TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Why is UAT Important?
• Who Should Be Involved in UAT?
• How Should You Prepare for UAT?
  • Define Who is the UAT Lead:
  • Define the UAT Scope:
  • Document Features and Functions:
  • Define Common Workflows:
  • Develop a UAT Test Plan:
• UAT Considerations
• Capturing and Reporting UAT Issues

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What is UAT? User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a critical phase in the software development lifecycle where actual end-users test a system to ensure it meets their needs and business requirements. It's the final stage of testing before a system is launched or deployed to a live environment.

UAT for Znode Ecommerce Websites focuses on evaluating the functionality and usability of the Znode Storefront(s) and Admin Console from the perspective of real customers. It helps uncover any issues that might hinder the customer experience or prevent the platform from achieving its business objectives.

Why is UAT Important?

UAT is essential for any ecommerce business as it helps ensure the platform is:

• Functional: All features and functionalities work as expected. 
• Usable: The platform is intuitive and easy to navigate for customers.
• Reliable: The platform is stable and performs well under various conditions. 
• Secure: Customer data is protected and transactions are secure. 

By conducting thorough UAT, businesses can significantly improve the quality of their ecommerce platform and increase customer satisfaction.

Who Should Be Involved in UAT?

The short answer is real world users who will be using the Storefront and Admin Console once the solution goes live.

This may be different in your company.  These are some common people that might be involved:

• End Users: Representatives from key user groups who will use the platform daily. 
• Sales, Support, and Customer Service: They provide input on working with all parts of the system from customer order placement to managing the orders in the backend systems. 
• Owners and Managers: They provide input on the expected behavior of the platform and validate that it meets business needs. 
• IT Team: Technical stakeholders who can validate integrations, data flows, and system performance. 
• Ecommerce Administrators: Those that will administer the ecommerce solution, manage data, and manage content.
• Stakeholders: Senior management or decision-makers who need to approve the platform before go-live.
• Other teams as needed:  Marketing, and Analytics.

To ensure a successful UAT process, it's crucial to secure the commitment of the right individuals. Work with team leads to ensure that those assigned to UAT testing have the necessary time allocated in their schedules. UAT requires focused attention, and participants should not feel rushed or pressured.

Additionally, emphasize to testers the importance of their role. Their feedback is invaluable for identifying and resolving issues before they impact real users. Explain how their participation directly contributes to the success of the platform and benefits the entire organization, especially since they will be the ones using and supporting this solution after it goes live.

How Should You Prepare for UAT?

Define Who is the UAT Lead:

Determine who on your team will be responsible for leading UAT.  Their responsibilities should include:

• Developing the test scope and plans (see below)
• Getting test resources allocated
• Setting the schedule for testing
• Reporting on test schedules
• Being the coordinator for all reported issues

It is a best practice to allocate one leader for this and not share the responsibility.

Define the UAT Scope:

Clearly outline what areas and functionalities of the Znode platform will be tested during UAT. Focus on critical business processes and user workflows, such as product browsing, ordering, checkout, account management, and integrations. Consider the five key areas of Znode implementation:

• Storefront configuration 
• Theme enhancements 
• New ecommerce features 
• System integrations
• Data

Document Features and Functions:

Storefront Configuration 

• Define each unique store (URL)
• Which native features are active and which are not
• What custom feature controls were added to the store attributes 

Theme Enhancements 

• What was changed on each of the core pages:
  • Header and Footer
  • Homepage 
  • Product List Page
  • Product Detail page
  • Cart
  • Checkout
• What new content pages were added

New Ecommerce Features 

• Identify each new (non-native) feature that was created

System Integrations

• Identify all native 3rd party tools (Shipping, Tax, Payment)
• List each integration - and precisely what data is moving 
• Identify any custom 3rd party tools

Define Common Workflows:

There are many common workflows for different actors (buyers, support team, etc). Prepare a list of the common workflows and the steps.

Here are three common workflows for consideration:

New Znode Store Setup

Buyer Shopping Experience

Ecommerce Order Workflow

Develop a UAT Test Plan:

Create a comprehensive plan that includes:

• Objectives: Clearly define the goals of UAT. 
• Timeline: Set realistic timelines for testing, bug fixing, and retesting. 
• Resources: Identify the resources required, including personnel, test environments, and tools. 
• Responsibilities: Assign roles and responsibilities for test execution, bug reporting, and resolution. 
• Test Cases: Develop detailed test cases covering both functional testing (testing specific features) and workflow testing (testing common workflows). Ensure test cases are easy to understand and execute, with clear steps and expected results. 
• Devices and Browsers - Determine which devices and what browsers you want to support.  Include test cases for all devices and browsers supported.

Here is a sample file that you can copy that includes some sample test plan formats: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rWCUIQZPJoKeY0qebXHwDw0J-XHIP6J4anAmwdUOPWE/edit?usp=sharing

UAT Considerations

• Use a dedicated UAT environment that closely mirrors the production environment, including data, configurations, and integrations. Ensure the test environment is stable and accessible to all testers. 
• Use realistic test data that simulates real-world scenarios, including customer accounts, product catalogs, pricing rules, and orders. Ensure data privacy and security are maintained. 
• Provide training to end-users and stakeholders on how to execute test cases, report issues, and use the bug tracking system. 
• Ensure participants understand the objectives and importance of UAT. 
• Clearly define the criteria that must be met for the system to be considered acceptable for launch. This may include passing all critical test cases, resolving all high-priority bugs, and obtaining sign-off from key stakeholders. 
• Establish clear communication channels for reporting bugs, asking questions, and providing updates. Encourage collaboration between testers, developers, and business analysts to ensure issues are resolved efficiently.

Capturing and Reporting UAT Issues

Ask your team to gather the following and provide all of this information when they identify an issue:

• What Browser and Version are they using?
• What is the URL where the issue occurs?
• What user account are they logged in with?
• What are all the steps in the workflow that led up to this issue and what data did they enter?
• What is the issue?
• What was expected?
• Capture a screenshot or video demonstrating the issues.