Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” He was speaking, of course, about alignment toward a common goal. This is imperative for companies to accomplish great things, both large and small. The question is, how do you align people within your company who all bring different skills, perspectives, and expertise?
Clear communication from the very top can help people rally around the goals of the company at high, aspirational levels. Translating that into the day-to-day work that people do can get tricky. Helping the company achieve its mission can get lost when you are sitting in front of a screen all day writing requirements or coding. Even at the individual project level, there is a way to connect people to the company’s overall business goals and the people they work with every day.
When beginning a project, the most important thing to achieve is a clear understanding of the business problem and goal. People sometimes rush to a solution without really understanding the entirety of the problem. A simple way to address that is by utilizing use cases. Use cases give all project participants the ability to learn, question, and brainstorm the appropriate solution and approach.
Use cases begin with a session that allows the subject matter expert (SME) to tell their story. It is not a technical session. It is the story of the challenges and goals of what they need to accomplish. This session allows everyone to understand those challenges and come together to solve the problem—in other words, it aligns the team. While it sounds simple, it can be very powerful. It is also a great way to increase the business acumen across your company.
Use cases are not detailed systems requirements that developers use to begin coding. They are the foundation upon which everyone involved in a project can understand the system’s business process and goals, weigh in on best practices, and collaborate on specific requirements to deliver what the users want. In the end, this gives a more informed, collaborative solution that meets the real business need.
There is much written on use case methodology that details the process, formats, and diagrams that will lead to success. The best approach, especially when starting to employ use cases, is to keep it simple and make the process work for your company. Sticking to the basic elements of the use case and eliciting requirements from the user story can offer members of the team a better opportunity to understand the detailed requirements.
Done well, the use case process can identify process improvements and automation opportunities. Additionally, the system design, development plan, and test cases will be more easily developed through a granular understanding of the business goals. Be aware that the right people need to be at the table to understand the project and to keep an eye on the technical requirements as the business requirements unfold.
Relying on use cases as the foundation of project requirements will encourage dialogue, understanding, and true collaboration across project teams. The alignment of the business and IT teams that results from this process can make projects run more smoothly and improve outcomes.
For more on this topic, check out the full report Developing and Utilizing Use Cases: Key Issues and Best Practices.
Add new comment