Going Live: Ensuring Success with Rigorous Business Central Testing!
Testing in Business Central.
It’s not something many people get excited about, but it’s essential to any software implementation.
In fact, thoroughly testing your system beforehand will significantly reduce the number of errors/issues you experience after going live.
Why test?
Rushing through the testing phase results in more errors and issues. Time spent fixing errors and resolving issues means the system isn’t being used, resulting in more downtime, and the more downtime you experience translates into lost money for the business.
All because you didn’t test thoroughly.
The advantages of following a rigorous test plan ensure:
- New code will have no adverse impacts on existing business operations when deployed in a production environment
- Users understand how the system is supposed to operate
- The system behavior as a result of customizations is documented and tested
- Potential issues are identified and resolved before changes are moved into production
Understand what you are testing
Before we even start testing, we must ask: What are we testing for?
When your company selected Business Central, there were certain expectations. The software was purchased to achieve specific goals. Additional functionality might have been added, and the application might have been modified to augment Business Central’s core capabilities.
Those goals and capabilities represent some of the requirements the system must meet to justify purchasing the software. Most likely, your company and your implementation partner formalized these expectations in a document that stipulates the requirements of the system once it is fully implemented.
Write the test cases
Once the requirements are defined, we write test cases to prove each requirement is met. Each test case should be written as if someone else will be performing the test.
Writing a test case involves:
- Setup: How should the system be configured before we start the test? What settings, beginning balances, user settings, etc., are needed before we start the test?
- Step-by-step: Each step of the test should be clearly stated so that anyone can perform the test.
- Expected result or acceptance criteria: Once the test is completed, what result indicates that the test was successful or failed?
Know what to test for
After we implement or update Business Central or make any changes to it, what do we need to test for?
At a minimum, we should test to make sure the system performs the following functions:
- Pay people
- Get paid
- Ship
- Receive
Additional considerations include testing our integrations and workflows. However, thoroughly testing the four situations above tends to include most of the other functions we are concerned about.
Learn more
Leanne Paul is just one of the ArcherPoint employees presenting at Community Summit North America 2024 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio October 13-17, 2024.
You can learn more about testing in Business Central, including practical guidance on automated testing and developing your own test plan, by attending Leanne’s session, Smooth Sailing or Stormy Waters: Navigating the Seas of Success with Rigorous Business Central Testing at Community Summit on October 16 at 9:15 AM CT.
Community Summit is the largest independent event organized by Microsoft users for Microsoft users. It features over 600 training sessions on Microsoft Dynamics products, Power Platform, Fabric, and AI. Sessions are presented by Microsoft experts, Dynamics users, MVPs, and partners. There will also be a live, in-person help desk for questions about Microsoft ERP, CRM, and Power Platform, plus an Expo floor with more than 260 partners and ISVs.
Use the code Archer10 for a 10% discount on Community Summit North America 2024 registration.