Contents
- What is UAT?
- Types of Product Testing
- Difference between UAT and Alpha/Beta Testing
- How to Conduct UAT
What is UAT?
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a critically important stage in the testing process of digital products. During UAT, the product is checked for compliance with the specified characteristics and requirements, ensuring its readiness for market release. Similar to traditional goods, which undergo inspections on production lines, digital products such as software, websites, and applications are also subject to testing, but using unique methods.
During UAT, potential users are involved to use the product and check its functionality. The main requirement for UAT participants is interest and experience with similar products, although specialized knowledge is not mandatory. The number of participants can vary depending on the project's scale, ranging from 10 to 1000 people. Testers receive clear instructions and tasks that allow them to sequentially use various functions of the product and record how well they meet the stated requirements. Typically, the entire process takes one to two days, after which a report is compiled with the testing results and recommendations regarding the product's market release.
Types of Product Testing
Before a product is released to the market, developers conduct numerous tests, including:
- Prototype: a mock-up of the future product that allows testing of design and usability even before development begins.
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product): a test version with a minimal feature set that helps validate the idea without significant costs.
- Alpha Testing: testing the program's functionality in a lab setting with the involvement of testers.
- Beta Testing: finding bugs and assessing usability with real users.
- Regulations Acceptance Testing (RAT): checking for compliance with legal requirements.
- Contract Acceptance Testing (CAT): verifying that contractual terms are met.
- Business Acceptance Testing (BAT): evaluating the project's profitability and feasibility.
Each of these stages plays its role in ensuring the quality of the final product and helps avoid costly mistakes after its market release.
Difference between UAT and Alpha/Beta Testing
| Parameter | UAT | Alpha Testing | Beta Testing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Objectives | Verification of compliance with declared functionality. | Finding and fixing bugs. | Checking usability and gathering feedback from users. |
| Process | Testers check the product according to test cases, using "white box" and "black box" methods. | The main focus is on finding coding errors. | Gathering end-user opinions on functionality. |
| Success Metric | Number of successfully passed tests. | Number of fixed bugs. | Amount of feedback received. |
| Recruitment of Testers | Individual invitations. | Internal testers from the company. | Public invitations for anyone interested. |
| Environment | Laboratory. | Laboratory. | Real conditions. |
| Testing Time | Final stage of development. | Late stage of development. | After UAT, before release. |
The differences between UAT, alpha, and beta testing highlight the importance of each stage in the product development and testing process, ensuring high quality and alignment with user expectations.
How to Conduct UAT
The process of conducting UAT includes several key stages:
- Planning: Defining objectives, selecting a laboratory environment, and criteria for success.
- Staff Selection and Adaptation: Forming a team of testers from the target audience or employees not involved in development.
- Testing: Collecting test data and checking the software's compliance with business requirements.
- Completion: Preparing a final report with testing results and identified issues, which is analyzed by stakeholders to make decisions regarding the further development of the product.
Effective conduct of UAT allows not only to identify errors and shortcomings but also to gather valuable feedback from users, which contributes to improving the quality and functionality of the product before its market release.