How to ensure your team’s work passes UAT

The dreaded back arrow when an issue doesn’t pass UAT

Getting stopped in your tracks by not passing User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is rough. All that hard work only to run into a bug or find that your solution doesn’t actually fit the needs of the client. These things are bound to happen sometimes, but if it’s a regular occurrence, it can mess with your client’s happiness and your company’s reputation.

Follow these steps to get issues consistently moving into Done instead of back to In Progress.

1. Write Clear Issue Requirements and Have a Definition of Done
2. Keep the Client Up-to-Date
3. Do Comprehensive Internal Testing
4. Provide Testing Guidance
5. Be Proud of your Work!

1. Write Clear Issue Requirements and Have a Definition of Done

When you’re deciding with your client which issues should be prioritized, it’s important to discuss the desired outcome and outline the requirements that will get you there. The developers need to know what they are fixing or building. Document all of this on the issue or somewhere else where both the dev team and the client can view it.

When doing UAT, you can return to this description to determine if the issue is ready to get marked as done. Writing everything down prevents lapses in memory from getting in the way of closing issues.

2. Keep the Client Up-to-Date

This may not be necessary with some small issues, but for larger tasks, it’s best to keep the client in the loop. The development process can uncover unknown complexities or shine light on a solution that wasn’t previously considered. In both cases, it’s best to keep things feeling like a collaboration. You may do this with regular sprint review meetings or with written communication. We do a combination; sometimes including an updated mock-up in the issue to discuss, or hopping on a call to look at the software together.A new factor coming into play should be discussed with the client because it could affect prioritization (if the issue will take more time than originally planned) or if a design change is recommended (best not to spring that on them during UAT).

3. Do Comprehensive Internal Testing

Put yourself in the shoes of the end user and mess around. Review the issue requirements and definition of done you wrote in step 1 and make sure it’s all been addressed. Clients and end users alike can be unpredictable when using software, so it can pay to be creative when you’re testing your latest update. This should prevent you from running into bugs or unfinished features after you’ve handed it over for UAT.

4. Provide Testing Guidance

A step-by-step guide for testing updates can keep the focus on what you’ve updated or fixed. When in a UAT meeting, you can share your screen and show the process for testing, then give the tester freedom to check it out on their own. With written communication, highlight what changed with a combination of video, screenshots, and text. Make sure to include the page and function you’re testing and the acceptance criteria that was agreed on in step 1.

5. Be Proud of your Work!

If you’re unsure about what you’re handing over, your client will be able to tell. But if you’ve followed the steps here and your work is ready to hand over, you should be proud. Present your work under the belief that it will be well received and working properly. Your confidence will do wonders for getting your client excited about the product you’re delivering.

• User Acceptance Testing
• Uat
• Client Relationship