Accelerating Product Development Through Strategic User Acceptance Testing

Accelerating Product Development Through Strategic User Acceptance Testing

Situation

Coca-Cola had recently developed a new authoring tool for product data development, but some functionality had not been fully tested and the implementation strategy for testing was unclear. The organization was responsible for administering UAT to end-users but had not yet developed a comprehensive product authoring tool testing framework. The company needed a structured approach to testing that would be used by end-users, and testing was scheduled to begin within a few weeks, but no systematic work had been completed to define what needed to be tested or who should be completing the tests. The lack of a clear testing strategy created risks for product launch timing and user adoption success.

Our Solution

Thought Logic developed a comprehensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) strategy focused on Digital Transformation best practices to ensure successful implementation of the new product authoring tool. Our approach included defining key testing requirements for UAT including system/admin testing versus user-process testing, applicable test scenarios, user groups to test with, and systematic framework development for comprehensive testing coverage. We identified key assumptions and roadblocks for completion of test-case authoring, worked with other consultants to author test cases, and established testing protocols that would ensure the product met user needs while supporting successful organizational adoption.

Stakeholders

Our Clients
  • Data Governance leadership and product development teams

  • System administrators and technical implementation specialists

  • End-users across various business functions requiring new authoring capabilities

  • Project management and quality assurance teams

Our Solution Team
  • Digital transformation and UAT strategy specialists

  • Product testing and user experience consultants

  • System implementation and testing framework experts

  • Change management and user adoption specialists

Achievements

The engagement successfully positioned the CPG company with robust testing capabilities that ensure successful product launches while building internal expertise for continued digital transformation and product development excellence.

Testing Framework Excellence
  • Comprehensive UAT strategy developed that replaced the actual user-experience as compared to the system unit testing that had previously been completed

  • Systematic testing approach established with clear requirements, scenarios, and user group assignments for thorough product validation

User Experience and Adoption
  • Enhanced user adoption through UAT approach that has previously been seen as a roadblock but was able to start on time

  • Streamlined testing process that included downstream customers of product data to ensure comprehensive validation of authoring tool functionality

Product Development Success
  • Accelerated product launch timeline through structured UAT strategy that eliminated previous uncertainty and testing roadblocks

  • Quality assurance framework that ensures new authoring tool meets user requirements and business needs before full deployment

  • Risk mitigation through comprehensive testing that identifies potential issues before they impact end-user productivity

  • Foundation for future product development with established UAT methodologies that can be applied to additional digital transformation initiatives

  • This established Atlanta-based financial services company faced a critical strategic challenge as fintech disruptors were rapidly attracting consumers away from traditional banking relationships.

  • This global Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods company was experiencing market share erosion to competitors and struggling with poor visibility into the key performance factors driving their business success.