SAC QRC4 2026 testing checklist: what to verify before and after the release

Every SAP Analytics Cloud quarterly release can subtly change how stories render, how formulas evaluate or how connections behave. QRC4 2026 (14-15 November) is no exception. You do not need a heavy test campaign - you need a short, repeatable checklist run against your most critical content. This is that checklist. For the underlying method and where regressions usually hide, pair it with the QRC4 regression test guide; for dates and scope, see the QRC4 2026 hub.

Before the release (in a non-production tenant)

SAP delivers the release to a test edition tenant ahead of production. Use that window:

• Confirm which of your tenants gets QRC4 first, and the date it reaches production.
• Take a baseline: screenshot or export your top 5-10 business-critical stories and their key figures so you can compare after.
• Note any custom scripting, custom widgets or advanced formulas - these are the most likely to be affected by a release.

After the update: verify area by area

Run each block against your most-used content, not the whole tenant.

Stories, dashboards and rendering

• Top stories open without errors and key figures match the pre-release baseline.
• Tables and charts render correctly, especially anything migrated to the Optimized Design Experience.
• Filters, input controls, linked analysis and drill paths still behave.

Data models and connections

• Live connections to S/4HANA, BW/4HANA or Datasphere refresh and return the expected rows.
• Import models refresh on schedule; no new authentication or mapping prompts.
• Currency conversion and hierarchies resolve as before.

Planning and data actions

• Data entry, spreading and disaggregation write back correctly.
• Data actions, multi actions and allocations produce identical results to your baseline.
• Versions (Actual, Budget, Forecast) and their publish workflow behave as expected.

Security, scheduling and integrations

• Roles and data access controls still scope what each user sees.
• Scheduled publications and broadcasts run and deliver.
• Any API or add-in integrations (for example the Microsoft add-in) still authenticate and load.

Sign off and record

Keep the checklist and its results per quarter. Over two or three cycles it becomes a five-minute routine and a written record you can show auditors or management. If a check fails, capture it against the regression guide so you know whether it is a bug, a behaviour change or a configuration issue - and build your models from maintained templates to reduce the surface that can break in the first place.

Note: the authoritative source for each release's changes is SAP's What's New Viewer and Roadmap Explorer. This checklist is a method, not a statement of QRC4's confirmed scope.