Use Case 2.0

Subject: Business and customer value
Participants: The entire team
Facilitator: Agile Coach / Agile Master

Summary

Use Cases 2.0 are a tool for using established requirements engineering methodologies in an agile approach.

Definition

The core principle of Use Cases 2.0 is the so-called slicing, the splitting of a use case into smaller units. A so-called use case slice can be realized in one sprint.

Motivation

This method brings together the benefits of use cases and user stories and combines them into a single concept.

Results

Requirements are written in such a way that they can be implemented in sprints, while still providing an overall view of the system being developed and its relationships.

Benefit

This approach provides an overall view of the system, as well as the dependencies and relationships of the requirements. This allows for better traceability and structuring of requirements. In addition, use case stories help to get an overview of already completed system parts during implementation.

Procedure

The following terms describe this method:
Flow: Describing a full or partial path through a narrative use case. There is always one basic flow and there can be alternative flows.
Basic flow: The description of the normal, straight-line walk through the use case. It is therefore the most important part of the narrative use case and is used most frequently by the actors.
Alternative flow: Description of the variant or the optional behavior as part of a narrative use case.
Story: By using a story, the user gets the option to use a valuable system. In Use Case 2.0, a story is described by the narrative use case, one or several flows, requirements and one or several test cases. A story is in consequence not identical to a user story from Scrum.
Use case model: A use case model consists mainly of a number of actors and use cases, as well as diagrams that visualize their relationships.
Use case slice: A use case slice unites one or more stories that are selected from a use case and represent a unique value for users. Rules for defining use case slices: Use case slices have to be cut so small that they can be implemented in one sprint. The first use case story is called basic flow. It will be implemented first. Each slice needs to have at least one test case. If two use case slices contain the same use case stories, they must contain different test cases.
There exist two ways to generate use cases: Top-down, i.e. determine individual steps, processes and alternatives based on the use case. And bottom-up, i.e. by using brainstorming, brainwriting or brain dumping and to combine them in use cases.

Tools

Flipchart, pens, sticky notes

Hints

Use Case 2.0 is suitable for both agile and traditional waterfall development because it is scalable.

Use Case 2.0 ​

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