CenturyLink’s Game-Changing Strategies for Increasing SAP Project Quality

Cam Nolan, Dir., IT Development &Tara Elmore, IT Manager CenturyLinkSession ID# 4659

• Hear how CenturyLink uses high-velocity business process testing to boost quality, cut costs and accelerate SAP projects

• Learn how CenturyLink is reducing system upgrade test cycles from a month to a week with a robust library of automated, repeatable tests, and achieving new quality standards for materials management, HR and finance operations

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• See how a move from manual testing to functional test automation allows CenturyLink to save time and reduce staff required for testing

• Understand how CenturyLink utilizes regression testing to ensure quality by uncovering defects before they enter production environments

• Discover how you can speed SAP projects, ensure quality and reduce test cycle times at your organization

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud & IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions.

• Offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting

• Operates more than 55 data centers in NA, Europe & Asia

• Provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services

INTRODUCTION

ENTERPRISE APPLICATION LANDSCAPE

• Must speed-up testing cycles for system upgrades

• Need to support twice-yearly regression testing of SAP Support Pack (“Hotpack”) upgrades

• Desire to execute more daily testing

• Need to save time and money• Must improve quality assurance

BUSINESS NEEDS AND DRIVERS FOR FUNCTIONAL TEST AUTOMATION

• Deliver faster projects with better quality• Reduce the number of testing hours• Strengthen business process quality• Create a portfolio of re-usable automated tests • Reduce and streamline so business analysts can focus

on other activities• Uncover more defects before production• Conduct full end-to-end testing across multiple

business areas

AUTOMATION GOALS

• Used Worksoft Certify® functional test automation to create regression tests; enable support and configuration testing for SAP modules and Enterprise Portal

• Developed a portfolio of automated, repeatable tests• Focused tests to support key areas:

– HR & Finance; Projects & Assets; Requisition to Pay; Order to Cash; Accounts Payable and HCM/Payroll

– Business Processes: Materials Management: Procure-to-Pay • End of 2015 goal was to build and execute 200 tests. By

December, 227 business process tests were developed. Goal surpassed!

APPROACH

Shortened Project Timelines & Faster Innovation• System upgrade test cycles reduced from a month to a

week using a robust library of automated, re-usable tests

• Testing time cut in half for Materials Management test scenarios

• A 1,500 step test for complex sourcing was reduced from one week to one day

• Creation of master data set up for individual scenarios took hours with manual testing; now takes only minutes

INITIAL PROJECT BENEFITS

Improved Quality & Greater Process Coverage

• 20-30% more defects caught before production

• Executed daily testing for incoming change requests (Federal Warehouse Management & LCAM Partial Shipments)

INITIAL PROJECT BENEFITS

• Better Quality: Established new quality standards for materials management, HR and finance operations– Improved defect resolution performance

• Faster Cycles: Overall reduction in testing cycle times - even with fewer team members– Automation reduced headcount by one person

• Staff Efficiency: Business analysts got back at least 10% of their time for other projects & higher value activities– Teams can now focus on interface testing for portal or

project systems

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

#1: An on-site business process testing consultant can provide great value when getting started

#2: Creating internal visibility for your team will extend across the organization • Use project status calls to provide frequent testing status updates

#3: Socialize results with other groups to encourage a move to automation • Teams still doing manual testing are motivated by the pace and

progress of teams using automation

3 KEY LEARNING POINTS

Document• Establish common naming conventions across teams to ensure

consistency Educate• Hold internal classes with other teams on how to create Worksoft

Certify tests• Create instructional documents on downloading Worksoft Certify

software, test creation, changing options within SAP and portalPromote• Share weekly status updates with the leadership team to show

project status and promote successMaintain• Create process to update test script changes with new business

processes so future projects will not be delayed due to script errors

BEST PRACTICES

In Progress• Building test scripts for Release Strategy to regression test the

workflow approval process. Includes SAP and mobility platforms.

Future Plans• Expand testing to hire-to-retire process and various HR groups• Migration to SAP HANA: fall 2016 • Utilize Worksoft to support SuccessFactors, new mobility

platforms and future M&A activities• Introduce Worksoft Certify Impact automated risk-based testing

solution

PLANS & EXPANSION BEYOND SAP®

• Automated business process testing ensures we are consistently testing the same way every time

• Functional test automation provides greater quality assurance-- removes the “human error issue” altogether

CLOSING THOUGHTS