The UAT Habit
A small ritual that made every release a little more honest.
A durable user-acceptance-testing practice built into each release — a cross-functional group of trainers, operators, and program owners who tried the changes before they shipped. Not a gate; a conversation.
The problem
Engineering-tested software is not the same as user-tested software. Without a real user in the loop, small assumptions become production problems.
The approach
Designed a lightweight UAT rhythm that fit inside the release cadence: a shared checklist, a diverse cohort, and a promise that feedback would land somewhere visible. Named participants in release notes so their contribution was recognised.
The outcome
A rising baseline of quality and, quietly, a sense of shared ownership across teams that had previously worked in parallel.