How to Master User Acceptance Testing for Business Central
- Dec 16
- 3 min read
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is one of the most critical stages of any Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation. The success—or failure—of your go-live often hinges on it. Yet many organizations underestimate UAT, treating it as a quick review rather than a structured validation process. When done properly, UAT ensures that after configuration and setup, your team can confidently rely on Business Central to run the business day to day.
Why a Structured UAT Matters
At The BC Team, we’re often brought in after go-live when issues surface that should have been caught earlier—incorrect postings, broken workflows, inventory discrepancies, or reporting that doesn’t match expectations. In almost every case, the root cause traces back to incomplete or informal UAT.
Clicking around the system, entering a few transactions, or “seeing if things work” is not UAT. Effective UAT is deliberate, documented, and tied directly to how your business actually operates. A structured approach reduces risk, avoids surprises, and gives leadership confidence that the system is ready.
Step 1: Identify Your Critical Business Scenarios
Start by identifying the processes that are essential to your operations—especially those that would cause serious disruption if they failed. From there, expand to important but often overlooked scenarios, such as:
Year-end close and adjusting entries
Asset depreciation and disposals
Credit notes and returns
Partial shipments and invoicing
Multi-currency or intercompany transactions
Use a simple tool like Excel to track each scenario. Assign a reference number, clearly describe the transaction, and include variations where applicable (e.g., multi-line purchase orders, partial invoicing, different tax treatments). Each test should result in a clear pass or fail—avoid vague descriptions.
Step 2: Define Expected Results
Every test scenario must include clearly defined expected outcomes. This typically involves validating results across multiple areas of the system, such as:
General Ledger postings
Tax calculations
Vendor and customer balances
Inventory quantities and costs
By defining expected results in advance, your testing becomes objective and repeatable. If a test fails, the issue is fixed and the scenario is retested. This process is what builds confidence that Business Central is behaving as intended.
Step 3: Test Methodically and Intentionally
UAT is not about hoping everything works—it’s about proving that it does. At The BC Team, we encourage clients to test using real or recently completed transactions whenever possible. This exposes edge cases and ensures workflows reflect real-world conditions.
Track every test result, document failures, and confirm fixes through retesting. This disciplined approach is what separates a successful go-live from one that creates ongoing operational frustration.
Step 4: Involve the Right People
UAT should never be handled by IT alone. Involve the people who actually run the business:
Finance and accounting
Operations and purchasing
Warehouse and inventory teams
Power users and department leads
Their firsthand knowledge ensures testing reflects reality—not assumptions. This collaboration significantly reduces post-go-live issues and improves user adoption.
Why This Matters
A well-executed UAT process protects your investment in Business Central. It prevents costly post-go-live disruptions, accelerates adoption, and ensures your system delivers accurate data and reliable workflows from day one.
Need Help Getting UAT Right?
The BC Team brings nearly two decades of hands-on experience implementing, stabilizing, and optimizing Business Central environments. We help organizations design and execute thorough UAT processes that validate every critical workflow—before go-live or during system stabilization.
Don’t leave success to chance.
📞 Call 226-747-7679 to schedule a consultation and ensure your Business Central system is truly ready for your business.
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