How Can a QA Team Efficiently Support the UAT?

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) ensures that a software product or application is in line with the customer’s requirements. The larger QA function is also supported by UAT through the medium of the testing process. UAT often includes documentation to capture the testing results, cases or user test scripts and confirmation of the product quality as it moves through various iterations of the testing process. QA is a specialized, iterative and ongoing function embedded within an organization. The UAT results can help in improving the test cases and testing processes, as well as provide more data, experience and tools for overall QA functions to improve their efficiency. In this article, you will get to know about the five tasks that should be carried out by the QA team to efficiently support user acceptance testing.

Following are the five essential tasks that need to be worked upon by the QA team to efficiently support the User Acceptance Testing (UAT):

1. The crucial flows need to be identified: For a particular piece of software, critical flows such as processes, essential features and interactions need to be identified that the test users need to review and approve before the product is deployed to the public.

2. The user groups should be identified: Users fit into various groups for many applications. Admins, for example, would want different permissions than average users and those features will be used that involve viewing and modifying security restrictions, personnel data and critical user information.

Certain limitations are there for standard user accounts that prevent them from particular features being accessed. There are other user groups that may involve accounts with varying membership status.

3. Specific test cases need to be prepared for each role: When the different possible user groups have been ascertained, the UAT should be prepared for supporting any potential user. For this purpose, specific test cases are created for each user group. The following checklist should be used by the QA team in order to ascertain the relevant test cases that need to be included in the UAT:

3.1: Necessary data processing is invoked by including test cases: Specific business operations can process information through specific flows. Applications must perform the advertised services and process the data effectively.

3.2: User customization should be assessed by including test cases: The software should be able to support every customizable option. User-information flows should be supported by the software that presents options to the users and the necessary adjustments are made based on the selections.

3.3: Test cases that are suited to certain user requests are included: In order to show the users the company values, the specific features need to be tested that attempt to satisfy previous user requests.

4. Necessary test data and user permissions need to be prepared: Once the test cases are created, the proper app and user settings need to be prepared before settings. The test user accounts need to be adjusted for each role and mechanisms need to be activated to collect test data.

5. The user test should be set up with start and finish dates: The test needs to be completed by the test users within a specific timeframe. If every feature of the software is not reviewed by the users within the specific timeframe, then incomplete feedback can be expected. When a reasonable timeframe has been agreed upon by the users to complete the test, then unapproved features can be avoided by reaching the production environment. 

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing UAT for your specific project, then do get connected with a globally renowned software testing services company that will provide you with a tactical testing roadmap that is aligned with your project specific requirements.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.