Demystifying use cases - a white paper

I have a new publication to announce!



Whilst developing my use case modeling course, I thought it would be useful to capture and summarize some of the key lessons in a white paper for your benefit.



It’s almost ready but I thought I’d give you a preview ofthe first page which is a summary of the paper’s contents.

Initially, this paper will explore the challenges you face when considering where to invest your time and money in your professional development.



It will raise the question that many business analysts want answered - What techniques and skills will help me solve today’s problems and improve my performance?



It will discuss how you are under pressure today to deliver quickly and how this risks reducing quality.

The paper will go on to explain why use case modeling is only part of the answer and should be used together with other techniques. The continuing importance of your current skills, such as developing stakeholder relationships, will be highlighted. 



The paper briefly describes the elements of a use case model and the importance of each use case delivering a result of value to the business.



The remainder of the paper discusses the needs of various stakeholders and how they can be addressed through applying use case techniques including:
- all stakeholders
Are short of time and in demand but their quality feedback is critical to your success



- the project manager
Needs estimates early and needs to be able to change scope and replan quickly if the budget is cut.
Wants to guarantee the value to the business is maximized when replanning



- business sponsor
Needs a quick, high level view of the cost, new system capabilities and impact on the business



- other stakeholders
Need to understand the impact in their area of interest or responsibility only



- the end user
Is concerned the new system impacts her positively so wants all the detail
Is likely to struggle with large, wordy requirements documents



The paper sums up by describing how understanding and catering to your stakeholders’ needs improves your relationship and the quantity and quality of stakeholder involvement.



Finally, the stakeholders are consulted when it’s time for a career appraisal so employing these techniques will give your career a boost!!

The full white paper should be released within the next couple of weeks!