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ERP Trends for the Future

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

<This is a guest post by Scarlett Hunter>

What is ERP

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a software that provides a suite of applications to manage the core processes of a business. These processes include finance and accounting, human resources, supply chain, procurement, manufacturing, and customer relationship management. ERP systems are designed to automate and integrate core business processes, providing all information at a single source for easy decision-making.

ERP systems come in different types, and they can be classified based on an organization’s needs, budget, and preferences.

Types of ERP Systems

On-Premise ERPThis type of ERP system is installed on the organization’s in-house servers and hardware. It is maintained and handled by the organization’s IT department. Although it provides greater control over the system, the cost of implementation, hardware, and maintenance is usually high.
Cloud-Based ERPThe software is hosted on a cloud server, and organizations access it via the Internet. They only pay for the software features and modules they need, and the providers generally take care of the hosting, maintenance, and updates. Cloud-based ERP is more affordable than on-premise ERP and is gaining popularity due to the low initial investment and the ability to access data in real-time, from anywhere in the world.
Hybrid ERPThis type of ERP system is a mix of on-premise and cloud-based ERP. The organization can use on-premise implementation to handle sensitive data within the organization, while it puts less sensitive modules on the cloud.
Open-source ERPAn open-source ERP system is a software that is available for anyone to use, customize and distribute. In Open-source ERP, an organization can modify the code to suit its specific business needs. It’s free and provides greater flexibility, but the downside is that the organization must be equipped with IT expertise to handle the system.

Future Trends of ERP

1. AI and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are revolutionizing ERP systems by enabling predictive analytics, machine-to-machine communication, and automated decision-making.

AI and ML algorithms can analyze large datasets and provide insights into areas such as demand forecasting, supply chain optimization, and predictive maintenance.

By automating routine tasks and decision-making processes, businesses can reduce costs, improve accuracy, and free up their employees to focus on more strategic tasks.

2.  Integration with IoT

ERP systems are also integrating with the Internet of Things (IoT) to create smarter supply chains and manufacturing processes.

IoT devices such as sensors, beacons, and RFID tags can collect data in real time, enabling businesses to track inventory levels, monitor production processes, and optimize delivery routes.

By integrating ERP with IoT, businesses can create a truly connected and intelligent supply chain that can predict and respond to changing market conditions.

3. Cloud Deployment

With cloud computing gaining momentum, businesses are shifting towards cloud-based ERP solutions to reduce infrastructure costs, improve scalability, and facilitate remote accessibility.

Cloud deployment allows businesses to access ERP systems from anywhere and at any time, enabling employees to work remotely and collaborate more effectively.

It also provides better security measures than on-premise solutions since data is stored on cloud servers and is protected by multiple layers of security protocols.

4. Mobility

With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, employees are no longer tied to their desks and can use their mobile devices to access ERP systems.

Mobile ERP solutions offer real-time access to data, allowing employees to stay informed of critical business processes such as inventory, sales, production, and delivery status.

Mobile ERP solutions also provide push notifications and alerts, enabling employees to take immediate action on any issues or opportunities.

5. Customization

Customers are increasingly demanding personalized experiences, and businesses are responding by customizing their products and services to meet these demands.

ERP systems are also becoming more customizable, allowing businesses to tailor their solutions to their specific needs. Customization can include adding new modules, integrating with third-party applications, and configuring workflows to suit specific business processes.

Customization enables businesses to differentiate themselves from their competitors and provide unique value to their customers.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is clear that there are multiple trends that are coming onto the surface such as cloud deployment, mobility, AI and ML, integration with IoT, and customization are all major trends that are shaping the future of ERP systems. By adopting these trends, businesses can gain a competitive edge, optimize their operations, and provide exceptional customer experiences.

<This is a guest post

Author- Scarlett Hunter | Python Developer | Contact: scarletthunter202@gmail.com >

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Where have I been?

Nishi Grover Garg2 Comments

Yes, it has been silent here for a few months now. So, here is a quick update on where I have been all this while!

