Insights
Turning Complexity into Confidence: Testing at the Heart of SAP S/4HANA Selective Data Transition
Large-scale SAP S/4HANA Selective Data Transition (SDT) programs are among the most complex enterprise transformations today. When executed through a big bang approach, the simultaneous transition of data, processes, users, and integrations significantly amplifies business risk.
This joint white paper by Syngenta and Infosys shows how industrialized, risk-driven testing can transform that complexity into confidence. By designing testing as a scalable capability rather than a downstream checkpoint, the program achieved condition-free exits from integrated system testing (IST) and user acceptance testing (UAT) at global scale.
Drawing on Syngenta’s SAP S/4HANA SDT journey, one of the largest of its kind, the paper highlights how early validation, automation-led execution, realistic test data, and real-time visibility enabled on-time delivery and strong business readiness across regions.
Right from the start we took a very strategic approach to testing, as the risk was high for a big bang go live. Infosys Quality Engineering team was onboarded to drive industrialization and automation acceleration across IST and UAT ensuring end to end quality and speed. The seamless journey to a successful go live was the best I have seen in my 20+ years at Syngenta Group.
Christian Bayer
Head of Enterprise Applications & Delivery, Syngenta Group
Through meticulous planning and the guiding principle of ‘One Team, One Plan’, the Syngenta Group and Infosys partnership ensured all challenges were addressed, enabling an unconditional exit from IST and UAT testing cycles. Thank you again, and let us keep pushing to make this the most successful UAT program Syngenta Group ever.
Mike Hassett
Global Testing Lead, Syngenta Group
By industrializing our approach—implementing the right tools, a robust reporting framework, meticulous UAT planning, and strategic investment in test automation for IST and UAT—we did not just meet expectations, we exceeded them. Completing the program ahead of schedule was a first for Syngenta Group and set a new benchmark for excellence.
Success in IST and UAT was not just about defect closure. It was about building trust. In a SAP S/4HANA program of this scale, testing became a strategic rehearsal for business continuity, validating not only the system but confidence across the enterprise.
Harald Metzger
Program IT Lead, Syngenta Group
