User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and System Integration Testing (SIT) are distinct phases in software testing with different goals, participants, and focuses:
1. Objective and Focus
- SIT (System Integration Testing): Focuses on testing the integration of different modules or systems to ensure they work together as intended. It verifies data flow, interface functionality, and interactions between various systems, especially when different components (e.g., ERP, CRM) are connected.
- UAT (User Acceptance Testing): Ensures the system meets business requirements from an end-user’s perspective. UAT validates that the software performs as expected in real-world scenarios and meets the needs of the actual users.
2. Participants
- SIT: Typically performed by QA testers or technical teams who understand the system’s architecture and integration points.
- UAT: Usually conducted by end-users, business analysts, or stakeholders who are familiar with business processes but may not be technical experts.
3. Environment and Data
- SIT: Uses a testing or staging environment, often with test data to simulate the systems’ interaction.
- UAT: Ideally performed in an environment that closely resembles production, using realistic or masked production data to mimic actual use cases.
4. Timing in the Testing Lifecycle
- SIT: Occurs after individual modules are unit tested and before UAT. It’s one of the earlier integration phases, aiming to resolve technical issues with module interactions.
- UAT: Happens near the end of the testing lifecycle, usually after SIT is complete, before the product goes live, to confirm that the software is ready for release.
5. Scope of Testing
- SIT: Involves testing interfaces, APIs, and data flows between modules and systems, focusing on integration points rather than end-to-end functionality.
- UAT: Focuses on end-to-end functionality from a user perspective, assessing if the system aligns with business processes and requirements.
In summary, SIT is a technical integration-focused test phase led by QA teams, while UAT is a business-oriented, user-focused test phase to ensure the software meets real-world requirements.