State Modeling Presented by Francine Wolfe Sr. Business & Process Analyst Cushman & Wakefield Past President, IIBA NJ Chapter

Learning Objectives Understand what a state model is Know when to use state models Know how to create state models when needed

What is a State Model? Definitions… Wikipedia – “A state diagram is a type of diagram used in computer science and related fields to describe the behavior of systems” BABOK – “A state diagram shows how the behavior of a concept, entity or object changes in response to events.” What do they look like? Here is a simple example for an approval process

Why am I talking to you about state models? State models have been used for decades, but are not generally discussed/covered in many years. …and yet, they are easy to create and understand. The more tools you have in your business analysis tool belt, the better equipped you are to understand and describe something that needs to be designed and built. I’ve often found them useful. My state model?

Why am I talking to you about state models? State models have been used for decades, but are not generally discussed/covered in many years. …and yet, they are easy to create and understand. The more tools you have in your business analysis tool belt, the better equipped you are to understand and describe something that needs to be designed and built. I’ve often found them useful. My state model? Another way to view the same model…

Why am I talking to you about state models? State models have been used for decades, but are not generally discussed/covered in many years. …and yet, they are easy to create and understand. The more tools you have in your business analysis tool belt, the better equipped you are to understand and describe something that needs to be designed and built. I’ve often found them useful. My state model? And with a few different life choices…

State Transition Models Why do we need them? In Business Analysis, various models are used to provide a view into the problem domain: Process Models identify what happens and the sequence of events Data (or Object) Models identify the logical structure of relevant information Use Cases define interactions between a user (or class of user) and the system to accomplish something Decision Models identify what criteria are necessary for making decisions State Transition Models show how an object changes over time Are there other models that you use? Taken together (with Business Rules and other requirements), models provide a multi-dimensional view State Transition Models (and Decision Models) are less used than the others, but still quite useful Questions that a State Transition Model can answer: How do I know that my “Prospect” has become a “Client”? Can a “Closed” defect be reopened? Does a request need approval prior to fulfillment? Is it still considered a request after fulfillment?

State Transition Models Using State Transition Tables State Transition Tables are a simple way to identify the allowable sequences of states State Transition Next State Start Create defect New Assess as valid Open Assess as invalid Rejected Revise description Assign to developer Assigned … State Transition Next State Fixed Confirmed by QA Resolved QA still produces defect Open Confirmed by end user Closed End user still produces defect Defect recurs New

State Transition Models Using State Transition Diagrams State Transition Diagrams are a convenient graphical way to see how to move from one state to another The elements are simple: States (circles) Transitions (curved arrows connecting the circles with text on the lines explaining what happens) Usually begin with a “Start” state and end with one or more “End” states Let’s take a closer look at the sample given earlier… Start State Transition to “Pending Review State” In this example, “Rejected” is an End State (meaning that the decision is final)

Another example (my current project) Using State Transition Diagram with other models… To help my developer get a better idea of how “prospects” and “listings” were related…

Another example: vulnerability assessment

Useful extensions to this technique Consider using color to indicate statuses that can only be changed by specific types of users Consider using bolder lines to indicate the “happy path” Add a narrative below the diagram to provide additional clarification Use both the diagram and the table to make look-up easier Any other ideas?

The State Model may change over time …and sometimes tables are easier to understand than diagrams… Current State Next State Reason New Requirements Approved for Req Analysis More Analysis Needed Closed Rejected Duplicate Out-of-Scope Deferred Ready for Dev Requirements Approved Prototype Prototype Needed More Req Needed Development Approved for Dev Requirements Incomplete QA Dev Complete, Unit Tests Pass Prototype Approved UAT All tests pass Bugs Identified Approved for Production UAT successfully completed Not Ready Complete, in Production More UAT Needed Obsolete Ready to Deploy

Let’s Try It! Pick a simple example: defect lifecycle? Customer lifecycle? System lifecycle? Other ideas? Identify the states Figure out where to start & how to move between the states As you continue to identify transitions, ask “what if that doesn’t happen?” The answer may uncover additional states and/or state sequences you did not consider previously Be sure to get the finished diagram validated with the business owner

Any questions? @fwolfeiiba Francine.Wolfe@iiba.org