Module 10 · Business Analysis Fundamentals
Testing and adoption
Check the delivered change against the requirements with user acceptance testing and a traceability matrix, then help people actually adopt it and measure whether it worked.
About 25 minutes
The problem
The new process is ready. Reminders are set up, the invoice template has a due date, and the overdue report runs every Monday. The supplier says it's done. Is it?
"Done" means two different things. Does it do what was specified? That's testing. Do people use it, and is the problem getting smaller? That's adoption. Plenty of changes pass every test and still fail, because lawyers keep sending time by WhatsApp, or the accounts officer quietly keeps her notebook. The BA's job doesn't end at go-live.
The concept
User acceptance testing (UAT)
Before go-live, the people who'll use the change test it against real scenarios. Each test case says:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| ID | UAT-04 |
| Requirement | FR-03: reminder 7 days before the due date |
| Steps | Create an invoice dated 1 June with 30-day terms; set the system date to 24 June |
| Expected result | The client receives a reminder email showing the invoice number, amount and due date of 1 July |
| Actual result / pass or fail | filled in during testing |
Your acceptance criteria from lesson 7 are the starting point: most Given/When/Then scenarios become UAT cases almost word for word.
Traceability
A traceability matrix links every requirement to the user stories, test cases and KPIs that cover it. It answers two questions: "Has every requirement been tested?" and "Why does this feature exist?". A requirement with no test hasn't been checked. A feature with no requirement is scope creep.
Adoption: the people side
People adopt a change when they understand why, know how, and find it easier than the old way. Plan for:
- Communication: what's changing, why, when, and what it means for each group.
- Training: short and role-specific (lawyers need two minutes on time recording, not the whole billing process).
- Support: a named person to ask in the first weeks.
- Switching off the old way: the spreadsheet and the notebook are retired on a fixed date, or they never will be.
Measure the benefits
After go-live, rerun the baseline measures from lesson 4 with exactly the same definitions, monthly, and report against the business case targets. That's the only way to say "it worked".
Example
Part of Ashgrove's traceability matrix:
| Requirement | User story | UAT cases | KPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| BR-01 Invoices due 30 days after issue | Client sees due date and bank details | UAT-01, UAT-02 | % paid within terms |
| FR-03 Reminder 7 days before due | Automatic reminder before due date | UAT-04, UAT-05, UAT-06 | Average days to pay |
| FR-05 Weekly overdue report | Accounts officer's overdue list | UAT-08 | Overdue value |
| FR-07 No reminders on payment plans | (exception in the reminder story) | UAT-06 |
FR-07 came from an acceptance criterion, not from the original requirements list, and the matrix makes sure it's tested anyway.
Walkthrough
- Turn the acceptance criteria from lesson 7 into UAT test cases, at least one per Must requirement.
- Build the traceability matrix and look for gaps: requirements with no test, and tests with no requirement.
- Plan UAT: who tests (the accounts officer and a partner), with what data, and when. Agree in advance what happens to failed tests.
- Write the adoption plan: communication by group, role-specific training, support, and a date for retiring the spreadsheet.
- Set up the benefits report: the baseline measures, recalculated monthly, against the targets.
Practice
Task
10 minWrite four UAT test cases for Ashgrove's billing change. Put each on its own line in the form ID | Requirement | Steps | Expected result, and include at least one test of an exception (something that should not happen).
Your work is checked for
- Four test cases, each a line with four parts separated by |
- Each has an ID such as UAT-01
- Expected results are specific: at least two include a number or date
- At least one exception test (no, not, isn't, doesn't)
Task
6 minWrite a short adoption plan for Ashgrove's new billing process, with at least one line for each of: communication, training, support, switching off the old spreadsheet, and measuring the benefits. Put each on its own line starting with its heading, for example Training: ....
Your work is checked for
- Communication line
- Training line
- Support line
- Switching-off line with a date or deadline
- Measuring line that mentions a KPI
Check your understanding
Answer every question to check.