Preparing your Application for National Release
Once your applicaiton has been approved by MAP leadership and passed the V&V process, an app moves into production for end-user testing and national release activities. Once the application is in the production environment, the application is tested by the field to ensure everything is working properly by the end-users.
Once fully tested an app is then marketed across the Department of Veteran Affairs and can be made available on tthe VA Mobile App store for download and use.
Field Testing Processes
OCC apps typically undergo a phase called Field Testing, which includes processes and support activities that ensure OCC delivers the best possible product. OCC's Field Testing team states:
Field testing strives to continuously improve product quality through data collection and analysis. OCC's Field Testing team uses evidence-based methods to test and develop products for implementation across the VA enterprise. Field testing provides the data gathering and analysis required in order to successfully carry out the implementation of a product.
The field testing process consists of several steps that conclude with an assessment of lessons learned. Lessons learned are identified and reviewed to optimize processes going forward and share valuable insight from the field with other product development teams. Field testing is a bridge between app development and the implementation/rollout of the product. It is separate from usability testing or User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Field testing seeks to find out how well a product will fit in a real-world environment. Its objective is to determine how well a product fits (or does not fit) into existing workflows, assess potential changes that need to be made prior to a broader deployment, and anticipate the value/impact to VA. The data gathered from these activities serves to provide guidance for future app functionality, and the implementation and rollout strategy.
National Release Activities
Once an application completes field testing and resolves any potential bugs found, the application is ready for National Release and can be made readily available through any or all of the options below:
- VA Mobile Application Store
- VA Google Play Store
- VA Apple Store
- VA App Catalogue
- VA Staff LaunchPad
- VA Veteran LaunchPad
- Patient Video Tablets
- Digital Prescription Pad
Once the application is available on the applicable platforms listed above, the application should be marketed by the application team as laid out in the implementation strategy and made available for the use of our VA Veterans or VA Providers.
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