I have been busy delivering the biggest project of my life 🙂 My hubby Rajesh and I are glad to announce the arrival of our twins Amay (boy) and Arya (girl). I am currently on my maternity leave and taking the time to recover as well as tend to my tiny humans who stake the claim to the entirety of my days at the moment 🙂 I am trying to soak up every moment of this glorious time! I will get back to work in a couple of months. So, conference speaking is on the back-burner for now and so is blogging.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to collaborating with guest authors for some interesting posts up here. I have had some request emails and am currently reviewing those. If you have something in mind you would like to write about, do reach out to me here or on Linkedin.

Read Along – ‘The Effortless Experience’- Chapter 8

Nishi Grover Garg2 Comments

“Effort Beyond the Contact Center”

Non-contact center applications of the Low Effort concept-

Customer Effort in Retail

Most critical factors when it comes to customer effort in retail environment are

“Navigability” – How easy it is for customers to find what they are looking for

“Issue Resolution” – How easy it is for customers to get help solving some problem.

Customer Effort in Product Design

Simplicity of design and ease of use really make certain products stand out in a crowd.

  • Apple’s ease of use is legendary.
  • Bose is another consumer electronics company that just ‘gets’ the idea of low effort. They put simple color-coded tags on wires that match the color of the jacks they plug into. Easy stuff!
  • TurboTax uses intuitive, plain-English, question based approach to helping taxpayers do their taxes.

Customer Effort in Purchase Experience

Decision Simplicity – Simplifying a consumer’s purchase decision

comes down to 3 things-

  • Making it easy for consumers to navigate information about the brand
  • Providing information that is noteworthy
  • Making it simple for consumers to weight their options

Effort should be reduced throughout the customer life-cycle.

Reducing effort in pre- and post-sales customer touch-points has measurable loyalty impact.

***

The Best companies Live low-effort.

Top brands are adopting the principle of a low-effort experience across multiple facets of their business, from product design to the sales experience.

***

Defining Your Definition of Done

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

The success of your team and the release depends on everyone getting their individual parts done in time. But how do you define being “done”? What indicates a finished task and differentiates it from a half-baked one?

It is all about having a clear definition of done established and agreed upon within the team from the onset of the project. Check out my article published at https://blog.gurock.com/definition-of-done/ – Here I talk about some good ways to define your Definition-Of-Done

Brainstorm with your team

The person who is going to work on each task is obviously the best person to comment on how and when it will be closed. So, the first step would be to discuss and list the obvious things these people deem would need to be done in order to be able to say that their task is done. Sometimes, you may be surprised how different these “obvious” points may be for different team members.

For instance, Tester 1 may say that after executing tests on their user story, they also spend an hour doing exploratory testing before completing their testing tasks, while Tester 2 did not consider that as part of the task. They completed the test execution task once done with scripted tests and later, if time permitted, would perform some exploratory tests.

By doing this exercise you are baselining your expectations from each task, independent of its owners.

Consider quality goals

If you are seeking to come up with a definition of done, there is probably an area you are trying to improve and some quality goals you are trying to achieve, so consider them now. Think of what seem to be your team’s problem areas, or the source of their delays at the end. Now add a part of those quality goals in the relevant tasks.

For example, let’s say your builds seem to fail too often, and that leads to a lot of rework and retesting within the sprint. After some analysis, you found that the build failed because of developers checking in buggy code, mostly lacking integration tests.

Read More »

Read Along- ‘Agile Testing’ Chapter-19

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

“Wrap Up the Iteration”

  • Agile team delivers working software at the end of the iteration – demonstrate to the customers and get their feedback.
  • Having testers conduct the ’Iteration Review’ is a common practice as they’ve usually worked on all the stories. The Scrum Master, programmers or testers could demonstrate the new features – It is recommended to rotate this honor.
  • Retrospectives are an excellent place to start identifying what and how you can do better.
    • Start, Stop, Continue technique – Discussing What went well, What did not go well and what we can start doing to help.
    • Write task cards for actions to be undertaken to implement the steps
    • At the end of the next iteration, take a checkpoint to see if you improved

Retrospectives are a simple and highly effective way for teams to identify & address issues. The retrospective meeting is a perfect opportunity to raise testing-related issues. Bring up issues in an objective, non-blaming way.

