UAT Lasts as Long as Your System. Are You Prepared?
User Acceptance Testing. The simple phrase that fills consultants with apprehension, dread and heartburn medication. Late nights, high pressure, waning patience, and mostly peaceful conflict are hallmarks of this crucible of OneStream implementation. During this time, partnerships (and scope) are often tested, and in the worst case, irrevocably damaged. For this reason, any consultant worth their certifications would tell you that UAT is not for the faint of heart.
It’s one of the biggest struggles that companies face on their projects. Your end-users are the stakeholders who will determine whether an implementation solves for your pain points, or if more work is needed before it can be called a success. But the under-recognized detail about UAT is that you never really get away from it. And any partner that tells you it only happens once, for a finite number of scenarios, and has a clear ending, is not enabling your long-term success.
In reality, UAT happens every single day for as long as a system is being used. Users are constantly judging the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of a system, often harshly, with little patience for any adverse behavior or functionality gap that makes their experience more difficult. At first thought, that may seem unfair. But the job of any system is to introduce efficiency while also being malleable to changing business needs. If your implementation isn’t doing that, it’s at risk of becoming immediately outdated and ultimately ineffective.
This evergreen UAT “phase” is the world in which system owners must live after go-live. It can be an unforgiving place full of pitfalls and nuances. The temptation to focus on the “now” and not the future is prevalent, but this approach risks sacrificing long-term stability. Because UAT never really stops, your digital solution must be mindfully maintained by seasoned stewards who share your future vision. After launch, it’s not enough for your implementation partner to simply be an ad hoc order taker putting out fires; working in and around a live implementation requires a special skill set.
Beyond expert product knowledge, you must ensure that your team and partners have the experience with and knowledge of best practices that are built from years of working in live instances. Resources that have the seniority and discipline to see around corners and into the future, in terms of governance, process and product evolution, bring many benefits. They help protect your ROI, ensure your instance is moving forward with new enhancements, and reduce the heartburn caused by eternal UAT. You need a partner who intimately understands what makes your experience unique and can recommend an effective approach to meet your needs during implementation, at launch and into the future.
This focus on being the seasoned steward–and not just an order taker–is why we call our team Summit Services. Unlike so many managed services teams, we know what it takes to keep a OneStream instance healthy and moving forward throughout the everlasting UAT process. Our team is staffed with experienced post-go-live experts. We do this to ensure a seamless customer experience, expert execution and issue resolution, but mostly because we understand what it truly means to have a live OneStream implementation.
Whether it’s providing guidance, issue resolution, reviewing upcoming release notes together or executing enhancements, we remain engaged to protect the adoption and ROI of the solution. UAT is more than just a phase; it lives as long as your system does. Your partners must believe in this to ensure your long-term success.
Choosing the right managed services partner is crucial for the success of your OneStream implementation. With Summit Services, you can trust that you are working with a team of experts who are committed to helping you achieve your business goals. With their deep consultative experience, innovative approach, and dedicated relationship-focused assignment, Summit Services is the solution you need to unlock the full potential of your OneStream implementation.