Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Objectives of a Test Drive are NOT
•
to break the car
to improve the car's design
You do not try to break the car or any of its components. Rather, you seek guaran-
tees and warranties that imply the car manufacturer has already tried to break it
and proven the car is “unbreakable” under normal driving conditions for
x
thousand
miles or
y
years, whichever occurs fi rst. In other words, you expect the car's reliabil-
ity to have been already tested by others.
You do not typically try to improve the design of the car because you expect the
car manufacturer to have employed a design goal that was reached by the particular
model for which you are shopping. If you identify design changes you would like to
make in the car, the normal reaction is to simply shop for a different model or for
a different manufacturer to fi nd a car with the desired alternative design already
implemented.
A software analogy is to shop for a personal accounting package. For example,
consider shopping for a home fi nancial tool and fi nding Quicken by Intuit and
Money by MicroSoft. As a user, you are not interested in a “test drive” to break the
software. You expect (correctly or incorrectly) that the software is unbreakable. As
a user, you are not interested in changing the software design. If you do not like the
way Quicken selects accounts using drop-down menus, you consider the way Money
selects accounts.
So what
do
you test during a car test drive? Typically, it is determined by
your transportation needs (goals). The needs become
test
drive
objectives
. Test
objectives are the measurable milestones in testing, which clearly indicate that the
testing activities have defi nitely achieved the desired goals. You translate test drive
objectives into testing approaches that validate whether the car on the dealer's lot
meets your transportation objectives. Different objectives call for different test drive
approaches. Next, we will look at examples of test drive objectives.
•
Objectives of a Test Drive ARE
•
to validate affordability
•
to validate attractiveness
•
to validate comfort
•
to validate usefulness
to validate performance
Each of these testing objectives can be validated against the car without trying to
break it or redesign it. Some of these testing objectives can be validated even before
you get in the car and start the engine.
All of these objectives are personal. You are the only one who can prioritize
these objectives. You are the only one who can evaluate the car against these objec-
tives by a test drive, and decide whether to buy the car.
•
•
•
Affordability:
down payment, monthly payments, interest rate, and trade-in
Attractiveness:
body style, color scheme, body trim, and interior
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