Chapter 4 - BA Toolkit The Business Analyst's Handbook by Howard Podeswa

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Business Use Case

Table 4.6: Business Use Cases at a Glance Open table as spreadsheet What? A business use case is an interaction with a business that provides value to an actor (an entity outside the business). Business use-case analysis involves a number of components: Business use cases to model business services and processes (such as Process Insurance Claim); business use- case diagrams to indicate the participants in each process; business use-case descriptions (referred to in RUP as business use-case specifications ) to describe the interaction between actors and the business area; and business use-case realizations, representing the internal business process used to implement the functionality. Business use-case descriptions (specifications) are usually documented as a text narrative; the text should be augmented with an activity diagram if the flows connect in complex ways. (Refer to the Activity Diagram section in this chapter.) Business use-case realizations are usually expressed as activity diagrams, with one partition for each participant. Initiation: BA models end-to-end business processes impacted by the project as business use cases, creates business use-case diagrams, business use-case descriptions (specifications), and business use-case realizations. For IT projects, BA uses the business use-case model to derive the system use-case model (user requirements). Discovery: BA uses business use-case realizations to derive precedence rules for system use cases (pre-conditions, triggers). Final V & V: Used as input to integration test design (tests of end-to-end business processes across business functions and IT systems). Where? Why? BRD/Business Architecture: Business services and processes For IT projects, business use-case analysis helps ensure that the impact on business processes and roles is taken into consideration when a change is made to an IT system. For UML shops, business use cases allow the team to employ a consistent approach (use cases) throughout the life cycle. Business use-case diagrams keep early meetings focused on high-level business impact. What to show stakeholders Use business use-case diagrams in early meetings with stakeholders and in documentation to communicate high-level business issues: the business processes impacted by the project and the participants involved with each process. Use business use-case descriptions to describe business faade functionality and business use-case realizations to describe the internal workflow for each impacted process.

When?

use-case realizations to describe the internal workflow for each impacted process. What to show team members Standard Complementary tools Business modeling extension to the UML Use-case analysis, system use case Business Use-Case Description Template (see the Templates chapter) Activity diagram Alternatives Structured Analysis: DFDs (as alternative to business use-case diagram); block diagram and flowcharts (for diagramming workflow, as alternatives to UML activity diagrams) BPMN: BPDs (as alternatives to UML activity diagrams) Full set of tools and symbols.

Business Use-Case Diagram Example

Figure 4.30: Business use-case diagram example: Business processes and actors impacted by new

rewards program. Notes on Figure 4.30 : Figure 4.30 is an example of a business use-case diagram, depicting an overview of the business processes and roles impacted by a project to introduce a new rewards programan Entertainment Rewards Card (ERC) that earns points towards entertainment events when used for purchases.

Symbol Glossary: Business Use-Case Diagram

Figure 4.31: Symbol Glossary: Business Use-Case Diagram Notes on Figure 4.31: The figure contains the following modeling elements: Business actor: (Depicted as a stick-figure, with a slash drawn through the head.) An entity external to the business, such as a customer, a supplier, or an external IT system. (See Figure 4.32.)

Figure 4.32: Business actor Communication: Also referred to in the UML as a Communication Association. (Depicted as a solid line between an actor [business actor, worker, etc.] and a business use case, with optional open arrowhead.) Indicates that the actor interacts with the business area over the course of the business use case or works internally to carry it out. If the actor at one end of the communication is the primary actor (initiator) of the business use case, the communication should have an arrowhead away from the primary actor toward the business use case. If the actor is a supporting actor, the arrowhead should point from the business use case to the actor. (See Figure 4.33.)

Figure 4.33: Communication Business use case: (Depicted as an oval with a slash drawn through one end.) An interaction with a business area, business service, or business process. (See Figure 4.34.)

Figure 4.34: Business use case Worker: (Depiction is non-standard; shown in Figure 4.35 as a stick figure enclosed in a circular arrow.) Indicates an organizational unit or role within the business area that participates in implementing a business process.

Figure 4.35: Worker System actor: (Depiction is non-standard; format shown in Figure 4.36 uses the class symbol, and a user-defined stereotype <<system actor>>.) Indicates an external IT system.

Figure 4.36: System actor System-level actor: (Not shown on symbol glossary; depicted as a stick figure.) A business use-case diagram may also include a system-level actor to represent an actor (human or technology) that interacts with the IT system. (See Figure 4.37.)

Figure 4.37: System-level actor

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