ESB is the premiere energy company in Ireland. As their trusted Continuous Quality partner, Expleo worked with ESB to ensure the migration to SAP S/4HANA was a smooth and reliable one.
For a company embarking on a brownfield implementation of S/4HANA across finance, supply chain, and HR, comprehensive Continuous Quality was paramount.
Working closely with the client’s functional SAP analysts, business stakeholders, and third-party suppliers, we created a robust Continuous Quality strategy. We executed and managed all phases of testing, safeguarding the company’s systems and instilling confidence in their transformation journey.
Any migration to SAP S/4HANA is a challenge due to the sheer scale and complexity of the switch. But by having the right teams adopt the right approach, the journey can be a smooth one. Working in partnership with ESB, Expleo delivered a Continuous Quality solution that ensured they reached SAP S/4HANA successfully and were ready to embrace the business benefits from day one.
Project objectives
- Execute a Continuous Quality process for an SAP S/4HANA implementation
- Create a programme test strategy that incorporated three business units with interdependencies
- Deliver phases of testing including system integration, user acceptance testing, automation and performance testing, which covered SAP modules such as SAP finance, supply chain and HR
- Provide a balanced onshore and offshore resourcing model
- Deliver an automated regression pack that would support future enhancements of the S/4HANA platform
Challenges and solutions
Due to the scale of the change as well as the requirement to support existing business-as-usual activities, the Continuous Quality element of ESB’s journey to S/4HANA posed several challenges. Expleo worked with the internal team to overcome them and deliver a fit-for-purpose solution. Fueled by 30-plus years’ testing experience, we crafted a comprehensive strategy to smooth out any bumps in the road, ensuring quality and reliability on arrival.
- Challenge : Lack of upfront requirements and documentation across key areas
Solution: We implemented an overall Continuous Quality approach to address gaps in requirements and documentation.
- Challenge: Availability of technical teams and documentation for test cases
Solution : Our offshore SAP Centre of Excellence provided SAP Continuous Quality analysts to help create test cases across all three areas, as well as executing test cases where required by the programme team.
- Challenge: Overlapping test phases with limited capacity in development teams to fix all defects ahead of the next phase
Solution : In collaboration with business stakeholders and the test team, we had daily triage calls to assess and prioritise defects so key ones were fixed first. We increased efficiency by retesting defects alongside requirements testing. This approach included focused regression testing based on impact analysis, resulting in improved defect management and testing efficiency.
- Challenge : Team bandwidth constraints for non-functional requirements testing
Solution : We delivered a performance testing pack covering business-critical processes, facilitating non-functional requirements testing and providing a foundation for future enhancements.
