Since starting here at Nationwide, I have successfully run over 540 test cases on the Online Quote & Bind application

Overview

Since starting work at Nationwide, I have successfully run over 540 test cases on the Online Quote & Bind application. Each test consists of around 10 different web-pages, depending on the situation. Each one of these pages may contain zero to 25 fields that need to be filled with information. In an auto quote, anything from your vehicle identification number to how you heard about the insurance company may be asked. There are a vast number of different cases that can be put through this application, far more than I can come up with, each case producing different results.

I have learned how to efficiently test a computer application. By testing as many things as possible in one run of the program, I am able to achieve more productive work in less time. Also, having a background in computers, I was able to hone my typing skills to a quicker pace to further speed testing along.

The typing required was, for the most part, looking at a piece of data for a split second, then putting this data into a field on the application. There is a multitude of data to be used, including: addresses, phone numbers, drivers license numbers, vehicle identification numbers, social security numbers and so on. All states have a different format to their driver’s license number and, of course, to get an insurance quote for a car you need to have a driver’s license number. Each state also has a different type of format for creating insurance. Some examples are: Class Plan M, Direct and Delayed Quote. Gaining knowledge about these subjects helped me to better understand the application, and why the same test case would work fine in one state, but would behave quite differently in another state.

The application Nationwide uses to document all test scripts and defects is called TestDirector. I have gained substantial knowledge of how to create and run test scripts, log defects, and how to properly document these. Initially, the defects that I created did not contain enough detail for a developer to recreate the problem. After seeing an example of a well-documented defect, I was able to have success in creating defects that were well understood and now developers can easily see how to recreate a defect that I create.

I have created 27 defects, many of which were resolved. Some of these were labeled as difficult to fix, and were postponed until a future date. Since I have been here, 107 defects have been entered into TestDirector for our application. So, about ¼ of all defects (while I was here) were found by me. There are six people on the team, so I feel like I have done decent work thus far in my internship.

The test plan for the application is constantly changing, as new functionality is added to the application. This test plan has adapted to these changes in every release, and must be kept up-to-date with the actual application to ensure proper testing occurs. There are 96 test scripts that I update and use in TestDirector. There are also other scripts for other parts of the application, such as Property Quote and Delayed Quote.

The testing environments consist of: Pre-development, Development, Integration Testing, Unit Testing, and Systems Testing. Pre-development is basically an environment where the code is first pushed to see if it causes any major problems. Development is where new code is altered to produce the basic desired results. Integration testing is where the details laid out in the specifications are tested to ensure proper performance. In Unit Testing, each individual piece of new code is tested to ensure reliability in all cases involving that component or function. Systems Testing is where the entire system is tested as a whole to ensure proper linkage between new components and existing components.

There are two ‘sets’ of each of these environments: internet and intranet. In the internet, anyone online can come and use the application to get a quote and bind their policy. The intranet is only for Nationwide employees, and is basically the same exact application as the internet, but is only accessible through the Nationwide network.

A new set of both of these environments was recently created on an entirely new set of hardware. This is called ‘Project Mercury’, and that is what is now to be tested (in addition to the old environments). This new hardware is supposedly faster, more reliable and much more secure. Thus far in testing, we have not found these new environments to be any faster than the older environments, and we will have to assume these are more secure and reliable and the old environments. This also requires TWICE the amount of testing, since all of the components may not be properly installed, one test case that works in the old environments may not work in Mercury.

Technical Learning

CIS 221 was probably the most informative class about testing. Here, we learned how to think up test cases to test ALL of the functionality of a program. In order to test the application here at Nationwide, there are many more test cases, and each case is much more in depth. Although this class discussed the basics of testing, actually applying my knowledge from this class was somewhat difficult due to these differences.

In CIS 321 we worked in pairs and used some teamwork skills that I feel have greatly improved my ability to convey thoughts and ideas. Explaining to someone else a suspected problem with the application can be challenging, and in this class we were able to sharpen some of these skills. Being as specific as possible in defects is one thing that I have tried to accomplish at Nationwide.

There are two main differences between coursework and work at Nationwide. First, deadlines at Nationwide are quite often delayed, while due dates remain constant. This is one thing that I was surprised to see. One break in a deadline will move all of the other proceeding deadlines to accommodate this change, and multiple breaks can cause long delays in release dates. If the business requirements are not met by their deadline, then the system specifications cannot be created on time. Since the application cannot be written or changed until after the developers receive system specifications, a delay will occur. This chain reaction does not occur in the classroom, and due dates for labs, homework, midterms and the final remain the same.

This brings up the second difference: coursework consists of many different things, while work at Nationwide requires only one thing. In a typical CIS course, homework, labs, studying for the midterm and final, and active participation in class all are all elements of that course. At Nationwide, testing is discussed, testing is done, and testing is basically all there is to focus on. There are no choices about what to do, testing is the only option.

