Who should be Involved in Designing and Writing the User Acceptance Tests?

User acceptance testing demonstrates the usability, functionality and performance of a software product in such a way that it culminates into value for users and customers and thus can become a need for market requirement. In order to successfully conduct user acceptance testing, it becomes obvious to involve those key professionals who can also design and write user acceptance tests. In this article, you will get to know who are the key members involved in designing and writing the user acceptance tests.

Users can take the accountability to write and run user acceptance tests:

User acceptance is basically carried out by users. In this scenario, users are stakeholders who will use the software product to understand how this specific software product can enhance the productivity of their business. Not all, but at least some of the users who have a good idea of the product and the user requirements can be taken into consideration. Following are a few key points that need to be pondered upon by those professionals who are connected to the UAT process:

· The user categories should be properly known

· The users must have some idea about creating and running tests

· Determine where the non-business categories of the user can be considered for the user acceptance testing process

· Ascertain whether non-business categories of users can be considered for conducting other categories of acceptance testing activities

· Analysing whether stakeholders who have not been described of any description can be taken into consideration.

Apart from users, the following are specific professionals who can be involved in writing and designing user acceptance tests:

· Business stakeholders that also includes independent subject matter experts

· Requirement authors

· User experience professionals and technical experts

· Testing and development team

· Outsourced testers having an expertise in carrying out UAT strategically.

The role of requirement authors:

The acceptance criteria come in various sizes and shapes. They essentially form a basis of mechanism for testing in order to ascertain whether the computer code satisfies requirements. Acceptance criteria are refined by requirements and if the requirement is not testable, then it cannot be considered as a requirement. It is important to identify the acceptance criteria.

Digging deeper to analyse the concerned professionals who can write user acceptance tests:

The basis of user acceptance tests is acceptance criteria. When the UAT is being initiated, the team who is responsible to run the testing process should have a detailed set of acceptance criteria.

One or more tests need to be written and run for each acceptance criteria. The things that need to be considered for ascertaining the exact number of tests should be as follows:

· Time and money

· Level of confidence among team members to carry out effective testing

· Strategic importance and system criticality.

There are a specific number of options as to who will run user acceptance tests. Familiarity with the system is required for the specific professionals who are held responsible to carry out efficient testing. Familiarity can be gained by getting involved in reading the requirements definition, development process, getting trained and lastly the acceptance criteria needs to be established.

Following are key members who can take up the responsibility to write user acceptance tests:

· Users and product owners can take up the necessary training from testers and analysts and then start the testing process

· Here, users and product owners along with testers, developers and business analysts can take up the testing process in a combined manner

· A specific testing team having the necessary expertise to perform testing

· An external group of testers bought in from a consulting company.

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 strategic and viable testing roadmap that is in line 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.