Use Cases in Business Analysis: Cracking the Code

In Business Analysis, understanding and effectively implementing Use Cases can be the key to driving successful projects and achieving organisational goals. Use Cases serve as practical tools that help business analysts, developers, and stakeholders identify needs, set goals, and improve collaboration. They provide a structured approach to defining the interactions between systems and users, ensuring that software and systems deliver the intended functionality.  

Discover how Use Cases in Business Analysis can drive successful projects across different industries. Empower your business with actionable insights and explore the power of Use Cases in Business Analysis today. Plus, learn more about their significance and application. 

Table of Contents 

1) Use Cases and scenarios- an overview 

2) Use-Case definition 

3) Use-Case benefits 

4) Factors influencing Use Cases 

5) The anatomy of a Use-Case 

6) Guidance for Use-Case template 

7) Conclusion 

Use Cases and scenarios- an overview 

In Use Cases and scenarios within the Business Analysis domain, it is used to define the particular ways a system will be able to interact with the users or other systems.  A Use Case is a structured explanation of the actions of the system in collaboration with external entities (users, systems, hardware), which result in providing valuable outputs. On the other hand, scenarios are specific to instances of a Use Case, detailing the steps in the sequence and user-system interaction to perform an action or goal. 

Understanding these concepts is crucial for business analysts, developers, and stakeholders to ensure that software and systems meet the intended requirements and provide the necessary functionality. They serve not only as guidelines for system design but also as vital tools for testing and validating the system post-implementation. 

Definition of Use-Case  

A Use Case is a fundamental element in software and system design that outlines how a system interacts with external entities to achieve a specific goal. It provides a detailed, structured explanation of the system's actions in collaboration with users, other systems, or hardware, resulting in valuable outcomes. Use Cases are essential for ensuring that systems meet intended requirements and function as expected. 

Title 

The title of a Use Case should be action-oriented and reflect the main goal or outcome. It acts as a concise summary of what the Use Case is about, such as "Process Online Order" or "Update User Profile." 

Actors 

Actors are the external entities that interact with the system. They can be primary actors, who initiate the Use Case to achieve a goal, or secondary actors, who assist or interact with the system during the Use Case execution. Examples of actors include a user, a customer, another system, or a database. 

Description 

The description provides a brief overview of the Use Case, detailing the intent and the significance of the Use Case in the broader system context. It should answer what the Use Case does and why it is important. 

Preconditions 

Preconditions specify what must be true or satisfied before the Use Case can be initiated. These conditions ensure that the system is in the correct state to perform the Use Case actions. For instance, a precondition for the "process online order" Use Case could be that the shopping cart is not empty. 

Main flow 

The Main flow is the sequence of steps that describes the typical execution of the Use Case, detailing how the actors will interact with the system to achieve the goal. This flow is often depicted in a step-by-step manner, highlighting interactions and decision points. 

Gain skills that can be implemented in real workplace situations- register for our BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis Course today!   

Alternate flows 

Alternate flows cover the variations of the main flow. These include exceptions or error conditions that could alter the course of the main flow, detailing how the system should respond in different scenarios. For instance, an alternate flow might handle situations where an item in the order is out of stock. 

Postconditions 

Postconditions describe the state of the system at the conclusion of the Use Case execution. They define what has changed or what must be true after the completion of the Use Case, ensuring that the system's integrity is maintained. For example, the postcondition for a successful "update user profile" might be that the user's details have been updated in the database. 

Benefits of Use-Case
 

Efficiency  

Efficiency is something indispensable in the current rapidity that marks business life, and Business Analysis will contribute substantially to the optimisation. They find bottlenecks and redundancies to propose solutions that bring improvements in the workflow by understanding processes and requirements.  

In most Project Management areas, such as workflow analysis and requirements gathering, the application of Business Analysis techniques can reduce the project cycle time and increase productivity. Real-world examples would be the use of automating data entry-type tasks or fine-tuning the supply chain logistics, whereby both demonstrate a significantly higher impact on wasted resources and time. 

Clarity 

Another great benefit of Business Analysis is that it clearly defines the operations within the business and the objectives of the project. The analysts ensure the objectives of the project are defined and articulated, and the key subject—who is to accomplish what in relation to project accomplishment—has clarity. All these enable the achievement of this clarity because of meticulous requirement documentation and regular communication, leading to data-oriented decisions and not subjective decisions. For example, SWOT analysis can precisely determine the strategic positioning of a project, aligning the project to broader business objectives.   

Check out our BCS Foundation Certificate in Organisational Behaviour today!   

