What Are the Phases of User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Customer satisfaction has always been the top priority for every organization. Therefore whenever any software is released in the market organizations get the software verified and tested by the end-users themselves in the form of user acceptance testing. This is an important form of software testing method that helps businesses to identify whether the product is being liked by the customer or not. In case if the product is not liked by the customer or client then businesses can make an informed decision about what can be done to improve the product quality and enhance customer satisfaction.

What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

It is a type of software testing method where the user, product owner, or customer checks the functionality of the software to decide whether it is acceptable or not. It is the last and final step, performed after functional and regression testing. It is also known as Beta testing or end-user testing. The main aim of this test is to verify that the software meets all requirements and specifications as stated in the user story.

Why businesses needed UAT?

• This test helps to identify bugs that left unnoticed during the previous testing processes

• It ensures that all the specification stated in the user story have been fulfilled or not

• Helps to verify the product with the end-user, the business owner before final launch to ensure the product’s usability, reliability, and correctness

• It aims to seek approval from end-user/client/product owner before the release of the product

• It helps to reduce the risk of finding defects post-production or risk of product failure in the production environment

What are the phases of UAT?

Below mentioned are the five phases of this testing method:

• Planning phase - Before actually starting the test it is very essential to do proper planning. In this phase, the UAT test manager oversees the entire process of UAT. This stage involves proper planning and execution strategy. Identification of critical resources and preparation of critical resource plan is done at this stage

• Preparation of UAT test data, scenarios, and test environment - In this phase UAT test environment is set up, preparation of test management plan along with test data, interfaces, data, and authorization along with scenario readiness is done here

• UAT test schedule and management – In this phase proper action plans are set up and priorities are decided to identify showstopper bugs first. An effective mechanism to track test scenarios and test scripts based on the requirements defined is taken up

• UAT test execution and defect management – This is the most important and crucial step. Since this test is done by end-users in real-time it should be handled carefully. Also, if the testes are globally situated at different geographies, then this testing is done on a video call. The whole testing process helps to validate whether the software is accepted or rejected by the end-user. If the software gets rejected, the faults are fixed ASAP

• Reporting and Signoff- In this step, all teams report their learning and give feedback, so that they can be further implemented in the next project. The test report should indicate the suggestion received from the end-user, bugs identified, bugs that were resolved, how it was resolved, etc. A signoff mail should be received from the client to finish the process

Conclusion

UAT is an integral part of the software testing process as it helps businesses to determine the quality, reliability, and most importantly readiness of the software before the release. Since this test is performed by the client or end-user it helps businesses to determine what is being liked or not liked by the customer in the product. Leverage user acceptance testing from a next-gen QA and software testing services provider to achieve high-quality software and to deliver a seamless UX.

About the author: I am a technical content writer and I write articles on various IT-related topics. In this article, I have tried to share my views on phases of UAT.