Usually, when we think of product differentiation, we imagine better prices, fancy features, unique brand messages, etc. But when the market is so rich, finding something to set your product apart from the rest is tough. However, your distinguishing characteristic can be quality.
Sure, there are many quality projects out there. Alas, those created with sincere care and quality embedded into their essence – maybe a few. Leveraging quality as a competitive advantage calls for a bottom-up approach. It all starts with software manual testing services. With a quality culture founded upon acceptance testing, you can maximize the potential of your idea.
All industries have set standards that a project should reach to compete. And, unfortunately, that has become the goal for many businesses – to be ‘good enough’ to enter the rivalry. But even when you implement unique functionalities for your users, there is no guarantee this will put you at the top.
The subjectivity of experiences ultimately dilutes the particularities of a product and turns it into ‘just another option.’ For instance, Shopify has quite a few features Amazon does not possess, e.g., customization or a range of tools. But it does not render the former a better variant. It is a version tailored to different needs.
In a world oversaturated with alternatives, quality becomes an implicit feature that makes customers fall in love with your product. That is the reason we consider handmade items better. Because we think at once that the product was created by the meticulous touch of a person who spent their personal time and effort.
In the digital universe, this ‘handmade feel’ can be achieved by creating a software product with care. And this is where quality culture comes in.
Quality culture is a mindset that embeds quality into every aspect of a business. So, instead of associating quality with the end product a team produces, it is about people and their actions. When a person truly cares about an idea, they put more effort into their work on every front. This thoughtfulness results in outstanding outcomes.
To build quality-based culture, businesses need to create an environment that promotes confidence, communication, and collaboration.
While designing and implementing a company culture is no easy task, the benefits it offers outrank any difficulties:
When designing a quality culture, there are no lists or standards to follow. Just remember the three Cs of quality culture and build upon them. You will be able to establish a healthy working ecosystem where quality is not the finish line but the start.
Let’s start with some basic theory before we move to our central topic and start explaining the role of acceptance testing in quality culture. So what is an acceptance test? If you look up the definition in the ISTQB Glossary, you’ll find the following explanation, “A test level that focuses on determining whether to accept the system.”
Essentially, acceptance testing determines a project’s readiness by evaluating whether it complies with the initial expectations. We say ‘designed user expectations’ as you cannot fully know what a user might expect from your product. But you can predict the overall demands based on what the software is meant to do and create a set of requirements.
Something to note is that the meaning of ‘user’ is not limited to a single category. Say, for a B2B e-commerce platform, acceptance testing would not focus just on those placing an order. Instead, it would cover everyone relying on the software. So, here, it would involve customers, admins, third-party managers, stakeholders, etc., as users of the product.
As an illustration, for a courier app, acceptance testing would mean checking the system’s ability to handle high volumes of deliveries, integrate with the company’s existing fleet management system, and provide real-time tracking and delivery updates. Also, it would investigate how the app performs from the business perspective. In a nutshell, acceptance testing is multifaceted and quite extensive.
To further elaborate on the vastness of acceptance testing, it is important to point out that it covers user expectations on various layers. There are several classifications of acceptance testing. Experts distinguish acceptance (identical to the umbrella term), user acceptance, business, contract, regulation, and operational acceptance testing. In this article, we’ll focus only on the first two types.
It validates a product’s functionality against acceptance criteria. The latter are derived from project documentation and define what constitutes a feature as ‘acceptable.’ From our latest example, acceptance criteria could be ‘the app can handle 10,000 simultaneous users for ten hours with no freezes/downtime.’ If the project satisfies this requirement, this function is deemed acceptable and completed.
It determines whether the product works correctly from a user’s perspective. UAT testing services focuse on real-world scenarios that actual consumers might use. By assuming the end-user POV, QA engineers focus on successful task completion without diving into the processes behind each feature.
For instance, for the login scenario, there is a lot to check: system reaction to in/valid data, pop-up messages, UI, etc. But for the actual user, the only point of concern is whether they can log in or not. So, because UAT prioritizes the user, it pushes out the whats and hows of each procedure and looks at the final outcome of a particular action.
