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	Requirements Engineering: From Use Cases to Test Cases
	Requirements Engineering: From Use Cases to Test Cases

Course Outline and Objectives
Course Philosophy and Approach

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	4 days

The target audience includes project leaders, business analysts, systems analysts, managers and end-users who are not information system experts but are interested in using information technology to create a competitive advantage.

Our instructors have extensive experience in applying these techniques on projects with business experts from a wide variety of fields.

IA Introduction to Business Analysis
BA Identifying Business Problems and Needs
BU Modeling the Business Perspective
AD Analyzing Business Data
RE Engineering Business System Requirements
RT Testing Based on Business Risks
OE The Rest of the Story

This interactive workshop teaches you how to interview subject matter experts, recognize business problems, extrapolate business needs, and document the business requirements for a technological solution. You will learn how to create use case diagrams, data flow diagrams, data models, and object models to present, discuss, and analyze various dimensions of the business environment.

Requirements Engineering

	emphasizes the development of business needs over technology
	incorporates the business use of emerging technology as a primary driver of the project
	introduces a consistent set of techniques for gathering IT project requirements
	merges the universes of business analysis with systems analysis approaches
	effectively integrates problem definition, requirements gathering and use cases into a coherent package


	Interactive Workshop Techniques

	Each technique is explained in non-technical language and demonstrated on a simple example. Working with others, you will try it out on a clearly defined case study. Your results are then evaluated, discussed and compared to the desired results. In extended workshops, you will apply the technique to situations from your real-life environment with instructor guidance.

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Course Outline and Objectives

Introduction to Business Analysis
Module IA : Duration ~ 3 hours


	The process of figuring out how the business community can take advantage of information technology is evolving. For years, developers, system analysts and business analysts have struggled to find better and faster ways to gather, evaluate, and comprehend business requirements. Use cases, object models and a new language called the UML (Unified Modeling Language) promise to improve the way we do business analysis.

		What Is Requirements Engineering?
		What Are the Dimensions of an Information System?
		How Can You Identify Business Needs and Technical Requirements?
		How Do You Conduct an Effective Needs-Assessment Interview?

		Define the Evolving Role of Today’s Business Analyst
		Recognize 7 Major Dimensions of Information Systems
		Organize Questions, Issues and Assumptions Efficiently
		Differentiate Between Structured and Object-Oriented Analysis

Identifying Business Problems and Needs
Module BA : Duration ~ 3 hours


	Whether a project for new development or for maintenance, the start is an exciting and frustrating phase. At this point, you probably don't even know what you don't know about the project, and you have to get a handle on things quickly. Business analysis is all about finding the right questions to ask, asking the right people, and recognizing valid answers. If you could draw a picture of all of this, you would be well on your way to finding the right solutions.

		Can You Separate Symptoms and Solutions From "Real" Problems?
		Who Is Impacted By the Problem and Who Can Affect It?
		Where Do You Start?
		What Are Objects and Classes and Why Should You Care?

		Write Clear, Easy-To-Understand Problem Statements
		Model the Business System Components
		Use 10 Critical System Questions To Identify Business Problems
		Use Business Problems To Determine the Scope of a Project

Modeling the Business Perspective
Module BU : Duration ~ 3 hours


	A use case diagram creates a business view of an information system. Process models help people understand how things work. Together, use case diagrams and process models show workflow and the impact of proposed changes. These diagrams can be modified and evaluated without affecting the real world. Used effectively, they reduce the probability of omitting critical aspects of your solution. To be effective, all involved parties have to understand what the models represent - and what they ignore.

		Why Do You Need To Model the Business Area?
		What Benefits Do Process and Work Flow Models Provide?
		How Do You Create Data Flow Diagrams?
		What Is the Difference Between Use Cases and Use Case Diagrams?

