Forums for the Business Analyst

 
  Modern Analyst Forums  Business and Sy...  Requirements  Use cases
Previous Previous
 
Next Next
New Post 9/21/2012 9:20 PM
Unresolved
User is offline omkar patil
1 posts
No Ranking


Use cases 
I am currently documenting requirements for an insurance Quote Engine.
 
The quote engine will be an independent module which will be contacted by a variety of systems such as website portal, Policy Admin System (PAS) and Brokers' systems to generate the insurance quotes. 
 
I thought of 2 approaches.
 
Approach 1:
 
Capturing web service client as a system user and including that user as the actor on the use case.
 
According to some in my group, this is not a correct approach. The very fact that the pricing engine engine will be available as a web service, is a non-functional requirement and 
thus it should not be captured in use cases. 
 
According to some, use cases should talk more about the business logic and the implementation part should be left with the system architects and developers.   
 
Approach 2:
 
Identifying website customer, PAS executive and Broker as actors on the use case
 
Please help me in choosing the right approach. 
 
 
 
New Post 9/22/2012 2:06 AM
User is offline Kimbo
456 posts
5th Level Poster


Re: Use cases 

The power of use cases is in describing conversations between an actor and a system. It is all about modelling the goals of the actors in interacting with the 'system'. The system may or may not involve a software solution. Use cases are solution agnostic for that reason. Go for approach 2. You need to start with modelling the functionality your actors require. Don't forget to think of all their functionality not what you think the system will do. I usually start from business process as a way of teasing out functionality.

If you start with thinking about web service clients and other solution considerations you're likely to miss essential business functionality. Stay away from the detail until you know the big picture.

What used to be called systems analysts are using use cases to define solution. I personally think they are a poor way of modelling solution. There are much better ways. But there is an overwhelming misuse of use cases out there. I feel like a lone round earther amongst a crowd of flat-earthers. One day they'll wake up :)

Kimbo

 
Previous Previous
 
Next Next
  Modern Analyst Forums  Business and Sy...  Requirements  Use cases

Community Blog - Latest Posts

As Business Analysts in Agile teams, we often hear about Definition of Ready (DOR) and Definition of Done (DOD). But beyond the buzzwords, these two concepts are powerful tools to drive clarity, consistency, and quality in our work. Definition of Ready ensures a user story is truly ready for development. It answers: Is this story clear, feasible...
In today's fast-paced digital world, successful projects aren't just built on great code—they're built on clarity. And that clarity often comes from one key player: the Business Analyst. At the heart of every great product or system is a need—a business goal, a customer pain point, or a regulatory requirement. But busines...
I have always loved cooking. I learned from my Grandma June and her kitchen was her sanctuary, a small, warm sunlit space filled with jars of spices, stacks of cookbooks, and the comforting smell of something always on the stove or baking in the oven. Grandma June was as great a cook as she was a teacher to me. She never followed a recipe “to...

 






 

Copyright 2006-2025 by Modern Analyst Media LLC