#1. Phase
You should first identify your business and functional requirements. These will define the purpose of testing and who you want to test it.
The company’s main goal is to meet business requirements. For example, “We should offer multiple payment options for our customers.”
The functional requirements are used to convert business requirements into technical solutions. They look like this: “Implement payment channels: PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Payoneer, Visa and Mastercard.”
Once you have done the analysis, you will be able to translate your functional requirements into test cases. It helps you to create a common testing strategy, engage QA engineers, product owners, and business analysts.
You should consider the technical documentation for the User Aacceptance Testing process. Write testing strategy, testing cases, standards and other details in your planning process.
UAT Results
The action plan is the final product of the planning process. It contains all information about the test object and the people who will be involved in it. All organizational moments should be discussed with actual users.
Let’s look at the low-level details that you should include in your plan.
End-user testing strategy
The product and the purpose of the testing should be mentioned in the end-user testing strategy. This is where we have prepared a special list to assist you.
- Product description;
- Test scope
- Test purposes
- Standards;
- Different types of testing
- Testers’ roles
- Test managers
- Reviews;
- Reporting standards
- Results.
Entry criteria
The rates at which the product is ready for use are called entry criteria. These criteria are set by developers, QAs, business analysts, stakeholders, and others at the planning stage.
Acceptance (exit) criteria
Acceptance Criteria is the final stage of UAT. These conditions prove that the software is usable. This can be achieved by assigning reviewers to analyze the results of testing. They ensure that the requirements are met by user acceptance criteria.
Test scenarios
Validation of the system’s efficiency, end-to-end operations and data quality with real data is possible by using test scenarios. All use cases should be covered in the test scenarios and approved by business analysts, stakeholders, and real users. Each use case should meet one to two requirements or user stories. These needs must be clearly communicated during testing. Example: “Test the shopping basket functionality.”
It is more effective to get end-users to approve test scenarios. This will allow you to predict the potential uses of your product. Your test scenarios shouldn’t require technical explanations. Templates for testing scenarios make it easier to write scenarios.
Test cases
Your test cases should be identical to your test situations. These can be transformed using your business use cases and user stories. Take, for example:
- Unregistered users will be notified when they add the product into the shopping cart.
- You can see how filters work in the shopping basket.
- See how the Continue Shopping button works.
Test cases are more effective when they are easy to understand and have clear goals. This is how your test case might look:
- Start the application.
- Add the product to your shopping cart
- It is not necessary to authenticate.
- Go to the shopping cart.
You can have your test case include predicated outcomes so that your customers know what to expect.
- The product will appear on the shopping cart.
- Customers are asked to sign in to the system
Reporting standards
This is how your report should look and what information you should provide to the end-user.
Test Reports
Once your testing is complete, you will receive documented output data. This data depends on test scenarios and test standards. A UAT team will require a sign-off from a tester to prove that the test was completed successfully. The test information can be used by UAT managers or QA engineers to transfer it to the development group. QA engineers also process feedback from end-users and facilitate communication among different members of the team. You can use test results, bug reports, or other information to measure progress in the UAT process.
#2. Phase
Acceptance testing can be held at either the beginning or end of a project. The chosen method determines the time required for testing. Companies generally use either the Agile or Waterfall model.
Waterfall model for user acceptance testing
The Waterfall model illustrates a traditional method that is based on product development in steps. Each stage is distinct and can be done in its own way. The company receives the final development document and a fully-functioning application at the end of the development phase. There are no more iterations.
Waterfall’s model allows for user acceptance testing to take place prior to product launch. This is done at the end of the development process. This is when all preparations have been completed and the code and features of the system are complete. Before your product is accepted for user testing, there are several checks that must be passed.
- Complete business requirements
- Complete codebase
- Ready QA activities include testing the system, integration, or modules.
- After QA testing, bugs were fixed
- At this time, small visual issues can be accepted.
- Finalized user acceptance environment. UAT manager, tester, test tools and scenarios.
