All About Use Cases

Use cases have become the defacto standard for capturing and communicating detailed, functional requirements from the business community to the information technology group. What should be in a use case, however, is not necessarily clearly defined. This 2-day course presents techniques for discovering and communicating business, solution, system, and detail-level use cases. It is designed around effective exercises that allow the participants to apply the concepts in a realistic setting.

The course focuses on helping real people in the real world find and document use cases at varying, audience-focused levels of detail. From the high level perspective of the business use case to the nitty-gritty details of a detailed use case, the transformation of the use case will be made clear.

1. What Is a Use Case and Who Needs It

General Introduction

Course Objectives

Discussion: Your Priorities

Shopping at an Online Store

The Automated Teller Machine

Exercise: Case Study Introduction

2. Use Cases Defined

What is a Use Case

A Use Case is…

Use Case Models

Contents of a Use Case Model

Example Use Case Diagram

An Actor is a Role Representing

Primary and Secondary Actors

Paths

A Use Case Specification is…

List of Actors

Pre-conditions

Post-Conditions

Paths (aka: Flow of Events)

Discussion: Process or Use Case?

Roadmap

3. Business Analysis and Use Cases

Using Use Cases

Business Analysis is…

Premise of Business Analysis

The Usefulness of Use Cases

Business Analysis Includes…

To Align Solutions with Business Needs

Different Use Cases for Different Purposes

Exercise: The Great Debate

4. Working with Use Cases

Levels of Detail in Use Cases

Perspective

Business Use Cases

Reasons to Use Business Use Cases

Business Use Case: Pay a Bill

How to Describe the Business

Business Use Case Diagram

Business Use Case: Pay a Bill

Solution Use Case

Reasons to Use Solution Use Cases

Identify Solution Use Cases

Solution Use Case Diagram

Traceability

Solution Use Case: Pay a Bill Online

System Use Case

Reasons to Use System Use Cases

System Use Case Diagram

Constraints Imposed by the System

System Use Case: Pay a Bill Online

Detailed System Use Case

Reasons to Use Detailed System Use Cases

Detailed System Use Case Diagram

5. Other Paths and Flows

Dealing with Ifs in Use Cases

Identify Other Paths

System Use Case: Pay a Bill Online

Paths and Flows

System Use Case: Pay a Bill Online

Exception Flow

Exception Flow (anytime)

System Use Case: Pay a Bill Online

Alternate Flow

Exercise: Identify and Write Other Paths

6. Documentation Guidelines

Documentation Guidelines

Use Case Brief

Example Use Case Brief

Stakeholders, Actors and Users

Actor-Stakeholder Mapping

Actor Descriptions

Example Actor Descriptions

Exercise: Identifying Actors

Use Case Template

Where do the Details Go?

7. Advanced Use Case Modeling

Advanced Use Case Modeling

The «include» Relationship

Modeling an «include»

Example of «include»

The «extend» Relationship

An Airline Example

Modeling an «extend»

Exercise: Using «include» and «extend»

8. Running a Use Case Workshop

Getting Use Cases in a Hurry

A Social Activity

Communication 101

The Psychology of Communication

Visual Feedback

Roles

Keys to Success

Exercise: Eliciting a Standard Path

9. Quality Assurance

The Need for Quality

Quality Assurance Techniques

Efficient Reviews

Exercise: Use Case Walkthrough

• Write use case descriptions
• Detail the sequence of interaction steps for the most common situation
• Differentiate between different levels of use cases
• Determine how to handle alternate and exception situations
• Draw use case diagrams
• Document proposed user interaction in use cases and use case diagrams
• Run a use case workshop
• Write "good quality" use cases

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We do not currently have a public offering of this class scheduled. To add your name to the waiting list or request alternate offers, please contact us.
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