Celebrate Successes

Make sure your team takes at least a little time to pat itself on the back and recognise its achievements.

Even Small Successes deserve a Reward.

Many agile teams have trouble taking time to celebrate success.

Have a weekly fun gathering or team games.

  • For big milestones such a big release or achieving a test coverage goal, the whole company can have a party to celebrate, bringing in catered food or go out.
  • It is also important to celebrate individual successes. A ‘Shout-Out Shoebox’ – is a great idea to recognize the value different team members contribute.
  • Taking time to celebrate successes lets your team take a step back, get a fresh perspective, and renew its energy so it can keep improving your product, giving team members a chance to appreciate each other’s contributions. Don’t fall into a routine where everyone has their head down working all the time!
  • Take advantage of the opportunity after each iteration to identify testing- related obstacles, and think of ways to overcome them.

Testing is like…… Yoga

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

This post is inspired by the MOT bloggers club initiative to write about analogies to testing in real life!

Being a tester at heart, I always see things from a testers eyes and find relevance in testing in my day-to-day life. In the past I have thought and spoken about Testing being like… Cooking and also used analogies of Testing equating to Travelling when explaining the Software Testing lifecycle in my Tester Bootcamps and trainings. Lately I have gotten into Yoga and I now see how Testing is like Yoga in many ways…….

  • You can start anytime and anywhere you want, no matter your background.
  • You can learn it yourself — Researching and Reading will help but Practice is key!
  • You will learn better when you take help from a teacher / mentor / guru Or when you practice with a team
  • Even though on the surface level, people may think of it as one skill, there are many types of testing, just like there are of Yoga
    • Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Pranayama (Breathing exercises yoga), Pre-natal yoga and the fusion kind – Power Yoga
    • The same way we have Functional testing, Performance testing, Usability testing, Security testing, Automated testing and so on
    • You can dive into any one in-depth or have a taste of all of them!
    • There is one for every team, context and need- you need to find the right match(es)
  • Testing , like Yoga – is context-dependent
    • Just like Yoga for weight loss may be different than Yoga for an expectant mother, Yoga for a beginner may be different from Yoga for an athlete recovering from an injury; so is the case of Testing.
    • Testing for a medical application will be vastly different from Testing of a Car racing mobile game or testing for a banking website.
    • The basics and the fundamental concepts remain the same and apply equally to all though!
  • To a person looking from outside, it may not mean much in the beginning
    • Like, to a person looking at you holding a Yoga pose – It may not seem like you are doing much. But to the one experiencing it, it make the world of a difference.
Holding a Yoga pose is harder than it looks

And finally, for both Testing and Yoga—

The value is not realized in one day or one session. It is a prolonged effort, requiring consistent practice, patience and persistence.
Overtime people who see the changes and experience the difference come to appreciate the real benefits —- of both Yoga and Testing!! 🙂 🙂

************

Hope you enjoyed my take on Testing is like ….. Challenge. Please share your thoughts too!

Here is the link to follow the MoT Blogger Club group for many more interesting takes on this Challenge

https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/bloggers-club-june-july-2020-testing-is-like/39734/8

Cheers

Nishi

<Image Credits – WebMD.com , youtube.com >

Making the case for Usability Testing in Agile

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

My first experience with usability testing was on an agile team where the product we were building was being designed with the help of an in-house usability expert. He helped design the user interface (UI) of the application and conduct usability study on the beta version of the software to determine the ease of use of the application.

Though the experience was limited in terms of the interaction we had with the user representatives and the sessions conducted, the feedback we received opened up lots of new avenues for the tester in me around the learnability, understandability and attractiveness of the application I was testing.

