Effective data migration is the foundation for reliable system performance in SAP S/4HANA. This service ensures that data is migrated accurately and completely (according to local GAAP) and re-mains functional in its new environment. The following steps highlight the mutual dependence between data migration and testing:

• Data assessment & cleansing: Prior to migration, legacy data is assessed and cleansed to meet the standards of the new SAP S/4HANA system. Clean, relevant data is essential for accurate functional testing, as testing with erroneous data can skew results and compromise system integrity.
• Data mapping & transformation: Mapping data to the SAP S/4HANA schema ensures compatibility. Transformation rules are developed to align data fields correctly, reducing the risk of data misalignment that could lead to functional errors and failed tests.
• Data load testing: Data load testing validates that the migrated data can be handled by SAP S/4HANA without performance issues. This testing stage is critical as it checks that large volumes of data can be processed without compromising system speed or accuracy.
• Data validation & reconciliation: After data migration, validation checks confirm that the data is accurate and complete (according to local GAAP and business requirements). Reconciliation ensures data consistency, a crucial factor in functional and non-functional testing, as data inaccuracies can undermine test results.

Within the functional and non-functional testing, we use our structured approach as the basis for consistently high software quality. This overarching approach includes the test framework, processes, monitoring, organization, and technologies. 

Software testing validates that SAP S/4HANA performs effectively and securely post-migration, with tests tailored to assess the newly migrated data’s integrity and functionality:

• Functional testing with migrated data: Functional testing is conducted on real, migrated data to verify that business processes operate as expected in SAP S/4HANA. Using accurately migrated data is essential here, as real data reveals the system’s true performance and identifies potential issues.
• Regression testing on data-dependent processes: When new functionalities or customizations are added to SAP S/4HANA, regression testing ensures that previous functionalities remain unaffected. Testing on real migrated data confirms that updates do not impact existing processes.
• Security testing: Security testing validates that sensitive data is protected in the new environment. The reliance on migrated data is critical here, as data security is essential for compliance and protecting sensitive business information.
• Performance testing with production-scale data: Performance testing assesses how SAP S/4HANA handles migrated data under various conditions, including high-volume sce-narios. This step ensures that SAP S/4HANA can support operational requirements with-out degradation in performance.
• Compliance and regulatory testing: Compliance testing ensures that SAP S/4HANA meets regulatory standards and internal policies. Using accurately migrated data is essen-tial for meaningful compliance tests, especially in regulated industries where data accuracy and accessibility are required by law.

These testing practices are based on our structured multi-layer testing approach, which aims for completeness of testing at all stages. We aim to maximize the level of automation, to ensure high regression quality and detect errors as early as possible.

Automation enables continuous and reliable testing, especially during and after migration:

• Automation strategy for Data Validation and Testing: Automation strategies are tailored to support data validation and functional testing, ensuring accurate results and faster issue detection.
• Automated test suite development: Automated test scripts streamline both data vali-dation and functionality checks. By automating these repetitive tasks, organizations can identify data or system issues early, ensuring smoother migration and reliable testing.
• Continuous testing through CI/CD pipelines: By embedding continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, this package enables real-time testing and monitoring, sup-porting seamless migration and minimizing downtime during the migration process.