SSR - Testing, Methodology & Approach

Ensuring that an ERP solution is rigorously tested across all mining scenarios is critical for a successful go-live. Birchman’s mining-specific testing methodology provides a structured, risk-mitigated approach that ensures the system operates effectively from day one.

The Challenge

Going live with a new ERP system presents significant risks. Many organisations encounter issues due to late-stage or unstructured testing, leading to:

Extended hyper-care periods, increasing project costs
Unforeseen change requests, adding complexity and delays
Operational disruptions, impacting productivity and business continuity
Limited system understanding, caused by inconsistent or sporadic testing

To mitigate these risks, SSR engaged Birchman’s mining and ERP expertise, ensuring comprehensive, structured testing before go-live.

The Solution and Our Approach

Birchman worked closely with SSR’s subject matter experts (SMEs) to implement a structured, storyboard-driven testing approach, ensuring that all critical business processes were thoroughly validated.

Key elements of Birchman’s approach:

Process Mapping: Identified and prioritised the most critical business processes, guided by Birchman’s deep mining industry expertise.
End-to-End Testing: Developed detailed test scripts covering all business functions to replicate real-world operational scenarios.
Data Validation: Ensured test data was representative of actual operational conditions.
Site-Specific Adaptation: Accounted for variations in business processes across SSR’s multiple locations.
User-Centric Testing: Refined test scripts with SMEs and superusers to ensure ease of execution and usability.
Exploratory Testing: Encouraged SMEs to deviate from predefined scripts where necessary, ensuring the system was robust under real-world conditions.

Impacts

Birchman’s structured testing methodology enabled SSR to achieve a smooth and controlled go-live with minimal operational disruption.

Key outcomes:

A fully tested system, significantly reducing risks at go-live
Auditable controls validated and communicated with key stakeholders
Highly skilled SMEs, with a deep understanding of SAP through extensive testing
On-time delivery, meeting all established project milestones
Executive confidence, with minimal issues or disruption at go-live

Beyond immediate go-live success, Birchman’s approach to solution adoption enabled SSR to achieve:

Full SME ownership of the SAP solution and business processes
Over 90% of end-users trained before go-live, ensuring a seamless transition
A culture of continuous improvement, with teams ready to adopt best practices and maximise operational efficiencies

Conclusion

By partnering with Birchman, SSR successfully mitigated the risks associated with ERP implementation and empowered its teams with the knowledge and confidence to sustain long-term success. Birchman’s mining testing methodology provided a structured, risk-reducing, and user-focused approach, ensuring a smooth transition and a robust foundation for future business growth.