Lesson 2 of 5
Scope items and SAP Best Practices content
9 min
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You rarely need to describe a standard SAP process from a blank page. SAP publishes SAP Best Practices content that describes standard business processes, the configuration they need and how to test them. The place to find it today is SAP Signavio Process Navigator, a free service inside SAP for Me (reached through the SAP for Me portal; you need an S-user or SAP Universal ID).
How the content is organized
SAP Learning describes Best Practices solution packages as organized into scope item groups (departments or areas), business areas, scope items (business processes) and building blocks (configuration). Each scope item has a short alphanumeric ID. Two you will meet constantly: BD9 Sell from Stock, the standard order-to-cash flow from sales order to delivery, goods issue and billing, and J45 Procurement of Direct Materials, the standard flow for buying stock material from requisition to purchase order, goods receipt and supplier invoice. In newer Process Navigator screens you will also see the term solution process; treat it as the current name for the same kind of content.
| Content item | What it is | How testers use it |
|---|---|---|
| Scope item fact sheet | Short description of the business process and its benefits | Quick orientation before a walkthrough |
| Process flow | Diagram of the standard steps and roles, downloadable in BPMN 2.0 so it can be edited | Map steps and handoffs; adapt when Contoso deviates from standard |
| Test script | Step-by-step procedure to run the process in a system, with expected results | Baseline test case to adapt rather than writing from scratch |
| Set-up instructions | Configuration and prerequisite tasks, including integrations | Source of preconditions and of what must exist before the test |
| Task tutorials | Guided simulations of the test script steps | Training testers who have never run the process |
Typical content for a scope item or solution process. Availability varies by product and release.
What a Best Practices test script contains
A test script describes the purpose of the process, the prerequisites (master data, organizational data, roles and any preceding steps), and a numbered procedure. Each step names the business role, the app to open, the action and data to enter, and the expected result. That is exactly the structure a good test case needs. SAP also provides test scripts prepared for use in SAP Cloud ALM, so implementation teams can create test cases for user acceptance testing more quickly.
- FindSearch Process Navigator for the scope item by ID or name, for example BD9, for your product and release
- ReadStudy the process flow and test script; note roles, apps, prerequisites and expected results
- CompareMark where Contoso's design differs: org units, data, extra steps, custom fields, interfaces
- AdaptWrite Contoso's test case: real org units, test data, added steps and expected results
- LoadCreate the test case in the project's test tool, such as SAP Cloud ALM, linked to the process
Baseline, not gospel
SAP's test scripts are written against SAP's own sample organizational units and data, and against the standard configuration. Contoso's project will differ: its own company code and plants, its own pricing for fleet customers, perhaps a credit check step or a custom field for fleet contract numbers. The test script gives you the skeleton and the standard expected results. Your job is to replace sample data with Contoso data, add the steps Contoso added, remove steps Contoso does not use, and make every expected result specific.
| Element | Standard BD9 test script | Contoso test case |
|---|---|---|
| Org units | SAP sample company code, plant and sales area | Company code 1710, plant 1710 or 1720, sales area 1710 / 10 / 00 |
| Data | SAP sample customer and product | Great Lakes Fleet Services and CMC-ALT-100 |
| Steps | Standard sell-from-stock steps | Standard steps plus the fleet contract check; unused steps removed |
| Expected results | Standard behavior | Contoso values: fleet price, tax and revenue posting |
There is a second benefit. When a process follows the standard closely, the Best Practices script is close to a ready-made regression test. When Contoso deviates, the difference between the standard script and Contoso's adapted test case documents exactly where the custom risk is, which helps when regression scope is chosen later.
What would you do?
Priya downloads the BD9 Sell from Stock test script. It uses SAP sample company code and plant values, and has no step for Contoso's fleet contract check. How should she use it?
- SAP Best Practices content lives in SAP Signavio Process Navigator, inside SAP for Me.
- Scope items (for example BD9 Sell from Stock, J45 Procurement of Direct Materials) come with process flows, test scripts and set-up instructions.
- Test scripts list prerequisites, steps by role and app, and expected results.
- Adapt the standard script to Contoso's org units, data and custom steps; the differences show custom risk.
- Match content to the right product and release.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Where does SAP publish standard process flows and test scripts for scope items?
2. Which scope item describes the standard Sell from Stock process?
3. Why can a Best Practices test script not usually be run unchanged on a customer project?
4. Which Best Practices item is the main source of preconditions such as configuration and integration prerequisites?