User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the last stage of a system implementation and a critical component for a successful implementation. You don’t want to skip this step or take shortcuts. Without UAT, it is not possible to fully validate that the system is functioning per the expectations of your end users, and you needlessly risk taking a hit to user adoption.
Benefits of UAT
- Validates that business requirements are met based on the in-scope user stories.
- This confirms that model builders correctly interpreted the business requirements.
- Reduces the risk of defects being identified in production.
- Fixing items in development rather than production is less costly and risky to the business.
- End users will gain skills and confidence while using the new system prior to go live.
Key Items to Consider for a Successful UAT
- Set proper expectations with testers at the beginning of UAT.
- Base UAT scripts on user stories (refer to the acceptance criteria set).
- Ensure that end users, not model-builders, execute the UAT test scripts.
- End users have the most knowledge of the business processes and therefore expected system behavior.
- Phase testing and introduce functionality consistent with the execution of the business process.
- Phases can accommodate automated concurrency testing and end user testing, or multiple rounds of end user testing with time to make tweaks between.
- Conduct daily meetings to communicate status and address questions as they come up.
- Schedule time for defect resolution and re-testing of functionality.
- Prioritize defects and changes as they are identified.
Learn more about User Acceptance Testing (UAT) in The Anaplan Way.