fleet Services orders 50 CMC-ALT-100 through sales area 1710 / 10 / 00, shipping from plant 1710, at the contract price of $200, payment terms net 30, invoice by email.
| Step | Status | Quantity | Price / value | Output | Posting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales order | Open, confirmed, not delivered | 50 ordered, 50 confirmed | $200 net; $10,000 net value | Order confirmation by email to the buyer contact | None |
| Delivery and goods issue | Goods movement complete | 50 delivered | Not applicable | Delivery note | Debit COGS $7,500; credit inventory $7,500 |
| Billing | Posted to accounting | 50 billed | $10,000 plus sales tax if applicable | Invoice PDF by email to the billing contact | Debit customer; credit revenue $10,000 and tax |
| Incoming payment | Invoice item cleared | Not applicable | $10,000 plus tax received | None | Debit bank; credit customer; clearing document |
Expected results for scenario O2C-01. Tax depends on the ship-to jurisdiction.
The cost of goods sold of $7,500 comes from 50 units at the Detroit standard cost of $150. If the same order shipped from Chicago, the expected cost would be $7,800 (50 × $156). That is the kind of detail that makes a test able to catch a defect, such as the wrong plant being determined.
- Business ruleContract price $200 for Great Lakes Fleet Services in 2026
- Configuration and dataPrice condition record, pricing procedure, customer and product master data
- Expected resultOrder item net price $200; invoice net value $10,000 for 50
- Actual resultRead from the order, invoice and journal entry during execution
- VerdictEqual → pass with evidence; different → defect with both values recorded
Avoid screen-only checks
A screen-only check confirms that a screen appeared or a message was shown: "invoice created successfully". It does not confirm the invoice is right. Replace each screen-only check with a check against data: the invoice's net value, its tax, its journal entry, its output status. The test becomes slightly longer and dramatically more useful.
| Screen-only check | Better: data check |
|---|---|
| "Order saved" message appears | Order item net price is $200 and confirmed quantity is 50 for the requested date |
| Delivery created | Delivery from shipping point 1710, goods movement status complete, 50 issued from storage location 171A |
| Invoice created | Invoice posted to accounting; revenue $10,000 with the alternator profit center |
| Output triggered | Output status successful; email sent to the billing contact on the business partner |
| Payment posted | Customer invoice item cleared by the payment's clearing document |
Who writes the expected results
Testers can draft expected results, but the values must come from the people who own the rules. Maria confirms prices, partners, outputs and statuses from the sales side; Dan confirms accounts, profit centers, tax handling and clearing from the finance side. Where a value depends on configuration nobody can explain, that is already a finding: either the business rule is undefined or the configuration does something nobody asked for. Review expected results together before the cycle starts; it is far cheaper to argue about a number on paper than to argue about a defect during UAT.
What would you do?
A tester writes, after running O2C-01, "expected: invoice created; actual: invoice created; PASS". Dan asks Priya whether this counts. What should she say?
- Expected results are written before execution and cover status, quantity, price, output and posting.
- Use specific numbers derived from business rules and master data, such as standard cost by plant.
- Replace screen-only checks with checks against document data and journal entries.
- A wrong plant, price or account is only caught if the expected result is specific enough.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What five things should an O2C expected result specify at each step?
2. Fifty CMC-ALT-100 ship from Chicago. What expected cost of goods sold applies?
3. Which is a data check rather than a screen-only check?
4. When must expected results be written?