Lesson 1 of 5
End-to-end processes in SAP
9 min
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Business people do not think in transactions. Maria, Contoso's order-to-cash key user, thinks "a fleet customer orders alternators, we ship, we bill, they pay". SAP implements that as a chain of documents created by different teams in different apps. A tester's first job is to read the process the way the business sees it, then map it to the documents and steps SAP actually uses. Get that mapping right and your tests prove something the business cares about.
Scenario, process, step
Process descriptions use a hierarchy. Names vary between methods and tools, but three levels are enough for testing. An end-to-end scenario is a complete business flow from trigger to outcome, such as order to cash. A process is a coherent part of it, such as sales order processing or billing. A step is one action by one role in one app or transaction, such as "create outbound delivery". Test cases usually cover a process or a chain of processes; test steps map to process steps.
The big four end-to-end scenarios
| Scenario | Typical chain of documents | Contoso example |
|---|---|---|
| Order to cash | Sales order → outbound delivery → goods issue → billing document → journal entries → incoming payment | 50 alternators CMC-ALT-100 to Great Lakes Fleet Services from plant 1710 |
| Procure to pay | Purchase requisition → purchase order → goods receipt → supplier invoice → payment | 500 rotors CMC-RTR-200 from Lakeside Components for plant 1710 |
| Plan to produce | Demand → MRP planned order → production order → component issue → confirmation → goods receipt of finished product | Build alternators in Detroit using rotors from stock |
| Record to report | Journal entries from all processes → period-end activities → financial statements | Dan's month-end close for company code 1710 |
Four end-to-end scenarios that cover most of a manufacturer's core testing.
Handoffs: where processes cross teams
The most valuable things to notice in a process are its handoffs: points where work passes from one role, module or system to another. In order to cash, sales creates the order, the warehouse creates and picks the delivery, shipping posts goods issue, billing creates the invoice and accounts receivable posts the payment. Every handoff is a place where data is copied forward, where a different team's configuration takes over, and where defects often hide.
- SalesSales order in sales area 1710 / 10 / 00; pricing, availability, credit check
- Warehouse and shippingOutbound delivery from shipping point 1710; picking; goods issue reduces stock
- BillingBilling document from the delivery; tax and output determined
- FinanceJournal entries for cost of goods sold and revenue; receivable cleared by payment
Plan to produce has its own handoffs: planning hands a planned order to production, production consumes rotors from storage location 171A, quality may inspect, and the finished alternators are received into stock where sales can promise them. Procure to pay hands off between requisitioner, buyer, receiving and accounts payable. When you read any process, mark each handoff and ask: what does the next team need from this step, and how would I see that they got it?
Record to report is the scenario testers most often forget, because it has no single trigger document. It collects the journal entries every other scenario creates and adds its own period-end activities: accruals, depreciation, settlement, foreign currency valuation and closing the period. If order to cash posts revenue to the wrong profit center, record to report is where Dan will discover it, weeks later, in a margin report. Plan at least one cycle where the other scenarios run first and finance then closes the period on their results.
What would you do?
Priya is asked to write order-to-cash tests. A consultant hands her a list of transactions: VA01, VL01N, VF01. What should she do first?
- Read processes as scenario, process and step; each step creates or changes a document.
- Order to cash, procure to pay, plan to produce and record to report cover most core testing.
- Handoffs between roles, modules and systems are where defects hide.
- Start from the business process, then attach the apps and transactions.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Which is an example of a step rather than a scenario or process?
2. In order to cash, which document comes directly after the outbound delivery and goods issue?
3. Why are handoffs important to testers?
4. Which scenario covers Dan's month-end close?