So let's see here. We have a simple test project on it's face. Management hired us to figure out if the store if following a set of rules.
I hope you agree this is a real, critical thinking test problem. If we substitute "rules" for "requirements", we find this is very similar to a real test problem.
First of all, just because one cashier follows the rule is no /proof/ that the cashier will do so on the next transaction. Nor that the cashier next to her will do so.
For that matter, a typical grocery store has thousands of items. So finding out that ten or fifteen ring up at the correct price doesn't give us proof that the rest will be correct.
The best we can do is to say that the the process is capable of success - a term I borrowed for auditors a few years ago.
So what would I do? First of all, I'd walk into the store and look around. Yes, look around. Are the floors clean? Are the items stocked correctly? Are the lowest-paid workers, the baggers, wearing clean clothes with shirts that are tucked in? When the lines are down, do they go bring in carts from the parking lot, or do they sit around?
Then I'd go get my three cousins, Joe, who's 20 and looks 23, Billy, who's 21 and looks 25, and Sally, who's 22 and looks 18. Together, we would:
(A) Have Joe wring up a modest set of snack food and "forget" his id; she if he can buy beer. Have him use a different cashier, give his ID, and she if the cashier notice he just turned 20 last week and is 20, not 21. Try to argue with her about the math is she says 'no.' (Also, check the snack food for pricing)
(B) Have sally try the same trick with cigarettes.
(C) But a set of regular groceries, including items on sale, one from each major department. Carry a calculator with me, write down what I bought and the correct amount. Also buy two each of the items that should not be taxed (staples). Go to the checkout counter, and see if the correct amount is subtotaled, correct*0.05 is charged for tax, and sub+tax = total.
(D) Have the cousins try (C) on different shifts with different cashiers.
(E) Each of my and the cousins would try to buy beer at 6:10 AM, noon, 9:50PM, 10:10PM, and on several times on Sunday. We'd all try to buy non-food items on Sunday
(F) Clarify what tax should be applied on things that cost $0.19 (I think nothing) and $0.89 (I think four cents). Buy 100 items at $0.19 each, expect to pay $0.85.
(G) I'd try to buy cigarettes and beer; back then I appeared to be 45 years old. (Yes, I got younger. Hey, it's my story.)
I'd also try to get an appointment with the manager and see if we could have a friendly chat about the inspection, instead of doing it in a clandestine, us-vs-them way. I'd ask what systems he's put in place to educate and train the workers.
At this point, I'd have three types of feedback:
#1: I'd have looked and paid attention to the store (touring). There may be problems that senior management needs to be aware of outside the initial test. Also, a sloppy environment would tell me to spend more time looking carefully at the business rules themselves, because /some/ people at the store aren't doing their jobs.
#2: I'd have performed a first, sloppy pass at the initial requirements handed to me. If the store passed all those, I'd breathe a sigh of relief and start to wonder about the cashiers we didn't test. If some failed, I'd start looking and what failed to consider what to test on my next run.
#3: My walkthough or inspection with the manager would give me some idea of what the risks and weaknesses of the store might be - and it's strengths.
I would take the results of my initial round of testing and plan the next round. We can talk about that next time.
In the mean time
That was my sloppy first pass, and it's an honest first pass. Oh, perhaps I've given it more thought because I had to in order to /write/ the test, but it's not any kind of perfect, down-from-the-heavens answer.
Now's the part where you come in: You get to tell me what a terrible test it is, and what I've missed. Comments, anyone?
More to come.