How we build · Stage 05
Validate
Prove it works — for users, under load, and against attack.
- Typical duration
- 2–5 weeks
- Portal phase
- validate
- Stage
- 05 of 08
- CRM stages
- 1
What this stage is for
Acceptance is evidence-based. We test the product against the criteria agreed in Shape, not against a general feeling that it seems fine.
Your part
Run user acceptance testing with real users of the system, and sign acceptance.
Activities
What happens
- Client-run user acceptance testing with structured cases and evidence
- Accessibility audit: automated checks plus manual keyboard and screen-reader review
- Performance and load testing against agreed budgets
- Security testing, and penetration testing before high-risk production use
- Data migration rehearsals with reconciliation
- Disaster-recovery and restore rehearsal
Outputs
What you get
- UAT results with defect triage and resolution evidence
- Accessibility conformance report against WCAG 2.2 AA
- Performance report against the agreed budgets
- Security findings and remediation record
- Signed acceptance record
Exit criteria
We do not move on until
Written down so neither side has to rely on a feeling that things seem fine.
- Acceptance criteria are met and formally signed
- No open critical or high-severity defects or security findings
- Rollback and recovery procedures are tested, not merely written
Behind the scenes
How this shows up in our systems
This is not a diagram made for a website. The stage you are reading maps onto literal values in our CRM and the phase label in your client portal.
- CRM pipeline stages
- UAT / release readinessAcceptance testing and pre-launch evidence.
- What you see in the portal
- Your project shows the phase "validate", with this stage's purpose and your part written on the project page.
Where it applies
Services that run this stage
Next step
Talk to us about validate
The Project Architect asks the questions this stage depends on, and tells you which stage your project should actually start at.