BAT (Business Acceptance Testing) and UAT (User Acceptance Testing) are both much misunderstood terms that often end up getting used interchangeably. However, the two have completely varying meanings.
BAT (Business Acceptance Testing) is primarily focused on assessing the business requirement of an organization and deals with strategy. It is based on approach, dynamics, culture, information technology, statutory requirements, operational framework and customers. It seeks to meet business requirements in a specified business scenario against the Business Case.
One can use Solution Assessment and Validation tasks to validate a solution. If the solution/s consists of more life cycles, the V-model can be used to map the business acceptance criteria and relevant life cycle/iteration.
BAT is derived from business strategy or business requirements. It is directly related to an organization’s mission, goal and objectives. Such requirements are also called Business Requirements (BR) at a higher level. The BAT may include solution covering automated requirements, usability and manual processes. This could also involve ease of doing business or process reducing or altogether eliminating redundant, irrelevant steps/tasks in the process. This is also known as FFBT (Fit for Business Testing) and is conducted by Business Analysts working in that domain or department. It consists of main business requirements along with usability, including auto as well as manual processes.
Business Analysts can use SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats) or McKinesey’s 7 S Model or Balanced Score card for analyzing and implementing such requirements.
UAT (User Acceptance Testing) is primarily focused on stakeholder or user or user group/s requirements in dealing with a solution. It could be in the form of additional functionality or special needs that may or may not have an impact in other areas.
This is derived from stakeholder requirements and enumerated in detail.
One can use UAT to verify if users or super users are satisfied about their requirements before moving the solution into user community (production environment). Carried out by end-users or testers, this concentrates on meeting customer requirements and is mapped on to the Requirement Document.
The UAT will have functional as well as non-functional requirements (stress, performance, reliability, etc.) to be tested.
UAT is more of an IT oriented test to check if the developed solution satisfies user requirements such as delivery of a new functionality to fulfill users’ need and expectations such as a new workflow or a new field with predefined values.
There are also additional requirements like user clicks in the field and prompt values to be selected to help users save time. For example, when a user adds a zip code, the city and state name should appear automatically in the next fields.
The client and customer ensure that solution satisfies the contractual acceptance criteria before signing off the project upon successful conduct of UAT.
UAT is also used to validate requirements before designing a solution.
To know more about Business Analysis concept, you can read my book – Business Analysis: The Question and Answer Book available on amazon
References: Business Analysis Book from BCS and www.ieee.org