MODULE 5

🌀 1. Activity Diagrams

Summary:

• Purpose: Visualize the workflow or process of a system — what happens, in what order, and under what conditions.

• Use: Helps in analyzing and improving processes, especially those with parallel or conditional activities.

• Key Parts:

  • Activities (actions) – represented by rounded rectangles.

  • Events – trigger transitions between activities.

  • Decisions – branching points (diamond shapes).

  • Forks and Joins – show parallel processes starting or merging.

• Best Used For: Understanding workflows, identifying inefficiencies, and modeling system behavior during requirements analysis.

• Limitations: Doesn’t show which objects perform the actions or how they interact.

Analogy:
Think of it like a map for making coffee — “Start” (turn on machine) → “Brew coffee” → “Pour milk if desired” → “Serve.” If two people make coffee and toast at the same time, that’s a parallel activity (fork).

🐟 2. Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa or Cause-and-Effect Diagram)

Summary:

• Purpose: Identify all possible causes of a problem by categorizing them visually.

• Use: Root cause analysis and problem-solving, often in brainstorming sessions.

• Structure: Looks like a fish skeleton:

  • Head: The main problem (effect).

  • Bones: Major cause categories (the 6 Ms).

• 6 Ms Categories:

  1. Man (People) – skills, morale, training

  2. Methods – processes, policies, rules

  3. Machines – tools, technology, equipment

  4. Materials – inputs, raw items, consumables

  5. Measurement – data accuracy, metrics

  6. Mother Nature (Environment) – time, temperature, culture

• Steps: Define the problem → brainstorm causes → group by category → drill down with “5 Whys.”

Analogy:
Like tracing back why a cake didn’t rise.
You check:

• Man (baker forgot eggs),

• Method (wrong oven temp),

• Machine (broken mixer), etc.—until you find the real cause.

🧭 3. SWOT Analysis

Summary:

• Purpose: Assess internal and external factors that influence success or failure.

• Meaning:

  • S – Strengths: What you do well.

  • W – Weaknesses: What holds you back.

  • O – Opportunities: External factors you can use.

  • T – Threats: External risks or challenges.

• Use: Common in business, marketing, and personal development to make informed decisions.

• Process:

  1. Analyze internal/external environments.

  2. Brainstorm and document SWOT factors.

  3. Make an action plan based on priorities.

• Tips: Be specific, avoid bias, update regularly, and involve multiple perspectives.

Analogy:
Think of SWOT as a mirror and a window —
The mirror shows your strengths and weaknesses (internal), while the window shows your opportunities and threats (external world).

🎭 4. Use Cases

Summary:

• Purpose: Describe how users interact with a system to achieve specific goals.

• Components:

  • Actors: Who interacts with the system (user, another system).

  • Use Cases: What they do (e.g., “Buy Item,” “Submit Assignment”).

  • System Boundary: Defines what’s inside or outside the system.

  • Includes/Extends: Show shared or optional behaviors.

• Helps With:

  • Understanding system requirements.

  • Identifying user goals and system responses.

  • Creating scenarios for testing and documentation.

• When to Use: During requirement analysis — to clarify who does what and why.

Analogy:
A restaurant menu for your system: each dish (use case) tells what a customer (actor) can “order” (action). Some dishes share ingredients (“Include”) or have optional extras (“Extend”).

🧩 Summary Table