Sometimes UAT looks and smells a lot like QA testing. Does anyone use UAT to iterate the design to ensure that the product or service is useful, usable, and accessible? Does it fit into the users work flow?
The key to quality is measuring and monitoring it. So, a plan needs to be in place. But, the plan is easy because it should be a part of your user testing (email me if there is a question here).
But, how often does one go back to the business case to see what value drivers were discussed? Does eveyone on your team know the value drivers for the project?
Once you know the value drivers, convert it into a quantifiable metric. Sometimes it is easy. When "brand loyalty or user satisfaction" come up, there are ways to measure these drivers without added time or cost.
You should have a round of user testing that is in parallel with QA testing. Get the data and you know you are on course. It's always better to present to a President data than your opinion. Saving Changes...