Economic Insights

Living in the information age, many people now simply do things online instead of going out. File cabinets have been replaced by servers, as more people are comfortable looking at a computer screen instead of paper documents. Nationwide accommodated this popular trend by creating an application to boost sales to target these potential online customers. So far this year, the average number of policies that are bound online exceeds 500. Here is a breakdown of various months and their yields:

TABLE 1:

QB YTD Numbers as of 4/22/03:

Metrics	Month	January 2003	February 2003	March 2003	April 2003	Total
Quick Quotes		48,423	49,157	56,779	32,415	186,774
Full Quotes (Auto)		15,202	17,237	19,260	10,340	62,039
Full Quotes (Property)		0	0	0	0	0
eMail Quotes (Auto)		1,038	1,063	1,270	679	4,050
eMail Quotes (Property)		2,285	2,468	2,953	1,645	9,351
Policies Bound Online		107	137	145	85	474

YTD TOTAL Sales Technology Services Transactions as of 4/14/03 = 589,384

YTD TOTAL Acquisitions Transactions =248,377

Although not many policies were actually bound, this application has started to make money for Nationwide. The original investment has paid off, and now the dollars are mostly profit. The internet is becoming more and more popular, and being able to legally bind an automotive-insurance policy online is a very fresh idea that Nationwide has capitalized on very well. Attempting property quotes online was not as successful. In 2003 thus far, $82,971.12 has been spent to support this property feature. ZERO dollars have been made off of this functionality, thus the project was dropped.

One thing that Nationwide has not been doing very well is linking this application to various other applications. For example, there is an independent GIS application that compares your address to their huge database of addresses in the United States, to verify that your address exists. $449,986.36 is the budgeted expense per-year for this feature that must be used on every quote. Even after this money is paid, problems may occur with data format that must be resolved by Nationwiders, not by GIS employees. This is just one example of spendthrift that I have seen at Nationwide.

Distribution Solutions Value Metric
Metric: Sales Company CPE/PIF (exclusive of Hardware)
	2000	2001	2002	2003 Target
Total PIF/VIF	11,775,354	11,781,706	11,613,132	11,637,863
Total Sales Co CPE	$32,126,928	$39,214,721	$34,475,841	$27,102,526
Metric	$2.73	$3.33	$2.97	$2.33

This metric field indicates the price per quote, Maintenance Cost per Policies In Force. As you can see, over the past few years the cost has remained steady. This year the cost per quote is hopefully going to be lower than ever. This will greatly increase profit, since only maintenance cost is needed instead of initial creation cost.

Communications/Problem Solving Insights

Nationwide uses an application called ‘Lotus Notes’ for their communication/time organization program. This application creates a user name for an employee, and will instantly forward information to groups, or simply send a ‘note’ to an individual. Calendars are also created, and employees can view anyone’s calendar, and create meetings or tele-conferences involving one or multiple employees. This is a very efficient way of standardizing information and communication, using an all-encompassing-application.

Standards also include the use of the English language. Courses at Ohio State often have professors and teaching assistants who use English as a second language. This gave me experience with foreign accents before coming to Nationwide, so it was easier to carry on a conversation understandably with other employees. Good oral skills are required to properly speak, both over the phone and face to face. Cheerfully answering, no mumbling or slurred speech, and courteous manners are all implicit about phone manners. A generally clean overall appearance is also expected. This includes: proper grooming, business casual attire and quality hygiene.

Psychological/Sociological Insights

There are many different types of people that work at Nationwide, and along with these differences comes various styles of working. I have found my style that works for me, combining many qualities that I have seen in others. A consistent, hard working individual seems to accomplish the most work very efficiently. Seeing negative things has also helped me find negative qualities that I would like to avoid. Such as surfing the internet constantly or taking too many or too lengthy breaks. This all comprises what I would consider unclean work ethics.

Another related issue to ethics is the idea of coming to a compromise about work. If too many stubborn employees are assigned to a project, and none of them wish to compromise, nothing will be accomplished. Not only can stubbornness affect this, but personal differences can also play a role in task assignment, social events and other such activities.

Political Insights

Federal, state and local governments all impose restrictions on the Nationwide Corporation. The toughest restrictions come from the Department of Insurance in each state. Because Nationwide offers online quote and bind capability in 28 states, there are 28 different standards to follow. Since binding an insurance policy is a legal contract, everything must be approved by lawyers. In Texas, every web page Nationwide has must be on file in their Department of Insurance. So if a page is updated on a monthly basis, this creates quite a hassle for Nationwide to keep up with. Security is another main concern of Nationwide. We have a ‘Privacy Page’ which basically states that no one will see your information except Nationwide employees. There is also a level of responsibility to the customer to adhere to this promise, such as not printing information and just throwing it away. This all creates the proper business practices used at Nationwide.

The internal politics of Nationwide are still somewhat of a mystery to me. The hierarchical chart is as follows:

Chief Executive Officer

Presidents

Vice Presidents

Assistant Vice Presidents

Directors, Officers

Managers

Project Leads

Interns Programmers Analysts Contractors

Following the typical patron-client relationship, the base of the pyramid does the work the top of the pyramid proposes. The higher on the pyramid, the larger and more influential the decisions become. Nationwide is ranked 334 out of the Fortune 500 companies in the world, and I have yet to disagree with this. Of course I am at the very base of the pyramid, but I cannot see any corruption. I have learned how a successful company operates, and how decisions are made and implemented and enforced.

Conclusions

Through this experience, I have gained substantial technical knowledge, social

skills and a solid base for future employment. This opportunity will be very helpful in my career aspirations as a programmer since I now have experience as a tester. My educational goals remain the same, do my best and keep my grade point average high. Nationwide has provided me with a key initial step for my future employment.