Usability has matured a lot over the years. It’s now an essential software characteristic in today’s web and mobile applications. In my article published at the TestRail blog, I discuss ways of performing Usability tests and developing a mindset for Usability in an agile context.

https://blog.gurock.com/usability-testing-agile-projects/

We also discuss about Usability Study , how to set it up and achieve maximum benefits from it.

To read the complete article — (opens in a new tab)”>Click here –>

Prevention is the Best Cure- for Defects in Agile

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

The agile methodology focuses on building in quality from the very beginning of the software lifecycle. That is why we aim to find and fix defects early on: A defect found and fixed in an earlier lifecycle phase is a multitude cheaper than the same defect at a later stage.

But how can we more easily make it possible to prevent defects from percolating deeper in the software development lifecycle by fixing them in their nascent stages?

This is the main theme of my latest article for @Gurock TestRail blog – where I explore and explain ways to foresee, analyze and thwart defects in an agile context.

The main points discussed are-

Communication

Conduct Reviews

Demonstrate Often

Static Analysis and CI

Click Here to read the complete article –>

Please support by liking / commenting and sharing the article!

Cheers

Nishi

Look Back to Plan Forward – Learnings from 2018

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

Every year we see the software industry evolving at a rapid pace. This implies changes in the way testing is conducted within the software lifecycle, test processes, techniques and tools, and the tester’s skill set, too.

I’ve been into agile for more than a decade, and I’m still learning, changing and growing each year along with our industry. Here are five of my key lessons and observations from 2018. I hope they help you in the coming year!

https://blog.gurock.com/lessons-for-agile-testers/

In my article published on Gurock blog, I talk about the 5 key learnings for Agile testers from the past year and how they will be key in planning your road ahead in 2019. The key learning areas discussed are —

Testing Earlier in DevOps

Getting Outside the Box

Increasing Focus on Usability Testing

Enhancing Mobile and Performance Testing

Integrating Tools and Analyzing Metrics

Click Here to read the complete article — >

https://blog.gurock.com/lessons-for-agile-testers/

‘Just Enough’ documentation in an Agile Project

Nishi Grover Garg2 Comments

Agile poses many challenges to the development team, most of them pertaining to time. Teams are perpetually under pressure to deliver working software at a fast pace, leaving minimum time for anything else. When testing on an agile project, learning how to write lean documentation can save precious time. Furthermore writing lean documentation can help rework efforts by focusing only on what’s really necessary.

The Agile Manifesto emphasizes working software over comprehensive documentation, but most agile teams interpret this wrong and treat documentation as something to be avoided, owing to time constraints. The manifesto states a lesser focus on comprehensive documentation, but some documentation is still needed for the project and any related guidelines being followed. Attaining this balance is a challenge.

Documentation is a necessary evil. We may think of it as cumbersome and time-consuming, but the project cannot survive without it. For this reason, we need to find ways to do just enough documentation — no more, no less.

Read about how to focus on important areas like VALUE  , COMMUNICATION and  SUFFICIENCY when documenting in your agile project – in my article published at Gurock TestRail blog –> https://blog.gurock.com/lean-documentation-agile-project/

just enough

Click here to read the full article

For example, in a traditional test design document, we create columns for test case description, test steps, test data, expected results and actual results, along with preconditions and post-conditions for each test case. There may be a very detailed description of test steps, and varying test data may also be repeatedly documented. While this is needed in many contexts, agile testers may not have the time or the need to specify their tests in this much detail.

As an agile tester, I have worked on teams following a much leaner approach to sprint-level tests. We document the tests as high-level scenarios, with a one line description of the test and a column for details like any specific test data or the expected outcome. When executing these tests, the tester may add relevant information for future regression cycles, as well as document test results and any defects.

More examples and scenarios for learning leaner test document creation are included in the full article– Click here to read the full article

 

                 Are you interested in finding the right tool for your Agile processes? Here is a comprehensive assessment and comparison of the best agile tools available! 

https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/agile-tools/

Prepared by Ben Aston, this list may be a useful guide for finding and selecting the best tool to support your agile journey. Check it out!

 

Happy Testing!

Nishi