Why is Quality Assurance Important and what is the Guide to Quality Assurance and UAT?

It is often hard to stand out regardless of the market you’re in as there were estimated to be approximately 213.65 million companies worldwide in 2020. Therefore, it is vital to ensure your software operates seamlessly to increase your chance at success. 

There are many steps during software development however the final stage is often considered the most important. Two of the most vital steps are Quality Assurance (QA) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Both of these steps comprise the final stage within software development prior to product launch, but why is this so important? What are the steps to Quality Assurance? Let’s find out!

The Importance of Quality Assurance

You’ve probably heard about quality assurance in various contexts, but what does it actually mean? Why is Quality Assurance important? 

UAT test plans and Quality assurance, commonly known as software testing, helps to avoid mistakes or defects within the software during the development process. In turn, this provides customers with high quality service, products and solutions which increases further engagement. Whilst mistakes are natural during software development, it is crucial to catch them before launching the product. Therefore, quality assurance enables you to locate and eliminate potential security and performance issues preceding product release. 

Stages of Quality Assurance

Now that we know why is Quality Assurance important, let’s move on to the steps of Quality Assurance. Many software engineers follow similar steps during the Quality Assurance process, known commonly as the QA cycle. This cycle consists of 6 stages which are as follows:

1. Requirements analysis
2. Test planning
3. Test design
4. Test execution and defect reporting
5. Retesting and regression testing
6. Release testing

Following quality assurance, one of the last stages of the development process is User Acceptance Testing (UAT). 

Now what is UAT, let’s find out!

What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

What is UAT test you ask? User acceptance testing (UAT), also known as application testing or end-user testing, is a step of software development in which the product is tested by its intended audience in the real world. Before the tested product is distributed to its target market, UAT is frequently the last part of the software testing process. UAT is used to confirm that software can handle real-world activities and meet development criteria. There are also UAT test tools you can use. 

A UAT test template gives users an opportunity to engage with software before it is released to check if any features have been ignored or if any flaws have been discovered. UAT can be done with volunteers in-house, with paid test subjects utilising the programme, or by making the test version available to the public.

Since this step follows Quality Assurance, it is important to ensure no defects are present within the software to reduce rectifications and make maintenance in the futute, an easier process. 

How do you conduct UAT Testing?

UAT test plans can get very elaborate so it’s important to follow the stages perfectly. Again, there are 6 stages to this process as follows: 

1. Identify User Roles

Every system has its own set of users and roles so it’s no surprise why you find many UAT test jobs as there are many responsibilities that come a UAT test case. The first step in UAT is to determine who the users are and what their responsibilities are in the system. If there are several user roles in the system, each has its own set of rights. Your UAT test case should include how the system should react when different user roles execute different actions. It is frequently desirable that the same activity on the same system give various results based on user roles. This implies that you must comprehend the users and the system's intended behaviour for various users. 

2. Use User Stories as Test Cases

Testing requires an understanding of business needs so a UAT example test case can work wonders. Clients can communicate their needs through a variety of ways. They can communicate their needs via email, meetings, understanding sessions, and user stories. This data is compiled into a requirements specification document, which the QA team uses to construct test cases. Users, on the other hand, may construct most user acceptance test cases using user stories. This is because consumers are more concerned with how successfully they can utilise the app to fulfil their duties, and this information is already stored in the user's profile. 

3. Use of Business Language

Actual users, not professional testers, do user acceptability testing. When understanding what is UAT this distinction may be apparent in how user acceptability testing is conducted. UAT is less structured and includes more business terminology. It would be unreasonable to expect people to perform test cases and report faults in the same way that our professional testers do. If they utilise business terminology in their defect tracking and reporting, it should be fine with you.

4. Create UAT Template

Make a UAT test template and distribute it to the users who will be conducting UAT testing. 

5. Hands on Training

You may ensure that UAT testing goes successfully by providing users with hands-on training on the software application with UAT test tools. This will increase their trust in the produced product, and they will be more eager to utilise it.

6. Know when to perform UAT

It is your obligation as a manager to recognise when UAT testing should be performed and out of the UAT test plans, choose the most customized one out of the lot. The goal of user acceptance testing is to ensure that your product meets user needs and is acceptable to them. Note that you may implement all of the essential functions, but the user may find the programme to be extremely difficult to use. Determining the features to include in an iteration and handing over the application to users in an iterative way would be a wise decision.

By no means has this blog covered every segment of QA and UAT nor explored both stages in extreme detail, but has provided a clear overview of their importance within software development. Now that you’re up to date with QA and UAT, your business can thrive!

Let's Connect

If you found this interesting and would like further data regarding QA and UAT, reach out to our round-the-clock, experienced team to ensure your software can run seamlessly for both you and your customers! 

Request a Quote Now for Software Quality Assurance Services!