The Comprehensive Guide to Use-Case 2.0: Bridging Agile and Structure

Software development methodologies have evolved rapidly over the last few decades, moving from heavy, upfront waterfall documentation to lightweight, iterative agile practices. For a long time, the traditional “Use Case”—a staple of object-oriented software engineering—was viewed as incompatible with modern agile frameworks like Scrum and Kanban. It was often criticized for being too document-centric and slow.

Enter Use-Case 2.0. Introduced by Ivar Jacobson, Ian Spence, and Brian Kerr, this modern framework reinvents the classic use case to be lightweight, scalable, and versatile. It is designed to bridge the gap between the structural benefits of use cases and the flexibility of agile development.

What is Use-Case 2.0?

Use-Case 2.0 is the modern evolution of the use-case approach, developed specifically to address the limitations of traditional requirements gathering. Unlike its predecessor, which often required exhaustive detail before coding began, Use-Case 2.0 focuses on essentials, iterative delivery, and vertical slicing.

The core innovation of this framework is the ability to break use cases down into smaller, manageable pieces known as Use-Case Slices. This allows teams to maintain the “big picture” of the system architecture while simultaneously delivering value in small, sprint-sized increments compatible with Scrum, SAFe, and Disciplined Agile.

The Six First Principles

Use-Case 2.0 is founded on six guiding principles that ensure the process remains lean and value-driven:

• Keep it simple by telling stories: Requirements should remain narrative-driven. Use cases are essentially stories about how a system is used, kept understandable for all stakeholders.
• Understand the big picture: Unlike flat backlogs of user stories, Use-Case 2.0 maintains a high-level view of the system’s behaviors through a concise diagram of 5–20 use cases.
• Focus on value: Every interaction described must deliver clear value to the user or stakeholder, preventing feature creep.
• Build the system in slices: This is the central concept. Rather than building a whole use case at once, developers implement it in vertical slices.
• Deliver the system in increments: Work is done iteratively, releasing usable software early and often.
• Adapt to meet the team’s needs: The level of detail and formality is not fixed; it scales up or down depending on the project’s complexity and regulatory requirements.

Core Concepts: The Slice is the Game-Changer

To understand how Use-Case 2.0 fits into Agile, one must understand its artifacts. The framework simplifies the heavy documentation of the past into three primary components.

1. The Lightweight Use Case

A use case still describes a goal-oriented interaction between an actor (user) and the system. However, in version 2.0, it is not fully detailed upfront. It starts with a name, a brief description, and the main success scenario. Details regarding alternative flows and exceptions are added “just-in-time” as they are prioritized for development.

2. The Use-Case Slice

The Use-Case Slice is the most critical innovation in this framework. A slice is a vertical cut through a use case that constitutes a complete flow of value. It includes a portion of the narrative (stories), the relevant test cases, and the code required to implement it.

Slicing allows a single use case (e.g., “Process Order”) to be split across multiple sprints:

• Slice 1: The basic “Happy Path” (Standard order).
• Slice 2: Alternative path (Order with a discount code).
• Slice 3: Exception path (Credit card declined).

Each slice acts as a backlog item—it is estimable, testable, and deliverable within an iteration.

3. The Use-Case Model

While slices are handled in the daily work, the Use-Case Model remains as the map. It is the aggregate of all use cases, providing the context and architectural overview that individual User Stories often lack. This solves the common agile problem where a team completes hundreds of stories but loses track of the overall system behavior.

Comparison: Use-Case 2.0 vs. User Stories vs. Classic Use Cases

Many teams struggle to choose between User Stories and Use Cases. Use-Case 2.0 argues that you don’t have to choose; it offers the structure of use cases with the agility of stories.

Workflow: How to Implement Use-Case 2.0

Adopting this methodology involves a cyclical workflow that fits neatly into standard agile sprints:

1. Identify Actors and Use Cases: Start by outlining the 5–20 major goals of the system to establish the scope.
2. Prioritize and Slice: Select high-value use cases. Slice them vertically (e.g., separate the basic flow from the exceptions). These slices become your backlog items.
3. Detail Just-in-Time: Do not write the full specification yet. Only elaborate on the slices selected for the upcoming iteration. Add test cases and UX notes at this stage.
4. Implement and Test: Develop the code for the slice and verify it against the specific test cases defined for that slice. Use-Case 2.0 strongly supports Test-Driven Development (TDD).
5. Integrate and Increment: Merge the completed slice into the system. Update the overall Use-Case Model if the architecture has evolved.

Why Use-Case 2.0 Suits Modern Development

Use-Case 2.0 is particularly effective for enterprise systems, regulated industries, or complex domains where simple User Stories are insufficient.

It provides scalability by allowing teams to start light and add formality only where necessary. It ensures value-focus by forcing teams to think in end-to-end user journeys rather than isolated technical tasks. Finally, it solves the documentation debt problem; because the Use-Case Model is updated iteratively, the documentation evolves with the code, acting as a “living” requirement set rather than a stale archive.