Lilly, S. (2000, January). How to Avoid Use-Case Pitfalls. Software Development Online. Retrieved March 11, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.sdmagazine.com/articles/2000/0001/0001d/0001d.htm.

The author, director of a software and systems integrations firm, discussed use-case analysis problem areas and how to avoid them. Use-case analysis, an object-oriented method for designing information systems, breaks down requirements into user functions (i.e. each use-case is a sequence of events performed by the user). Lilly provided numerous examples of the pitfalls encountered by novice practitioners and development teams with inexperienced members.

The article’s real world examples effectively illustrated the “Top Ten” use-case problem areas. These ranged from inconsistent system boundaries in the number one slot to improper perspective and lengthy specifications further down the list. For example, many projects implementing use cases for the first time do not have well-defined system boundaries. This creates a host of problems, which include too many use cases, mixed relationships, confusing use-case specifications, and use cases that are virtually impossible to finish.

Lilly proposed, in the absence of industry standards, the use of various use-case specification templates. These templates contained a common set of fields and field definitions. Examples included the use-case Name, Actor, Goal, Normal Flow, Alternative Flows, Exception Flows, and Issues. Lilly cautioned readers to be extremely careful when screen shots are incorporated into use cases. A better approach, she insisted, is to loosely couple the user-interface details and use-case interactions (e.g. the use of “low fidelity” pictures).

In summary, the article provided a summary of the top ten use-case pitfalls. The author’s real world problem illustrations followed by suggested remedies should prove valuable to anyone considering the adoption of use-case analysis.