It can be tempting to rush user acceptance tests (UAT) after weeks, if not months of development and testing.
This can lead to products that are functionally sound but not usable by customers. This could be a missed opportunity to gain end-user buy in before the official launch.
Many times, UAT speed is due to the time required to setup and administer testing. Also, it takes too long to fix any issues. NoteRacer’s team has learned that UAT can be run more smoothly if you avoid some common mistakes after years of experience working with many customers.
How can you avoid these common pitfalls in your organization? These are the five most common mistakes that we see during the UAT phase, and how to avoid them.
1. Lacking involvement of the end-user
UAT’s ultimate goal is to assist your team in better serving your customers.
It is important to include both internal and external stakeholders early on in the process, and also to develop requirements and testing standards.
It is important to take the time to identify all stakeholders involved in testing. Be clear about what you expect from them and their expectations. Use tools to report testing status once testing has begun. This will allow stakeholders to know where they stand in the testing process.
This will ensure that your UAT is smooth and meets both the goals of each group.
2. Failure to Plan
We all know the saying, “If you fail plan, you will fail to plan.” In UAT, and all its moving parts, making a firm test plan which outlines the key elements and phases can be a serious error.
You don’t want to be rushed learning how to go from requirements into test cases and when you will require certain UAT testers.
While it is likely that parts of your plan may change, developing well-thought out acceptance criteria, as well as thinking through the timeline, steps and stakeholders, can help avoid frustration, wasted time and confusion. This can help to increase momentum and speed up the final launch.
3. Go it Alone
UAT can be a complicated process for any organization.
Use industry expertise, best practices, expert support, the latest industry tools and test management tools specifically designed for software testing to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your testing.
4. Failure to think with the end in mind
It can be tempting to save time and speed up UAT, but the potential for software defects that slip through the cracks and launch with your software could have far-reaching consequences.
Customers can lose faith in your brand and your company will likely face additional, potentially expensive, patches and updates that will be sent to customers.
5. It’s also a skill to forget UAT
UAT is not just something that organizations do. It is also a skill that can be improved with time. As they get experience with UAT, your team members will be able to improve their skills.
Pre-configured test cases, blueprints and test management tools, which offer customizable dashboards and notifications, can be used to speed up the learning process and prevent mistakes.
You should also take the time to record the lessons learned from each UAT phase. This will help you avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Get your UAT to the Next Level
UAT can be intense and stressful, but it is important to remember that you don’t have the entire organization to do it.