Intuitive Surgical's Seamless Migration to SAP S/4HANA

Challenges

The Intuitive Surgical QA team faced multiple challenges during this migration:

• Data Extraction and Automation: The team utilised Tricentis Tosca to automate their test suite. However, the integration between the data outputs and the test automation suite was not seamless, leading to inefficiencies.

• Execution Time: Extended execution times were noted due to SAP UI validations through Tosca, which hindered overall efficiency.

• Manual Validation: Certain critical business process areas required manual validations due to limitations in the current automation tools, which increased the risk of human error and extended the testing cycles.

Solution

To address these challenges, Prolifics Testing implemented a comprehensive solution:

• Enhanced Impact Analyser: Prolifics used an enhanced Impact Analyser to extract impacted test artefacts based on release changes in the Intuitive Surgical Information (ISI) SAP ECC system during the Design and Build phases. This ensured that all relevant test cases were identified and prioritised.

• Enhanced Data Extract Tool: An enhanced Data Extract Tool was integrated with the ISI SAP ECC system to extract dynamic data as per test procedures. This facilitated more accurate and efficient testing processes.

• Validation Components with Prolifics “Y Effecta”: Validation components were built using Prolifics’ “Y Effecta” validation engine. This streamlined the validation process and improved accuracy.

• Automated End-to-End Business Process Flows: The end-to-end business process flows were automated by integrating the Impact Analyser, HP ALM, Tosca, and ECC. This integration ensured that all business processes were thoroughly tested with minimal manual intervention.

Results

The implementation of these solutions led to significant improvements:

• Optimised Business Impact Analysis Process: The enhanced tools and automation optimised the Business Impact Analysis process, allowing for the accurate identification of impacted objects and associated test cases. This led to a more streamlined and efficient testing process.

• Reduced Test Execution Cycle Time and Costs: By automating the test processes and reducing the dependency on manual validations, the test execution cycle time was significantly reduced. This also translated into lower operational costs.

• Elimination of Manual Validations: Most critical business process areas no longer required manual validations, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring a more reliable testing process.

Conclusion

Prolifics Testing’s Quality Engineering (QE) solutions and expertise in test automation and performance testing played a pivotal role in the successful migration of Intuitive Surgical to SAP S/4HANA. The optimised processes and automated solutions not only enhanced the efficiency and accuracy of testing but also ensured a seamless transition with minimal disruption to business operations.

As a result, Intuitive Surgical experienced improved operational efficiency, reduced testing cycle times, and lower costs. Furthermore, the elimination of manual validations led to higher reliability and confidence in their business processes, ultimately contributing to better decision-making and enhanced overall business performance.

For more information on how Prolifics Testing can help your organisation achieve seamless transitions and optimised business processes through advanced test automation solutions, please contact us today.