ERP test management - how to avoid disasters and make the rollout a success

There are things you shouldn't do at random, such as skydiving without a safety check or an ERP rollout without proper test management. Yet an astonishing number of companies in 2025 are still deciding against good test management - with dramatic consequences. In this blog, we show why good test management is the underestimated hero of every ERP project, how to set it up correctly - and why you don't have to (and shouldn't) do everything yourself.

Test management: More than just "a quick click through"  

Anyone who thinks that test management means clicking through a few screens and seeing if it works is very much mistaken. In an ERP system, processes, data flows and user authorisations are often as finely tuned as clockwork. If one cogwheel goes wrong, the entire production can quickly grind to a halt. Or worse: the accounts department.

Test management is therefore the structured planning, execution and evaluation of all tests that ensure that the ERP system actually does what it is supposed to do - technically, professionally and organisationally.

 

The test stages: step by step to safety 

As so often in life, structure helps. And good ERP test management follows a clear plan:

1. test strategy and planning: This is where it gets down to the nitty gritty: Which processes are critical? Who tests what? Which tools do we use? And when? Anything that is not documented later on will come back to haunt you.

2. test design: Now concrete test scenarios are developed - based on real requirements and scenarios. ‘e.g. What happens if a customer in France orders a product with a special discount and differentiated tax?’

3. implementation & defect management: Now it's time to test, document and complain - because bugs are guaranteed to crop up here. That's a good thing. Because what is found in the test does not become a problem later on.

4 User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Business users take the helm and test whether the system is really fit for business. Spoiler: This is the phase in which there is either panic or relief.

5. finalisation & reporting: What went well? What didn't? Which processes need more testing in the next release? Who actually tested and who only claimed to have done so?

Test steps

Typical mistakes: Please don't copy them! 

Even if you don't want to believe it, many ERP projects don't fail because of technology, but because of trivial things like:

• ‘We don't have time for testing’ - spoiler: Then you won't have time for rework after go-live either.

• ‘We don't need test data, we use real data!’ - GDPR sends its regards.

• ‘We simply automate everything!’ - That makes about as much sense as buying a toaster to make coffee.

  
  

  You must never forget: Mistakes in test management not only cost nerves, but often six-figure sums!

Automation: a curse, a blessing - or both? 

Test automation sounds like pure efficiency - and it is. But only if you do it right. Not every process is suitable for automation. Stability, reusability and clear data flows are mandatory.

Rely on automation for:

• Regression testing

• data migration

• Performance checks
  

But don't use it for:

• Exploratory testing

• UAT

• Complex exception scenarios

Because sometimes it takes people to test software humanely. 

Agile or classic - and what that means for testing  

The classic approach is often as follows: first development, then months of testing, then a heart-stopping go-live. Agile is different: testing is continuous. Test management is already an issue in the first sprint. This reduces risks - and nervous fluttering. Tip: UATs and integration tests can also be incorporated iteratively in classic projects. This makes the go-live a smooth transition rather than a leap into the deep end.

 

Why a partner / test manager is worth its weight in gold

Yes, you can do everything yourself. But it doesn't necessarily make sense. An experienced ERP test partner / test manager brings:

• Methodological expertise from dozens of projects

• Tool expertise (test management, automation, data)

• Relief for overburdened internal teams

• And quite honestly: the often necessary external pressure to ensure that everyone tests what they are supposed to

For decision-makers: Why you should get involved  

Test management is not just an IT matter. If the ERP does not work properly, business processes suffer - and usually very noticeably. Decision-makers should therefore:

• Approve (and demand) test strategies

• Release resources for this

• Demand KPIs for test quality (e.g. test coverage, defect rate, go-live error rate)

Invest in test management before you have to invest in crisis communication.

Conclusion

Early, structured and intelligent testing not only means fewer problems, but also a system that really works. And if a good partner is also involved, nothing stands in the way of a successful go-live.

Find out more about professional test management and how we can support you!