User Acceptance Testing
The User Acceptance Testing phase, commonly abbreviated to UAT, is where the actual users of the system begin to test and validate the systems and processes in place. They will be responsible for ensuring everything has been implemented to the agreed upon requirements. They will click through screens, run reports, compare spreadsheets and ensure all numbers and data ticks and ties to the smallest decimal point. These steps should be outlined clearly in the test scripts and all issues and errors that surface must be submitted back to the QA, development and delivery team. It is not unusual to be in quick fix mode during UAT and this can be the most stressful point of a project as you move towards the finish line. For technical systems, The UAT testing will occur in the test environment with data and systems copied identically from production. This will allow the users to work with data they are familiar with that has already been validated so that they can compare apples to apples. When the process is brand new, how you determine what qualifies as a “pass” scenario will be defined in the requirements.
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