The UAT in the Waterfall model is the critical moment that determines whether software is ready to launch. UAT verifies the entire system: bugs, features, usability and ensures that the product meets all end-user requirements.
User acceptance
The Agile methodology focuses on iterating through every stage of development until the product reaches desired quality and functionality. Agile development is all about flexibility, adapting to changing requirements quickly, and requiring minimal documentation. The development team is able to quickly adapt to changing requirements. UAT can be used in Agile methodologies to ensure that the product is valid for end-users.
UAT can be performed at any stage of product development using the Agile approach. End-users have the ability to influence the initial requirements. UAT testing is performed continuously during product development to ensure early feedback and high-quality products.
In Agile, there are several checkpoints to ensure UAT.
- Prepared business requirements
- Documentation of the final system;
- Test material completed: prototypes, mock-ups and demos
- User-acceptance environment.
Depending on the stage, UAT may use different tools or forms. It can test functional or non-functional requirements, system design, and so forth.
#3. Phase
Testers can be chosen from existing customers. You can also choose testers based on the features of the project, such as business-analysts, experts in related fields, and leisure users. You can also search for testers through crowdsourcing platforms, or hire freelance experts to test your product.
You can attract attention to your product by creating a landing page or posting on your social networks. This will help you avoid the need for QA to be involved. If your testers are familiar with the principles of working of similar products, it is an excellent solution.
#4. Phase
You should use tools that are specifically designed for end-user testing in your UAT process. Non-professional testers who are not in the development sphere will find it difficult to use professional QA tools. Let’s now look at tools for reporting, task overviews and templates for testing documentation.
Usersnap. It’s a popular framework that provides visual feedback on software. It allows users to write comments, purposes and feedback right on the screen.
Testgoat. This tool allows testers to download, modify, and save templates for UAT results. Testers can also create bug reports and send messages with problem description to specific people or teams. This makes testing more efficient.
Bugwolf. This allows you to test the environment, report on bugs and use gamification and competition testing. Bugwolf also offers useful payment options for online end-user testing.
To conduct your UAT, you can use popular project management tools like Hygger, Jira or Trello.
#5. Phase
A well-structured training program for your end-user testers will yield great results and help you improve your UAT process. Your UAT manager must devise a training strategy that includes all the steps.
- Introduce the users to the testing objectives and the process
- If necessary, train users on how to use UAT tools.
- Ensure that test cases are understood by users
- Set reporting standards
- Access to the test environment
Users can generally complete the UAT process online with their hardware. They don’t have to be provided with any equipment. You can have testers at your office for complex projects or work that involves confidential data. Managers and QA engineers should provide support and documentation.
#6. Phase
Once you have made sure your end-users are familiar with all test scenarios, test cases and their responsibilities, you can start testing. Users should only work with real data and not random material during testing. Testing can be slowed down if it is inaccurate.
Developers should always be available for system or bug fixing. If you have included this time in your testing plan, it is important to give users access to the necessary functions and design elements.
#7. Phase
Your QA team must be able to process a lot of information from testers. If it is compatible with your testing strategy, they can either send user reports by hand or use special software. You can also interview testers to review user cases in detail.
You can measure the percentage of passed, failed and fixed tests to determine the product’s readiness. You should also consider the following:
- Stability of the system. System stability can be measured by the number of unanticipated errors encountered during testing.
- Testing coverage. It’s about the correlation between completed and written test cases. To discover hidden functionality, you can also compare UAT results with user journey maps.
- The system’s ease of use. The system’s usability can be measured by the number of completed tests that users have not completed. This indicates how difficult it is for them to understand the actions. Common UX, which is a part of usability testing, is a type of testing.
- Respecting requirements. This is the final step in user acceptance testing. After all modifications and editions, you should ensure that the software meets its initial requirements.
Your product will be approved by the reviewers before it can move to the production stage.
Participating in product testing with end-users can help you identify unpredicted issues in the system, and it will also save you time and money. The product will be ready for market in perfect condition with all features.