A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to User Acceptance Testing

On large enterprise projects, the user acceptance test (UAT) is often envisioned to be a grand event where the users accept the software, money is paid, and the congratulations and champagne flow freely. UAT is expected to go well, even though some minor defects may be found. In reality, acceptance testing can be a very political and stressful activity that unfolds very differently than planned. Randy Rice shares case studies of UAT variances on projects he has facilitated and what can be done in advance to prepare for an acceptance test that is a beauty pageant rather than a monster's ball. Learn how UAT can go in a totally unexpected direction and what you can do to prepare for that situation. Understand the project risks when UAT is performed only as an end-game activity. Learn how to be flexible in staying in sync with stakeholders and user expectations—even test coverage is reduced to its bare minimum.