User-centric approach 

Effective Business Analysis has a user-centric approach. This helps the business, in this case, to understand or focus on what the end-user needs and experiences in such a manner that they can tailor their product or service offering in the manner most beneficial to the market. This way, business analysts will gather users' feedback and focus it on refining product features and service delivery methods.   

The focus in this regard ensures that the final offerings are based on theoretical data and are, therefore, practical and implementable in real-life situations. Implementation of user-centric strategies largely gives firms an edge in enjoying even higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, hence translating directly to more sustained growth in business. 

Engagement 

Unquestionably, there are increased stakeholders in the project, with effective Business Analysis ensuring that there is maximised engagement of the stakeholders. Business Analysts involve stakeholders in decision-making from the early development of a project right through its execution in order to maintain alignment and buy-in.  

Some of the techniques used include regular meetings with stakeholders and updates to make sure everybody is on board and involved in the program/project. This is supposed to be done through anticipation of probable issues and addressing them well in advance, but it also ensures that the stakeholders are nearer to their expectations, hence enhancing the chances of success of the project. 

Factors influencing Use Cases 

Before diving into the anatomy of a Use Case, it is important to understand the factors that shape its creation. Each of these factors ensures that the Use Case is well-defined, actionable, and aligned with business objectives. 

Stakeholders 

Identifying the stakeholders is one of the first critical steps in writing a Use Case. The term "stakeholders" describes persons who would be interested in the project's outcome and can refer to internal employees or managers and even external customers or partners. This roadmap to the scope and focus of the Use Case is best known by understanding what stakeholders are involved, together with their interests and requirements. 

Preconditions 

Preconditions describe the state of the system before the Use Case commences. They prepare the ground for action in such a way that all necessary conditions be fulfilled, which are indispensable for the smooth going-on of the process. Take for instance a banking application, the precondition to the "Withdraw Cash" Use Case is that the user should be authenticated and have a positive account balance. 

Triggers are events that set the Use Case into motion. These might be actions the user directly takes, such as clicking a button, or it might even be of an externally driven nature, such as the coming of some date or time. It helps in mapping out the user journey, understanding the triggers, and identifying how the trigger dynamic interacts with the system. 

Post-conditions 

They are used to define the state that the system gets in after the completion of the Use Case. This is to ensure that the system's response to the user action is properly defined and that the end state fulfils the business objectives. For instance, in the "withdraw cash" Use Case, after the condition, the money is to be withdrawn from the user balance, and the transaction record is to be made. 

Gain in-depth knowledge of various Project Management skills with our BCS Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management Courses.    

The anatomy of a Use-Case 

A well-drafted Use Case is like a blueprint for system interactions. It typically includes several key components: 

a) Title and identifier: A concise title that describes the action or goal, accompanied by a unique identifier. 

b) Primary actor: The main entity performing the Use Case. 

c) Goal in context: A clear statement of the user’s goal and the context in which it is performed. 

d) Preconditions and post-conditions: As discussed, these define the initial and final states of the system related to the Use Case. 

e) Main success scenario: A step-by-step description of the interactions for achieving the goal under normal conditions. 

f) Extensions/alternate flows: Describes alternative actions and flows that deviate from the main scenario due to various conditions. 

Guidelines for Use-Case template 

Creating a standardised Use-Case template ensures consistency, clarity, and completeness in documenting system interactions. Below are guidelines for developing a comprehensive Use-Case template: 

1)  Use-Case identification 

Each Use Case should have a unique identifier, which helps track and reference throughout the project lifecycle. This identifier might include a prefix based on the project or system, followed by a sequential number (e.g., UC001).   

2) Use-Case history 

Documenting the history of the Use Case, including its versions, authors, and revision dates, is crucial for maintaining the integrity and relevance of the Use Case over time. This section aids in understanding how the Use Case has evolved and provides insights into the rationale behind certain changes or decisions. 

3) Triggers 

Identifying the events that trigger the start of the Use Case, such as user actions or external events (e.g., user clicks "Submit Order" button, scheduled report generation) is crucial for understanding how and when a Use Case begins. 

4) Assumptions 

Documenting any assumptions involving preconditions made during the development of the Use Case (e.g., users have internet access, payment gateway is operational). 

Conclusion 

Understanding Use Cases in Business Analysis is crucial for effective Business Analysis, as it provides a structured approach to defining system interactions and achieving business objectives. By following a well-defined Use-Case model and considering factors like stakeholders and preconditions, businesses can streamline processes, enhance clarity, prioritise user needs, and maximise stakeholder engagement.  

Inspire and motivate your team and drive success with our Creative Leaders Training. Join today!