Was SAP UI Test Automation just killed by SAP API Hub and Solace?

[MichalKrawczyk]

Summary

In this blog I will try to explain a thesis on why SAP UI Test Automation is obsolete for most of SAP S/4HANA transformations and how did the Solace (Event Mesh) and SAP Business Accelerator Hub (api.sap.com) might have killed it.

Chapter 1 - The problem with SAP UI testing

There are a few problems with SAP UI Test Automation but let's start with listing most typical SAP UI technologies used by SAP customers to access SAP:

- SAP GUI (with all it's versions) the traditional SAP Graphical User Interface used to interact with SAP ERP systems

- SAP Business Client - A desktop client that provides a unified access point to SAP Fiori, SAP GUI, and Web Dynpro applications

- SAP Fiori - the most modern and widely adopted UI technology for SAP applications

- SAPUI5 - SAPUI5 is a JavaScript-based UI development toolkit from SAP used for building responsive and feature-rich web applications

- Web Dynpro (yes still there) - A technology for developing web-based applications in SAP.

- SAP Mobile Technologies - to access SAP via mobile devices

- SAP CoPilot (future) - A digital assistant integrated into SAP applications, providing a conversational UI for interacting with SAP systems.

The big question is - which SAP UI technology you should use for test automation? The answer is simple, the one which is the most commonly used, right? What if most transactions are not being entered in a manual way (automated logistic systems) and most of the important ones (sales, purchasing, shipping) are coming via an interface (EDI - remember?).

If we are to summarise the biggest problems with SAP UI testing those would be:

a) difficulty to record a correct User Interface which keeps changing with each update of SAP business process, browser, etc.

b) very small number of people who can use the technology - only test automation teams (means it's never used by majority of real SAP Testers: functional teams, developers and business users)

c) creating SAP UI recordings is very complex - each transaction needs to be shown by a functional consultant and then the values can be used by the SAP Test Automation team

Chapter 2 - Changing the SAP landscapes - Solace (Even Mesh) and SAP Business Accelerator Hub (api.sap.com)

With more and more composable ERP solutions, SAP being on the forefront of this innovation, has moved two concepts to a new level:

a) with the introduction of SAP Business Accelerator Hub (api.sap.com) and other innovations around SAP Integration Suite - SAP S/4HANA can now connect to other applications on a completely different level via APIs and APIs have one significant advantage over SAP UI - they never change the interface. That means they are designed in way so if any change in the code happens the API will always work in the same way (unless a new version is released).

b) Solace partnership (Event Mesh and Advanced Event Mesh) - made another change, all of the business transactions can now easily output a message with it's content. That means getting the data from SAP transactions has become very simple and there's an abundance of that.

Having those two concepts (API Hub and Event-driven architecture - EDA) and corresponding technologies has just made it possible to skip doing SAP UI testing at all.

Chapter 3 - from SAP UI test automation to efficient SAP API test automation

Now that we can solve the 3 biggest issues with SAP UI Test Automation:

a) no need to record screens in different technologies and keep changing them if we can use SAP Business Accelerator Hub (api.sap.com) and test the most important piece - an integrated SAP business process

b) expand the number of people who can do SAP Testing - real SAP Testers: functional teams, developers and business users can also run SAP API tests (never the case with UI automated testing). 

c) no need to ask SAP functional consultants to create sample data if event data is available and consumable by anyone in large quantities + they can be immediately used for testing with SAP Business Accelerator Hub (api.sap.com)

Chapter 4 - How does it work now?

Imagine you have an Order to Cash (OTC) process where a sales order is entered using EDI and gets processed in a delivery and once the delivery is completed (by EDI) another steps would create an invoice. The old process would look like one from Figure 1. 

 

Figure 1 - old business process where UI test automation is used for manual steps in an Order to Cash process 

where most steps are done using API testing (EDI flows) but there are two (delivery and invoice creation) which needs to be done in a manual way using SAP UI testing solutions.

Now instead of that with the new way of working we can:

a) Find an API for the UI test on SAP Business Accelerator Hub (api.sap.com)

Figure 2 - SAP Business Accelerator Hub with all available APIs  

b) find as many samples of data from manual transactions using Even Mesh notifications as possible

Figure 3 - sample notification message from SAP S/4HANA (goods movement example)  

c) use the data from b) and populate the API test call and create a business process sequence
in your SAP API test automation solution

Figure 4 - API workflow test of a complete business process using API calls only (example from - Int4 Suite)  

Chapter 5 - What Does It Mean?

The move away from traditional SAP UI testing towards API and event-driven testing brings a host of positive changes to the SAP landscape as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 - moving away from SAP UI automated testing into complete business process testing using API automated testing only 

This shift doesn't just introduce new tools or methodologies; it transforms how we approach testing and system integration as a whole. Here are the four most important implications of this transition:

1. Streamlined and Accurate Testing Processes
With SAP API testing, the testing process becomes more streamlined and accurate. APIs offer a consistent interface for testing, which means we no longer need to worry about the constant changes in the UI. This stability allows us to focus on validating the core business processes and data integrity rather than being bogged down by the specifics of each UI technology. In essence, testing becomes more about ensuring that the business logic works as intended, rather than dealing with the quirks and changes of different user interfaces.

2. Wider Testing Participation Across Teams
One of the key benefits of shifting to API testing is that it opens up the testing process to a broader range of people within the organization. Unlike traditional UI testing, which often required specialized skills and tools, API testing can be conducted by functional teams, developers, and even business users. This democratization of testing means more comprehensive coverage, as those who understand the business processes best can now directly engage in testing activities. It eliminates the bottleneck of relying solely on test automation teams and allows for a more collaborative approach.

3. Faster and More Agile Deployment Cycles
By eliminating the need for complex and time-consuming UI testing, we can significantly accelerate the deployment cycle. APIs, by their nature, are less prone to frequent changes, making them easier and faster to test. This agility means that organizations can adapt to changes in their business environment more quickly, deploying updates and new features with confidence. In the fast-paced world of SAP S/4HANA transformations, this speed is a critical advantage, helping companies stay ahead of the competition.

4. Cost Savings and Resource Optimization
Moving away from UI testing can lead to considerable cost savings. Traditional SAP UI testing often requires expensive tools, skilled automation engineers, and significant time investment. By leveraging APIs and event-driven architectures, we can cut down on these costs. Testing at the API level requires fewer resources and can be executed by a broader group of people, making it more cost-effective. Furthermore, this shift allows organizations to allocate their resources more efficiently, focusing on enhancing their core business processes instead of maintaining complex UI test scripts.

In Conclusion

The decline of SAP UI testing, brought on by the rise of the SAP API portal and Solace's event-driven architecture, represents a fundamental shift in how we approach SAP testing. It's not merely about replacing one tool with another; it's about adopting a more efficient, inclusive, and agile way of ensuring system integrity. By focusing on API and event-driven testing, organizations can streamline their testing processes, involve more people in meaningful ways, accelerate their deployment cycles, and save costs. This evolution aligns testing more closely with business objectives, ensuring that what really matters—the core business processes—are thoroughly validated and optimized.

Further Reference: 

Avoid SAP S/4HANA Project Delays with Third-Party Systems Service Virtualization