Once your testing team has thoroughly tested your software, it is time for the customer to test it before moving the software into production. This is referred to as the "User Acceptance Test" phase of the software lifecycle. This is an important phase of the software lifecycle, as it is the first opportunity for the end clients to work with your software. A very organized User Acceptance Test can bear many rewards:
Defect Discovery - The customers may use your software a little differently than the developers and testers did during the development phase. This can bring defects to the surface that you would not have caught until implementation.
Customer Buy In - Since the customer has an active role in testing the software, they become a champion for the software release. If done properly, they will be excited about the new release and begin telling others about its merits.
Customer Approval - By including the customers in final testing, they will be more likely to quickly approve the software for release to production once the testing phase is complete.
The key to a successful User Acceptance Test phase is to have a very organized plan for conducting the testing. Below is a list of 5 Tips for conducting successful User Acceptance Tests:
Set Expectations - Educate the customer, letting them know that the goal of User Acceptance Testing is to find defects that will be prevented once the software is implemented. So finding defects is a good thing and is encouraged.
Identify Defect Resolution Procedures - As defects are found, you must have a documented strategy for allowing the client to report defects and to review the status of each defect. Using products like Defect Tracker (www.DefectTracker.com) or Software Planner (www.SoftwarePlanner.com) allow customers to submit support tickets on-line and check the status of the tickets.
Drop Schedule - As defects are fixed, you should have a "Drop Schedule" for new releases. For example, during the User Acceptance Test phase, you may release a new copy of the software each Wednesday for your customers to test. This allows the customer to rely on a specific time table for new releases so that they can re-test defects that were previously fixed.
Document Current Defects and Testing Statistics - Before beginning User Acceptance Testing, you may have some low priority defects that have not been fixed. Let the customer know what those defects are so that if they encounter them, they will not report them again. Another good approach is to supply the customer with statistics that show how many test cases were run during your testing and how many defects came out of that effort. Each week, do weekly status reports for your customer, showing how many defects have been found by their efforts and how many defects are outstanding.
Create a User Acceptance Testing Document - Prior to beginning User Acceptance Testing, create a "User Acceptance Testing Release document." This document explains the plan for User Acceptance Testing, and provides a conduit for a successful testing phase.
Tips for Releasing Software for Customer Testing