Use Case

[kobmaster]

Is there a Use Case template for MS Projecct? If not, why not?
I think Use Case modeling tamplate is a very good addition to MS Project
software.

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[John]

Is there a Use Case template for MS Projecct? If not, why not?
I think Use Case modeling tamplate is a very good addition to MS Project
software.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=e6378c0a-84ed
-47a7-94e2-1e2ea6aaad5f&dg=microsoft.public.project

kobmaster,
Just curious, what is a Use Case?

John

 

[JackD]

A use case is a way of modeling a sequence of actions. They are primarily
used to document software requirements/functionality.
A common one would be logging in to a system. You define the different roles
of the participants and what actions they perform.

Visio has templates for representing use cases, but I'm not sure that
Project would be that useful - at least as it is currently designed it would
not handle the sort of flow-chart like characteristics of a use-case.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[John]

A use case is a way of modeling a sequence of actions. They are primarily
used to document software requirements/functionality.
A common one would be logging in to a system. You define the different roles
of the participants and what actions they perform.

Visio has templates for representing use cases, but I'm not sure that
Project would be that useful - at least as it is currently designed it would
not handle the sort of flow-chart like characteristics of a use-case.

-Jack Dahlgren

Jack,
Is a use case just a different term for a flowchart? I've never heard of
"use case" before - in any context - but then, that just tells you how
limited my knowledge is

John

 

[Steve House]

A use case is a way of modeling a sequence of actions. They are primarily
used to document software requirements/functionality.
A common one would be logging in to a system. You define the different
roles of the participants and what actions they perform.

Visio has templates for representing use cases, but I'm not sure that
Project would be that useful - at least as it is currently designed it
would not handle the sort of flow-chart like characteristics of a
use-case.

-Jack Dahlgren

But a use-case analysis is a good tool to use as the basis for a project
plan. Take the use case flowchart, add estimated durations to each node,
and you've got at least a first-draft network diagram of the Project.

 

[JackD]

Indeed, use-case first, schedule second.

-Jack

But a use-case analysis is a good tool to use as the basis for a project
plan. Take the use case flowchart, add estimated durations to each node,
and you've got at least a first-draft network diagram of the Project.

 

[Frank Cox, PMP]

I can see the value of having a use case template, and I can relate to
resorting to producing a flowchart and plugging in numbers to kick start
schedule development; however, to add a little more perspective to an earlier
reply, use case modeling appropriately applies to system analysis and is
common in information system projects. Network diagramming, on the other
hand, is the global project management technique used to convert the project
work breakdown structure (WBS) into a chronology or multi-path order of
activities (effort over time) and events (milestones at points in time). A
completed network diagram, itself the result of significant manual or limited
automated effort, is used as a primary input to project schedule development.
Typically, a use case is used in system analysis to help ID and organize
interactions among the system and its users. Producing an "activity-on-node"
or an "activity-on-arrow" type network diagram provides the standard way to
reveal the identity of the critical path(s) through the project and also to
identify free and total float (limited and total allowable delay) in
non-critical tasks (by doing "foward pass" and "backward pass" calculations
through the network diagram using all tasks' previously constrained or
calculated early and late start and finish points in time). Unless the
suggested use case-to-flowchart technique also helps identify the critical
path(s) and slack options, additional effort will be required to identify
critical tasks and to determine which ones may be "fast tracked" (partially
or fully overlapped) or crashed (have their durations reduced or have more
resources assigned) to save time or reduce cost, or both. Additional work
will also be required to determine which noncritical tasks have slack or
float and may therefore be adjusted in time to accomodate higher initial or
changed priorities in or during the project lifecycle. Also, it is "business
case first" for a project and not "use case first". The use case should be
done after or perhaps as part of making the business case, but no later than
project or relevant phase planning.