Interview Question for Test Manager at Expedia:

Most complexity was in controlling the test data -- data pulls were set to happen every minute but sometimes calls to partners would time out. If the system does report a status change -- how do you know if if it accurate or a hiccup in the system?

one solution -- control your own test data. Either make a copy of the sources in the test env or add a test source that you can force updates through. Have automation trigger the update and then check for same status via the front end.