• Michael Intravartolo

The Importance of Performing Comprehensive User Acceptance Testing

By Devang Mehta, NAV Practice Manager

Want to get the most out of your NAV Implementation Project? Want to maximize your ROI? Then perform a comprehensive test during your User Acceptance Testing (UAT)!!!

During your NAV implementation project, you and your NAV partner are creating your system - from an out-of-the-box standard ERP solution to your Company's private backbone. As it is going through this evolution, developers, programmer, analysts, and consultants are setting up and testing the system.

However, they are only performing Functional testing: this is testing specific requirements and application areas of the system. It lacks the two most critical components of testing - End to End testing and the End-User.

This is why it is incredibly important to perform a comprehensive UAT. Many customers fail to do thorough testing and cite resource constraints, or just don't put an importance on testing. Even though you may have a small staff to dedicate to an ERP project, the cost of not doing this is far more expensive, and the damages of getting bad requirements understanding will cause to project failure.

What is a UAT?

The UAT is a series of tasks performed in your new NAV system by your company's end users to ensure that all of your daily assignments are met. They are carried out by the end user to determine whether the system fits their use or not. Your partner's developers and analysts are forced to do ad-hoc testing based upon requirements gathered by their consultant. UAT will give you a clearer picture of the future state.

For example, the Accounts Payable clerk will perform the following tasks in her new NAV system:

  1. Create a vendor

  2. Create new payment terms

  3. Enter a new Purchase Order for that Vendor

  4. Enter several purchase orders for multiple vendors

  5. Post the Purchase Orders / Purchase Invoices

  6. Pay these posted purchase Invoices

Performing these tasks will ensure that your system is setup correctly and meets any special requirements that your end user has. To maximize your investment and get the most out of your new NAV system, you need to ensure that you have maximum engagement during UAT.

Typically, the UAT phase should be the last stage of the implementation process prior to going live. It allows for any issues to be fixed before the system goes live.

What are the different types of UAT?

There are several different types of Acceptance testing. Alpha and Beta are the most popular.

Alpha Testing normally takes place in the development environment and is usually done by your internal team. The feedback is then used to fix certain issues or bugs and improve usability of the product.

Beta Testing usually takes place in your environment and involves some extensive testing by a group of your team members who use the system in your environment. These beta testers then provide feedback, which in turn leads to improvements of the product.

What are some efficient ways to create UAT scripts?

During the beginning of the Implementation process, you should assign your subject area experts to start a register of their business scenarios. Each group should crate a personalized log of their daily transactions. Crating acceptance tests takes careful thought and time, it should define behavior, not need. Often times, your partner will have you sign off on your UAT. It should work on any project methodology - Waterfall, Agile or Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step methodology.

Huge Benefits

The benefits of a thorough UAT will be experienced by your entire organization. The end users will be confident that their requirements are met and they will be less worried about any a new system or any change management processes based upon this implementation.

These benefits will ensure project success.

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