User Acceptance Testing: The Important Final Step in Your ERP Implementation and What Sets It Apart from CRP
User Acceptance Testing, or UAT, is the last major test event in most ERP implementation projects. In this article I’ll describe it in detail and why it is the gatekeeper for going live with a production environment.
Why is User Acceptance Testing Important?
UAT is a critical inflection point in the implementation project. It represents two milestones in one:
- To reach UAT, the team must be very confident the system is nearing or at 100% readiness.
- To go live, the team must analyze the UAT results and decide that the system is truly ready for production use.
Those two statements sound very similar, don’t they? If you’re nearly 100% confident in the system, why do you need to execute a UAT in the first place? Why not just go live?
The answer to these questions is that testing is all about risk mitigation, and in complex implementation projects, you don’t know what you don’t know until you do. Your project team can be very confident in the system coming out of CRP, but you will still likely find more gaps during successive test events. Each type of testing you employ, whether conducting data testing, performance testing, CRP, or UAT, testing your system is about stressing it in different ways to reveal as many gaps as possible before going live.
How does UAT Differ from CRP?
To illustrate the why behind UAT, let’s look at the differences between it and conference room pilots (CRP).
Key differences between CRP and UAT
- Iterations: At Stoneridge, we help you conduct iterative CRPs. This means we execute multiple CRPs to test end-to-end processes and then one UAT.
- Timing: CRP is done during the “Create” phase of the project (see Stoneridge’s proven process), where adjustments are still being made. UAT is executed during the “Deploy” phase of the project.
- Purpose: During CRP everyone is learning the system’s capabilities and validating requirements are met. A lot of changes are made to the system after a CRP event to respond to what was found. During UAT we are mostly sure the requirements are met and are looking for any last-minute “gotchas” before going live. In fact, unless an issue is show-stopping they aren’t even fixed before going live, the rest are logged and addressed later.
- Completeness: We know going into CRP some features and data topics won’t be complete, but we test the pieces that are ready anyway to get fast feedback and approval from the team. This is not the case with UAT as we need all code complete, data fully migrated, requirements closed, integrations finished, ISVs running, and even physical hardware available such as printers or scanners.
- Number of users: During CRP the testing team is typically limited to a core group of business process owners. In UAT we open this up to additional people from the business. The idea is not just to get more hands in the system but more personalities, as these individuals bring unique perspectives that are able to spot additional gaps.
- Pace: CRP is slow compared to UAT. In CRP the focus is on executing end-to-end processes, being methodical, and having lots of eyes scrutinizing the system and process. We typically do this with cross-functional teams executing a single test at a time while everyone looks on including members of the IT team, accountants, controllers, etc. During UAT we release groups of testers, as many as possible, to test at the same time.
- Variety and volume: Because we have a larger number of testers and personalities in UAT, we also use and generate a larger variety of data. This is an important reason why we typically find new gaps during UAT.
Other Differences Between UAT and CRP
Despite its importance, UAT is a more relaxed testing event than CRP. At Stoneridge, we give testers a generous block of time to complete their tests. Because of this, you will have more time to explore other data combinations, alternate ways of processing a task, and negative path tests. I like to call this “going offroad”, and it’s fine if it’s documented somewhere (particularly if the test finds an issue or gap).
Since UAT is the last testing event of the project, sometimes we’ll have a break in the middle to give functional consultants and developers a chance to fix the minor issues that have been found. After the break, testers will return to retest those areas and pass the tests.
UAT for Dynamics 365 and Other Microsoft Solutions
Being a Microsoft partner means Stoneridge experts often help clients implement, optimize, and support Microsoft solutions such as Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM tools, Power Platform, Copilot, and more.
UAT is essential for Dynamics 365 technology solutions because it ensures the system meets the unique needs and expectations of end users before deployment. By involving real users in testing, businesses can validate that workflows, configurations, and integrations function as intended within their operational context. This reduces the risk of costly errors or disruptions post-implementation.
UAT also fosters user confidence and adoption by addressing potential usability issues and confirming the solution aligns with business processes. For Dynamics 365, where customization and scalability are key, UAT helps verify that tailored features work seamlessly, enabling a smoother transition to go live and ensuring long-term value from the investment.
The Big Takeaway
UAT provides a unique perspective on how we test the system. Even though you’re running many of the same tests as before, the new combination factors mentioned in this post mean you can stress the system in new ways to reveal more issues. These will likely only be small or perhaps medium-sized issues; ideally, none should be showstoppers for going live because of the layered approach we take to testing.
However, if there are major issues it is better to do everything possible to discover them before going live because the cost of not finding such issues is too high.
Reach out to Stoneridge to Optimize Your Implementation Process
Stoneridge experts help you through every step of the implementation process, including testing. Our team can help you set up UAT to ensure your solution functions at peak performance before it goes live.
Contact us today to learn more.
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