		Create Process Models For Current Or Proposed Technology
		Present Business Processes in Work Flow Diagrams
		Analyze Work Flow From Process and Impact Perspectives
		Document and Diagram Business Use Cases

Analyzing Business Data
Module AD : Duration ~ 3 hours


	As a business analyst, you have to understand what role information plays in the end-users' universe. Information systems represent the real world. It can be challenging to recognize what impact changes in reality have on the technology. Creating an object or class model will help you recognize and track how the various kinds of relationships that exist in the business system are or will be represented in the information system.

		When Do You Need To Model What?
		What Diagrams Are Contained in the Unified Modeling Language (UML)
		How Do You Create Class and Object Models That Normal Mortals Can Use?
		What Role Do These Static Models Play in Requirements Engineering?

		Recognize How a Data Model Impacts Business Decisions
		Create Entity/Relationship, Class, and Object Diagrams
		Understand the Role of Data in Work Flow Problems
		Capture Implicit and Explicit Services That Objects Provide

Engineering Business System Requirements
Module RE : Duration ~ 4 hours


	The purpose of a requirement is to communicate a business need to a technical expert. It has to enable the technical expert to recognize the technological impact. Missing or misunderstood requirements cost considerably more than programming or testing errors. Fortunately, the ability to define usable requirements is a learnable skill.

		What Does a Business Requirement Really Say?
		What Does a State Diagram Show You and When Do You Need One?
		How Do You Create Activity, State, and Sequence Diagrams?
		How Can You Translate the Business Requirement into Technical Specifications?

		Analyze UML Diagrams To Identify Business Needs
		Model Clear, Understandable, Verifiable Business Requirements
		Prioritize Requirements Based On Business Needs
		Translate Business Requirements into Technical Specifications

Testing Based on Business Risks
Module RT : Duration ~ 2 hours


	Testing is your primary weapon in the war against errors. It does not require knowledge of the technology. You need to enter data and recognize the difference between a good response and a bad one. The testing phase has to start during the requirements gathering phase of the project. If you don't know how you will test a requirement when the system is delivered, you need to know more about the requirement.

		What Are Test Cases, Test Scripts and Test Plans?
		How Do You Create a Use Case Diagram?
		Where Do Test Cases Come From?
		What Is Test Data Engineering?
		How Will You Know When You Have Tested Enough?

		Expose Business Risk Associated with Change
		Define Test Cases From Business Requirements and Use Cases
		Identify Perfect World, Alternate and Exception Paths
		Engineer Test Data Using Equivalence Groups

The Rest of the Story
Module OE : Duration ~ .5 hours


	Ultimately, the success of training lies not in the seminar itself but in the effect it has on your life. Given the time pressures of business life in the 21st century, you need to find new and creative ways of incorporating the presented techniques into your day-to-day work. To understand the importance of doing that, it might help to see the whole picture and review what was presented.

		What Are Other Standard Diagrams of the UML?
		Where Do We Go From Here

		Discuss Additional Diagrams of the UML
		Evaluate the Topics Presented and Create a Personal Action List

Visit our Business System Analyst Bookstore
for books on the topics covered in this seminar.

	Data Analysis ( Miscellaneous , Data Models , Data Normalization , Data Repository , Entity Relationship Diagrams )
	Methodologies ( Information Engineering , Miscellaneous , Structured System Development , System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) )
	Object Oriented ( Business Objects , Object Oriented Analysis , Object Oriented Design , Object Oriented Modeling , Object Oriented Testing , State Transition Diagrams , Unified Modeling Language (UML) , Use Cases )
	Process Analysis ( Data Flow Diagrams , Decision Tables , Event Response Diagrams , Flowcharts , Miscellaneous , Process Models )
	Requirements ( Business Rules , Prototyping , Miscellaneous , Requirements Analysis , Requirements Definition , Requirements Documentation , Requirements Elicitation , Requirements Engineering , Requirements Management , Requirements Traceability , System Specifications , User Interfaces )
	Test Management ( Defect Tracking , Miscellaneous , Test Planning , Testing Methodologies , Testing Tools , Validation & Verification )
	Testing Phases ( Acceptance Testing , Configuration Testing , Integration Testing , Performance Testing , System Testing , Unit Testing , Usability Testing )
	Interviewing Techniques
	Problem Analysis

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