Summary: This article provides guidance on optimizing the UAT process by asking four key questions related to test plan understanding, end-user tester preparation, test case readiness, and facilitation tools for effective testing management.
Testing plays a unique and essential role in ensuring product quality and functionality during any software development project.
Although there are many phases and iterations of testing, none are quite like user acceptance testing (UAT). This is when actual end users get an opportunity to go hands-on with your software and confirm that it is fit for its purpose.
Given that UAT is so important and usually comes near the tail-end of the software development process, how can you ensure your team gets the most out of this critical form of testing?
Here are four key questions to ask as you prepare your UAT environment:
1. Do all the participants understand the UAT test plan?
You have likely planned to conduct UAT for some time, including preparing the timeline, determining expectations for different participants, and establishing the test environments.
However, have you taken the necessary steps to ensure that everyone involved in the UAT process has a clear understanding of the timeline and objectives? Do you have clear communication guidelines in the case of issues or questions about tasks?
Although this may seem obvious, it’s crucial to take the time to confirm that UAT testers are available and have the perspective needed to perform accurate testing.
2. What must our end-user testers know before performing UAT?
Even if they are seasoned experts in their field or role, that doesn’t necessarily mean that each UAT tester knows how to perform structured software testing.
Given the importance of their phase in your software development lifecycle, take the time to ensure that each tester knows their specific roles and responsibilities, including how to use the test environment and your chosen method to capture feedback and results.
For example, within TestMonitor, each tester can be assigned a custom portal that includes their assigned tasks, related information and data, and a built-in feature to record the results of their testing (including attachments).
3. Is the necessary data and information ready in the UAT test cases?
You may have the schedule, the test cases, and the testers ready, but it’s just as important to confirm that your UAT testers have sample data for inputs and expected outputs.
This is also a good time to confirm that each test case is structured based on established best practices and ties back to the original requirements.
4. Are the necessary tools in place to facilitate the testing?
Once UAT is underway, it can be difficult to track how each tester is performing, how the results are trending, and if testers have the information needed to complete the phase. Add in the need for clear, timely, and informative reporting, and this can be a stressful time for testing managers.
Fortunately, modern test management tools make facilitation simple and intuitive. From ensuring secure user communication to providing regular reporting, these tools enable the data-driven decision-making your team needs to finish strong.
Ready to take the next step?
There is much to think about when preparing your UAT environment. Fortunately, selecting the right test management platform can make the process simple, structured, and consistent from project to project.
TestMonitor is designed and fine-tuned for software developers—and those that aid them in testing—so they can perform at their best and deliver better products.
Ready to see TestMonitor for yourself? You can schedule a time to try TestMonitor for free. Also, take a moment to download our free resource, The Complete Guide to Next-Level User Acceptance Testing.
