3. What is a User Story?
Feature
Desired interaction between user and system
Invitation to have a conversation
Written by product owner
Collaboration
Independent
Negotiable
Valuable
Estimatable
Small
Testable
As a [user role]
I want to [goal]
so I can [reason]
Not a requirement Not a use case
Vertical slice through a system
6. 8 Strategies for Vertical Slicing
1. Workflow steps?!
!
What steps does a user perform?
Are all steps necessary (right now)?
Can steps be simplified (for now)?
!
Ex: steps in an order process, like selecting a
payment option, delivery method, etc
2. Business rules?!
!
What rules apply to this story?
Are all business rules necessary (right now)?
Can simpler rules suffice (for now)?
!
Ex: payment methods allowed during the purchase
process
3. Happy/unhappy flows?!
!
What does the happy/unhappy flow look like?
Are all unhappy flows necessary (right now)?
Can unhappy flows be simplified (for now)?
!
Ex: failures during web shopping order process
and possible recovery options
4. Input options?!
!
Which platforms are supported?
Are all platforms necessary (right now)?
Are some platforms harder than others?
!
Ex: web, tablet, iPhone, iPad, Android
christiaanverwijs.nl
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7. 8 Strategies for Vertical Slicing
5. Data types & parameters?!
!
What data types are supported?
Are all data types necessary (right now)?
What parameters are relevant (for now)?
!
Ex: different search options / strategies or different
kinds of reports (tables, graphs, etc.)
6. Operations?!
!
What operations does the story entail?
Are all operations necessary (right now)?
Can any operations be simplified (for now)?
!
Ex: splitting on CRUD (create, read, update,
delete)
7. Test cases / acceptance
criteria?!
!
What tests are used to verify this story?
What acceptance criteria apply?
Are all test scenarios necessary (for now)?
!
Ex: some test scenarios may be very complex, test
scenarios cover different functional requirements
8. Roles?!
!
What roles are involved in this story?
Are all roles necessary (right now)?
!
!
Ex: customers can create orders, administrators
can manage orders, etc.
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10. ERP!
Workorders,
Financials, T&E
Field Equipment
Data Collection
System
Field Service
Report
Example #2
Page 1
Page 5
Workflow
steps?
Business
rules?
Happy / unhappy
flows?
Input
options?
Data types &
parameters?
Operations?
Test cases /
acceptance criteria?
Roles?