There are two approaches typically used for acceptance testing that, when combined, bring tiered value.
It checks the software for possible issues before the product is subjected to external testing and deployment. Usually, in-house dev teams perform alpha testing, as they are well-versed in the software’s particularities. Alpha testing is typically done in a controlled environment, and the focus is on ensuring that the software meets the functional and performance requirements specified in the product design.
It evaluates whether the software meets the needs of consumers and can handle different use cases and scenarios. Users who are not a part of the development team run Beta testing, which allows for a fresh feel of the product. This is where QA outsourcing is beneficial. As external QA specialists are readily available and have enough experience to simulate a real-world environment.
So, while Alpha testing centers on locating and mending errors, Beta testing capitalizes on feedback derived from genuine user actions to advance the product.
Acceptance testing is viewed as the final check before the product goes live. And from the STLC side, it is indeed carried out once the software sets the course for deployment. However, in the context of quality culture, acceptance testing plays a significant role in the improvement strategy.
Acceptance testing can be perceived as a quality standard in itself. Because acceptance criteria are developed as part of project documentation, essentially, you set quality norms for your product from the start. Further, because this testing is performed last, it forms a series of quality guidelines that software needs to meet in order to undergo acceptance testing.
And when you make acceptance testing, which is user-oriented, one of the testing goals, you allow your team to focus on the results for consumers from the start.
In most cases, engaging QA expertise early is the optimal way to exponentially improve your product. With the help of QA specialists, running tests that take place before acceptance testing ensures that there are minimal issues in last-mile assessments. And when it comes to acceptance testing itself, cooperation with a QA company brings the following advantages:
In short, partnering up with a QA provider permits you to rely on their expertise to focus on user satisfaction as well as business goals.
Contrastingly, not leveraging the benefits of acceptance testing may lead to considerable business risks.
Case in point, even big companies suffer the consequences of not taking advantage of thorough acceptance testing. In 2016, Dropbox was hacked, and millions of user accounts were compromised. Following the incident, Dropbox implemented a number of security measures, including increased acceptance testing of its service.
In 2019, Amazon experienced a major outage on its Prime Day event, causing many customers to miss out on deals and experience frustration. After which, the e-commerce giant pledged to improve its acceptance testing processes to prevent similar outages in the future.
Investing in powerful acceptance testing, even after serious troubles, allowed these organizations to advance their operations and rebuild customer trust. So, it is evidently better to think ahead and rely on acceptance testing before any issues occur.
Your quality strategy should be fitted to your project. And while personalization is often key, consider these universally beneficial practices to effectively combine acceptance testing and quality culture.
Acceptance testing is about prioritizing the user. Hence, initial cooperation with everyone who will benefit from the end result allows to better define project goals and quality measurements. You can conduct surveys with potential consumers, carry out in-depth meetings with management, and benefit from the dev team’s technical insights.
You should investigate acceptance testing processes to allow the project’s quality to evolve with the customer and business needs. Creating a sound system designed to measure the success of the initial and upgraded acceptance testing procedures would not only help with establishing SMART project goals, but also pinpoint areas of focus even before you think of working on them.
In terms of meeting and exceeding user expectations, there is nothing better than asking them directly. Instead of predictions and market trends, you obtain authentic feedback from those who will be relying on your product. This lets the dev teams refine acceptance testing and, thus, the product.
Today, a stale product is a forgotten product. As your users grow and change, so should your project. While creating a quality output is the goal, it is not the end. Motivate your teams to innovate and think outside the box, listen to specialists and use their insights – let everyone know that perfection does not exist. There is only improvement, and things can only get better.
So now that you know for sure what acceptance tests are, it is clear why adding them to your pre-release itinerary permits you to refine the perceived use of your product. When you focus on user experience from the beginning, you can uncover hidden possibilities for your project. The software can be an engineering wonder, but ultimately, its users decide whether it is actually good. And that is what quality culture via acceptance testing is about – profound care for people who work on and benefit from the result.
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