Unified Modelling Language (UML) for Business Analysts

Course Overview

In this course you will learn how to model business requirements, business processes and proposed business systems conceptual solutions using the Unified Modelling Language (UML). The course will cover how to create and use:

• Case diagrams
• Business activity diagrams
• Business domain class diagrams
• Interaction diagrams such as sequence and communication diagrams.

These UML artefacts will be positioned within a Systems Development Life Cycle framework using the Rational Unified Process (RUP) methodology.

The (RUP) is used as a framework for this course, but if your organisation follows other methodologies you will not be disadvantaged; RUP is used to position the UML artefacts rather than being essential for application of course material.

Artefacts that are of particular interest to the business analyst such as business use cases & scenarios, business domain class diagrams and business activity diagrams are taught in some depth. Other artefacts that start to have a greater emphasis on design such as interaction diagrams (sequence and collaboration/communication), and state machine diagrams are also briefly introduced.

While the course introduces MS Visio as a sample tool that can be used in the documentation of the UML artefacts, exercises will be performed without the tools to encourage a focus on learning UML rather than learning one specific tool. Some of the non-UML responsibilities of a business analyst (e.g. capturing vision statements, elicitation of business priorities, managing scope, and capturing "non-functional" requirements) are also outlined to place them in context with the UML deliverables.

Audience

The course is suitable for:

• Business Analysts
• Project Managers
• System Architects
• Quality Assurance personnel who require knowledge of Object-Oriented techniques and the Unified Modelling Language (UML) in Business Modelling.

Skills Gained

This course concentrates on the use of UML for initial workflows involved in constructing or reengineering business processes and information systems. Specifically, you will be shown the role of UML in modelling:

• what the business is, and what it is desired to become
• what the business requires an Information Systems solution to include
• what the conceptual system solution might look like, expressed in business terms

To achieve these goals, UML artefacts commonly used by business analysts will be taught. At completion of the course, you will also:

• be able to effectively communicate using UML artefacts
• be able to understand their role within methodologies such as RUP
• have an introductory appreciation of some tools available to assist in UML artefact generation

Prerequisites

Before attending this course you should have:

• Completed course 608 Object-Oriented Concepts, or have equivalent knowledge of object-oriented concepts
• Experience in and a knowledge of business systems and computing concepts will be assumed
• A basic understanding of modelling of business processes would be an advantage

Course Outline

Module 1

• Setting the scene
• History of UML
• Introduction to sample UML artefacts
• Methodologies (waterfall, phased, iterative, agile)
• Rational Unified Process outline
• Correlation between UML artefacts and RUP phases

Module 2

• Modelling what the business is and is to become, independent of system solutions
• Introduction to case study hypothetical
• Non-UML considerations (vision statement, constraints, etc)
• Modelling business processes (high-level use cases, scenarios, activity diagrams)
• Modelling business domain objects as classes
• Identifying "windows-of-opportunity" for process improvement, and setting priorities

Module 3

• Modelling the requirements / expectations the business has of a system
• Rework of business process models to extend detail and to incorporate black-box system considerations
• System sequence diagrams

Module 4

• Conceptual modelling, in business terms, of an object-oriented solution
• Class modelling: Centrality of classes, Responsibility-driven modelling (vs. traditional data-centric models), Relationships (association, inheritance & containment), Object diagrams, Package diagrams for clusters of classes
• Activity diagrams with class-based partitions

Module 5

• Interaction (sequence & collaboration / communication) diagrams for class-to-class interaction
• State machine diagrams for complex classes

Module 6

• Associated topics
• Prototyping (business vs. architectural; low-fidelity vs. programmed)
• The role of the business analyst in later phases
• Introduction to UML tool supports (e.g. Visio, Rational Rose)
• UML's model driven architecture (MDA)
• Modelling a system or modelling an enterprise

Follow On Courses

• Object-Oriented Concepts
• Business Modelling Using UML

Unified Modelling Language (UML) for Business Analysts / CM061403