Do you know this situation? Months of development, the budget has been exhausted and the new software is technically perfect. But after the go-live, users are frustrated, workarounds spread and the hoped-for efficiency gains fail to materialize. A professional acceptance test process is essential to prevent this from happening.
In User Acceptance Testing (UAT), end users check whether the software meets their requirements and business processes in their day-to-day work. While the technical functionality was tested in previous test stages, the focus is now on practical suitability. They are often coached by experienced test managers.
The correct classification is crucial: while theexecution of the UAT is one of the last test stages before commissioning, itsprinciples must be anchored in the development process from the very beginning.
This"shift left" approach means defining clear, testable acceptance criteria from the user's perspective as early as the requirements phase. This ensures that fundamental business requirements are not lost in the process.
The acceptance test is the highest test level.
UAT is the best known, but only one of several types of acceptance test. Other tests need to be considered for comprehensive quality assurance:
Considering the perspective of your end users at an early stage - and actively demanding it in the form of testable acceptance criteria - brings you considerable advantages throughout the entire development process:
Requirements that really fit: if end users are involved too late, key requirements can be overlooked. Instead, get the actual user needs right from the start. After all, what use is the most expensive standard software if it is not configured to meet the needs of your team?
Recognize errors early on and save costs: Erroneous developments cause immense costs if they are only discovered shortly before or after the go-live. By defining acceptance criteria at an early stage, your users can provide valuable feedback on design or functional deficiencies at an early stage, saving you expensive rework.
Proactively avoid damage to your image: Regular test cycles, for example before planned major releases, prevent embarrassing corrections from only becoming necessary after the market launch and undermining confidence in your product.
Smooth go-live and higher user satisfaction: Products that are consistently tested for user-friendliness and practical suitability achieve a significantly higher level of acceptance. The result for you: less training effort, lower support costs,ownership in your teams and an overall better user experience.
Better communication, stronger teams: When acceptance tests are firmly established, developers, testers and end users work more closely together. Valuable communication channels are created, misunderstandings are cleared up early on and everyone involved shares a clear vision of how the software should work in the end. Once implemented correctly, your organization will benefit in the long term.
We have accompanied many UATs. One striking example is a project for a large aviation company. An externally developed "Risk Mitigation Report Tool" had to be adapted to the internal standards and the specific requirements of the stakeholders.
The functionality, configuration and correct mapping of the business processes had to be validated - a complex task with different expectations.
The key to success lay in clearly defined requirements and structured communication. With only two half-hour meetings per week - a "defect meeting" for errors found and a "testing jour fixe" for open issues - the schedule was adhered to exactly. The external software house always received structured, actionable feedback, achieved a very high level of coverage and was able togain the trust of all stakeholders, including the German aviation authorities .
Use cases like this one can be found here: LINK
A successful UAT process follows the fundamental ISTQB test process and can be divided into the following phases:
Planning and control: This is where objectives, scope, risks and resources are defined. The decisive factor is the definition of measurableend criteria ( e.g. "95% of critical test cases passed"), which flow into the issuing of a release recommendation. All points are recorded in a test concept.
Analysis and design: Based on the requirements (the "test basis"), test conditions are identified and realistic test cases and scenarios are designed that reflect the actual workflows of the users.
Implementation and execution: The test environment is set up and verified. Real end users then carry out the prepared tests. Results are logged and compared with the expected results.
Evaluation and reporting: Test progress is continuously compared with the plan and the end criteria. Regular reports inform the stakeholders until a final test completion report forms the basis for the release decision.
Closure activities: After release, test artifacts (such as test cases and environments) are archived for future reuse. The process is analyzed in a "lessons learned" workshop in order to optimize future projects.
The following points are crucial for a successful UAT:
Select representative testers: your test group must reflect the actual end users. They must be available for the tests and be appropriately trained ("enabled"). From supermarket checkout systems to airport check-in software to a bank's clerk backend, there is unrivaled subject matter expertise that you should leverage - just to name a few examples. Experienced users can even take on planning and control functions during testing. A test manager often serves as a coach and orchestrator.
Provide clear and testable scenarios: Derive test scenarios systematically from the test basis (e.g. requirements documents) and formulate clear, measurable acceptance criteria. Not all end users can handle tools such as Jira - simple handouts created by experienced testers (e.g. PDFs with drop-downs) or Microsoft Forms may be the better choice.
Promote an open feedback culture: Create a working atmosphere in which users dare to give honest and critical, but also positive feedback and leave your meetings with realistic action items.
If the future users themselves are involved in the user acceptance test, they make a valuable contribution to the development of the system they will be working with. They understand the functions better because they have explored, documented and tested them together. This creates a bond and a sense ofownership that can be crucial for the long-term adoption and success of a system.
Are you planning to introduce new software? Let's work together to ensure that your project is geared towards user acceptance right from the start. Contact us for a no-obligation initial consultation on your UAT process.