Scenario testing in a real environment: Key card Administration System at the University Hospital in North Norway

Software is gradually replacing paper based administration systems. The migration to electronic systems is supposed to make life easier for the users. If this is to be the case then these software systems must be created in such a way that the end users are able to use them effectively. To achieve usable systems, software testing must be utilized. There are many ways to test a program, with or without involving real users. Scenario testing is a somewhat poorly documented discipline in software testing, with ambiguous definitions. It does however seem to be well suited in combination with users to test external parts of a software system in a late state of development. This project is based on the work done in the software engineering depth study [12]. There we conducted empirical work and internal testing of the software system KAS, and laid the foundation for this Master s thesis. In this report we have continued the work with this software and concentrated on its external characteristics and user testing. We have analyzed scenario testing further through a software test of this system involving its future users. The users have been given tasks to complete through stories that explain what to do but not how to do it. We have observed the test subjects closely throughout the tests, and collected important data. The results have been evaluated in order to assess their usefulness, which further points to the quality of scenario testing as a testing method. The results have also spawned functional requirements which have been implemented into the KAS. Through this project we have gained experience that can be useful to others conducting scenario tests or doing research in software testing in the future