User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
In Salesforce project delivery, the testing phase where end users validate that the Salesforce implementation meets business requirements and works correctly in real-world scenarios before final sign-off and go-live.
Definition
In Salesforce project delivery, the testing phase where end users validate that the Salesforce implementation meets business requirements and works correctly in real-world scenarios before final sign-off and go-live.
In plain English
“User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the testing phase where end users validate that the Salesforce implementation meets business requirements and works correctly in real-world scenarios. It's the final validation before go-live, done by actual users rather than developers.”
Worked example
A Salesforce implementation lead at Harbor Advisory runs User Acceptance Testing for a new Service Cloud rollout. Two weeks before go-live, representative users from the frontline service team work through a written test script covering 60 real-world scenarios (new case intake, escalation to Tier 2, milestone breach, merge duplicate cases, etc.). They log defects in a shared tracker; the implementation team triages and fixes the priority-1 issues. Go-live gates on a UAT sign-off from the Service Director - if UAT isn't clean, launch moves to the next release.
Why User Acceptance Testing (UAT) matters
In Salesforce project delivery, User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the testing phase where end users validate that the Salesforce implementation meets business requirements and works correctly in real-world scenarios. UAT is typically the final testing gate before production deployment, confirming that the system works for the people who will actually use it.
UAT is distinct from developer testing and system testing because it's done by business users, not technical team members. The perspective matters: developers test whether code works correctly; business users test whether the system meets their actual needs. UAT often uncovers usability issues and requirement gaps that technical testing misses.
How organizations use User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Conducts UAT with representative business users before every major release.
Uses UAT to catch usability issues and requirement gaps before go-live.
Includes UAT as a formal gate in their implementation methodology.
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