Create use cases effectively

You have decided to develop your own software. Then you cannot avoid use cases. Because these are the central elements of every specification. With these elements, you break down the user stories to a level of detail that allows you to link interfaces, business rules or data structures to the process.

In my opinion, there is nothing better on the market on this topic than Alistair Cockburn's book. What is a use case, when does it come into play, how do you identify use cases, how do you find the right level of abstraction and how do you describe the use case clearly, concisely and unambiguously. All questions to which the author provides simple and practical answers. In the last chapter, the author summarises the most important reminders. First of all, he writes: "Use cases are like an exercise in essay writing, with all the difficulties that come with writing in general". An insight that took me years to understand, and actually, the most fundamental of all.

By far the book I use most for my projects. Not only business engineers can learn a lot from this book, but everyone who deals with digitalization of business. Start thinking in use cases and you will approach every project much more relaxed. Because you always have the overview.