Tips for a Successful User Acceptance Testing Plan

 


A software application must not only be tested by the internal members such as testers, developers, managers etc., but also by the external members who are basically end-users or customers. Through this two-way testing approach, the potential of a software application in terms of performance, features, usability and functionality can be determined and then necessary steps can be taken to improvise the application till it goes live. User acceptance testing justifies the application’s efficacy by bringing in end-users to test the software.In this article, you will get to know the tips for a successful user acceptance testing plan.

Following are some important tips for a successful user acceptance testing plan:

1. Well-defined plan of action: The testing team must have a clear plan that defines a well-structured methodology for user acceptance testing. Some of the questions that can be pondered upon are:

·         The list of project members and employees who are assigned to take up the UAT project

·         What are the roles and responsibilities of the project members and employees? Who will be developing the plan of action?

·         The operative UAT test execution will be carried out by whom?

2. User acceptance testing (UAT) cannot be negated: UAT is considered to be the last phase of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC), but an equally important one. But, still there are certain software development projects where UAT is overlooked, which in actuality is not viable.There might be restrictions pertaining to time and deliverables.

User acceptance testing is performed to fix those important issues that are spotted by the users and which cannot be ignored.No matter the project size, it would be a smart move if users are involved in the testing of a software product, so that user-centric features can be built and can prove to be valuable in a real-time scenario.  

3. The core focus should be upon the users: Users are key to performing UAT successfully. The testing results should be derived from the users experience. Every input provided by the user should be taken into consideration and worked upon and if some inputs are not worthy, then they can be discarded.It would be more productive if users can be selected from different backgrounds and skills.

4. Documentation elevates the efficacy of the testing process: Documenting all the testing related results is the most pragmatic way to carry out the testing activities. A test will only be of value if the outcome is documented and then analysed properly. The errors and failures reported by the users while using the software product can be documented by using a simple bug tracking and error reporting tool. Effective documentation will help the testing team to analyse even at a later stage.

5. Conducting strategic sessions: The outcome of the user acceptance test should have qualitative data about the user. Another productive way to collect data is to conduct strategic sessions. Even if the user is not physically available, then there is always room for conducting virtual meetings and thus discuss about the test performance.All the aspects of a user such as body language, tonality, expressions should be captured in order to derive meaningful outcomes.

6. A clear communication channel: UAT team is a part of a bigger team. Software development team, product team, management teamwork in close collaboration with the user acceptance test team. Hence, the need for a clear communication channel is required. This results in working out in a streamlined manner without any mistakes that might happen in the real-time testing scenarios.

Conclusion: Users are the pivotal point in the successful conduction of user acceptance testing. It is advised to take help from a next-gen QA and software testing services provider who can provide you expert consulting advise on implementing user acceptance testing.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.

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