ABSTRACT
The purpose of the User Qualification stage is to verify the operability of a computer system. Authorization to use the computer system after User Qualification is documented through a Validation Report. User Qualification is sometimes known as User Acceptance Testing (UAT), but differs from Development Testing in that it is performed under the supervision of the user organization. Development Testing does not require any user involvement, and indeed for Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) systems users in general are seldom consulted. Care must be taken when planning computer systems not to unnecessarily duplicate Development Testing during User Qualification. It is often also prudent to involve future maintenance and support representatives within the User Qualification activities. User Qualification should abide by any prerequisites that are required, in readiness for operation and maintenance of the computer system.
