What's UAT Testing?
This is where end-users or clients test the software application. This is done to verify the system's quality. This is to verify that the system has been developed by the needs of the stakeholders.
UAT testing can also be used to verify that end users can use the system in real-world situations. UAT uses a similar environment to a production environment.
When does it happen?
UAT testing is performed after the product has been deployed and the system testing is complete. Let's take a look at the levels for testing to better understand it.
The software development cycle includes the following testing and validation levels.
Unit Test This is the initial level of testing. This is where the individual components of the system are tested. This is done by developers at the code level.
Integrating Testing This is the second stage of testing. This is where the individual components of a system are tested together. This is done by internal testers.
System Test - This level of testing is used to verify that the system meets the requirements. This is done by internal testers.
Acceptance Test This is the final stage of testing. This is done before the product goes on the market. Client representatives conduct the inspection. They are often the business users or end-users of a system.
The Key Roles of UAT Testing
A successful UAT testing requires many people to be involved. These are the important roles of the UAT. These roles can vary depending on the client, organization, or project.
External People - These are people who aren't part of the IT team that is responsible for the development
Business user, Business manager, or Sponsor
End Users
Internal People - These are people who are part of the IT team that is responsible for the development
Project Manager
Business Analyst
Tech Lead and Development Team
Test Lead and Testing Team
UAT Test Process
The UAT process generally consists of these steps:
The UAT team is identified by the project manager or the business analyst in the initial phase. The UAT team is made up of end-users who will use the system in the future. This could also include SMEs responsible for technical requirements. This helps to identify the UAT team.
After the team is identified, training them is the next step. It is possible for the UAT team to not be familiar with the product and testing process.
Each member of the UAT team receives proper training. To ensure that UAT is a success, the entire exercise will be completed.
Next, a UAT Plan will be created. UAT plans are a detailed document that includes the testing strategy for UAT and test scenarios. They also include details about resources, UAT environment setup details, and other relevant information.
The sponsor and other stakeholders approve this document. This document is usually created by the business analyst.
Once the plan is complete, it is time to create test cases. Test cases are designed so that the system covers all aspects.
The sponsor, testing team, and business analyst assist in the design of test cases. Sometimes the sponsor helps the UAT team design the test cases.
The UAT environment will also be prepared. The development team assists in this process.
After the test cases have been made available, users are trained, and the UAT environment is set up, the test case will be run by UAT team members on the UAT environment. If there are any problems during execution, the UAT team and the internal testing team will be available to assist.
The UAT team will communicate with the development team any problems or defects that they find during testing. This is done with the assistance of a project manager and/or business analyst.
The development team will resolve identified problems or defects as per their discussions with the UAT team sponsor, project manager, and business analyst.
Sometimes clients or business users may need to remove modules with bugs that are too annoying. They just continue using the product with the minimum features.
Once all issues have been resolved and the UAT team has satisfied the system, a signature will then be provided for the next step in the production deployment.
User Acceptance Testing Checklist
Before you proceed with UAT-related activities, here are some important points.
Integration testing and system testing should be completed. This task falls under the purview of the internal testing group.
All showstopper bugs must be identified and fixed.
Documentation of requirements and test scenarios is essential. These documents should be signed by business users and shared or communicated with IT designers. The business analyst is responsible for documenting requirements.
You should have the UAT environment ready for testing. You should deploy the latest code, provided there aren't any showstopper bugs, to the UAT environment.
Users who will be participating in the UAT, or conducting the UAT, should have received training to use the system. This means they should be familiarized with all aspects of the system.
For filing and documenting UAT issues, a plan must be created.
It is important to identify IT resources (the testing team and the development team) to address any issues or questions that may arise during UAT.
UAT Benefits
UAT gives clients assurance that the system will be available for sale with all the features they require. It also ensures that all requirements communicated to the team have been met.
Before the system goes live, end users can experience its capabilities and functions. It might be a feeling-good factor for some users. Because they can access the system first, this is why it is so popular with them.
Clients can add any requirements to the system before it goes live if they find them missing.
Both developers and business users should be aware of potential operational problems that may arise in the future. End-users will test the system in real-world scenarios.
UAT assists in identifying customer satisfaction issues. If these issues were not discovered once the system is operational, they could have caused problems. This helps to reduce customer complaints. This in turn increases customer satisfaction.
UAT Challenges
It can be costly and time-consuming to set up separate environments for UAT. It must reflect the production environment.
Sometimes end-users can be busy professionals. It might prove difficult to train potential users and get them ready for testing.
Resolving any critical or show-stopper bugs in the system may take time. This could mean that the release is delayed or that the system must be released with known problems.
The testers i.e. End-users might need to spend more time learning and training.
Conclusion
Proper planning is essential to get the most out of UAT testing. This includes properly training the end-users.
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