2. Inadequate test tools
SAP R/3 comes with an internal recording tool known as CATT (eCATT).
One of the advantages of CATT (eCATT) is that since it is part of
the standard SAP system it’s free of charge. However CATT does have
some limitations which impel many companies to procure other test
tools.
There are many vendors offering commercial automated test tools and
test management tools for testing SAP. Companies purchasing
automated test tools expect and erroneously believe that the test
tools will be the panacea to their entire SAP recording and testing
needs. Unfortunately, this is not the case, since no two SAP
implementations are exactly the same across two or more companies or
at times even within different divisions of the same company.
Consequently, a company implementing SAP might need to procure test
tools from more than one vendor in addition to the CATT (eCATT)
tool.
An SAP implementation could be implementing SAP add-ons such as BW
(Business Warehouse), APO (Advanced Planning Optimization), SEM
(Strategic Enterprise Management) or even modules such as PS
(Project Systems) that generate graphs and charts that a recording
tool does not recognize. Furthermore, a company may move its SAP GUI
from the desktop (fat client) to running SAP as web-based (thin
client) or through an emulated Citrix session which could render the
existing test tools useless.
Companies that wish to move to an automated testing strategy should
articulate and document what SAP modules and SAP add-ons they are
installing in addition to any legacy applications integrating with
SAP. This information should be provided to the vendors of automated
test tools in order to determine what can actually be recorded and
tested with the test tools. The company should further investigate
with the vendor what additional benefits over CATT (eCATT) the
automated test tools provide. The objective is to get the test tools
that will maximize SAP recording.
Please note:
All contents hereby presented are copyrighted material from Jose
Fajardo.  Copyrighted 2002. All rights reserved. Must obtain
permission from Jose Fajardo to reproduce, disseminate or publish
this article. Email:
jfajardo@octanesystems.net
