Phases
Development Testing is largely outside the scope of this Implementation infoKit, however it is referenced here as
- it bears many similarities to the Preliminary phase when first configuring the system
- you may be involved more heavily in Development Testing of the application if you are engaged in a Development Partnership with your supplier and
- in any case you are likely to require some Development Testing of code and reports that are commissioned specifically for your organisation, whether in-house or through a third party.
Preliminary Testing is the name given to testing to be carried out by the functional consultants and/or other designated project personnel on specific modules or elements of the software to ensure that they perform in accordance with the required business processes in readiness for Functionality Testing by users during UAT.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT), sometimes referred to simply as Acceptance Testing, follows the successful completion of the Preliminary Testing phase and is the turn of the key users to put the system through its paces. UAT is the controlled process via which users confirm whether the system has been implemented and configured to meet the organisation's functional and performance requirements.
UAT must be carried out and the system must be signed off as operating successfully by the person(s) responsible before the system can go-live although, in some cases, sign off might be subject to non-critical matters being added to an on going list of issues for resolution post go-live. Because of the likely range of staff involved in UAT we have provided a template in our Project Management infoKit that defines what UAT is and sets out the expectations of those involved in this phase.
Final Testing is designed to test that the entire system, including software, hardware and networking facilities, works as a total entity. Final Testing is sometimes described as a system walkthrough and, apart from recognising obvious errors, the factors that should be reviewed, include:
- clerical procedures
- the availability and correct operation of all equipment
- obvious bottlenecks (e.g. long printer queues) and
- the adequacy of backup and recovery procedures
Regression Testing is a crucially important type that is omitted from this phase/type matrix as it doesn't occur until after initial implementation. These tests are performed following hardware and/or software upgrades or developments and involve stepping through a typical end-to-end process to ensure that functionality already implemented hasn't been impaired and that data integrity has been maintained. More about this model can be found in the 'Go Live and Beyond' section of this infoKit.
