We represent our clients in ensuring that they get what they asked for and the solution is fit-for-purpose. Our independent testing services cover three aspects:
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Our independent User Acceptance Testing Services provide deep insight into how well system changes meet your functional and non-functional requirements.
Activities we would typically perform on behalf of our clients include:
- Develop UAT Approach, including test scope, test cycles, test schedule, test scenarios, test acceptance criteria and test data acquisition approach. This is usually developed in parallel with solution discovery and design.
- Develop UAT Plan, including developing test conditions and expected results and mapped to scenarios and cycles, and test data definition. We will create and load all test data needed to execute UAT.
- Run Shakeout Test to verify that the first cycle of testing can execute in the test environment. This is also an opportunity to verify that all components required for testing are delivered and available
- Execute UAT Regression cycles (if applicable)
- Execute UAT Progression cycles, including recording actual results.
- Log and report on defects. Manage defects through to closure.
- Provide regular status reporting (see Test Management below)
Deliverables we would produce include:
- Detailed UAT Approach
- Detailed UAT Test Plan
- UAT regression (if applicable) and progression results
- Defect log
Usability Testing (UT)
We believe it is important to gain insight in how easily your target audience can achieve their goals using the solution. Usability Testing can identify issues in using the solution before it goes live. Usability Testing can inform page layout, colour scheme, and where content is placed to make it more intuitive for end-users to achieve their goals.
Activities we would perform include:
- Develop UT Approach, including test scope, identifying test user personas, test cycles, test schedule (including interview schedule), test scenarios, and test success criteria. Again, this is usually developed in parallel with solution discovery and design.
- Develop UT Plan, including developing test conditions and expected results. We will also map these to scenarios and cycles, expected results, and test data definition. We will create all test data needed to execute UT. In addition, we work with you to identify a representative group of users that will participate in in-person and remote Usability Testing.
- Run Shakeout Test to verify that the first cycle of testing can execute in the test environment. This is also an opportunity to verify that all components required for testing are delivered and available
- Execute UT moderated and in-person
- Execute UT moderated and remote
- Execute UT un-moderated and remote self-paced
- Record actual results and review with client
- Log and report on defects or issues that may adversely impact usability. Manage defects and issues through to closure
- Provide regular status reporting (see Test Management below)
Deliverables we would produce include:
- Detailed UT Approach
- Detailed UT Test Plan
- UT Results
- Defect / issues log
Performance / Load Testing (PLT)
For solutions where maintaining adequate performance is important, especially under load, we recommend formal Performance / Load Testing. Through this testing, we provide insight into how the solution will perform under load (including whether the solution fails to operate at predicted peak load). PLT can be planned in advance once the solution design is confirmed and should only be executed during or after the later cycles of UAT.
Activities we would normally undertake include:
- Develop PLT Approach, including test scope (including number of remote clients to mimic and their location), test cycles, test schedule, test scenarios, test acceptance criteria and test data acquisition approach. This is usually developed in parallel with solution discovery and design.
- Develop PLT Plan, including developing test conditions and expected results and mapped to scenarios and cycles, and test data definition. We will create all test data needed to execute PLT.
- Run Shakeout Test to verify that the first cycle of testing can execute in the test environment.
- Develop PLT scripts from scenarios. These scripts will be run be remote clients
- Execute PLT regression cycles (if applicable)
- Execute PLT progression cycles, including recording Actual Results.
- Log and report on defects. Manage defects through to closure.
- Provide regular status reporting (see Test Management below)
Deliverables we would produce include:
- Detailed PLT Approach
- Detailed PLT Test Plan
- PLT results
- Defect log
Test Management
Successful testing requires close and effective test management – making sure that test efforts are focused on finding defects and verifying fixes in the most efficient way. For all testing we undertake on behalf of our clients, we provide:
- Daily defect reports
- Weekly test execution progress reports, including summary results
- Final report on the resulting state of the solution (whether the solution passed
Testing Enablers
Working closely with our clients is really important to us. In undertaking independent testing services on behalf of a client, we look to get you involved in the process of testing to a level that works for you. We have a range of tools that help us facilitate working together that include:
- Azure DevOps (formerly Visual Studio Team Services) – our unified platform for test planning, preparation and execution. Developed by Microsoft, Azure DevOps provides one place for the planning of User Acceptance, Performance / Load and Usability Test cycles, the execution of those cycles and the management of defects. Azure DevOps can be linked to JIRA if needed to automate the sharing of defect information between you and your vendors.
- Lookback.io – for recording Usability Test runs. Using lookback.io, we can run remote Usability Test we moderate, self-paced unmoderated tests, and/or in-person Usability Tests (ie that would normally be done in a Usability Lab).
- Tobii Pro – our preferred solution for eye tracking and gaining greater insight into user behaviour as part of Usability Testing. With Tobii Pro we can generate heat maps showing areas of the screen that capture attention and gaze plots that show the sequence in which people view items presented to them on the screen.
- New Relic product suite – our preferred platform for user experience testing. New Relic provides real time insights into the performance of software. We would typically use New Relic to provide additional insight in Usability Testing and to monitor the performance of a new solution during critical times (like post go-live and during times of likely high usage).
- Blazemeter – for running scripted tests at scale for performance and load testing.
- JMeter – open source test scripting – for automated regression testing and load/performance testing.
- Office 365 Teams – all testing information is shared using our secure Office 365 Team site. Through this, our clients have access to test plans, test data, defect lists, and performance and status reports.
