Use-Case 2.0: The Agile Evolution of Requirements Engineering (2026 Guide)

“The future of requirements is not more documentation — it’s smarter, lighter, and more aligned with delivery.”
— Ivar Jacobson, Ian Spence, Kurt Bittner

In today’s fast-paced software development landscape, teams need a method that balances clarity, agility, and scalability. Enter Use-Case 2.0 — the modern, agile evolution of classic use cases, designed to thrive in Scrum, Kanban, and lean environments while preserving the power of structured requirements.

Developed by pioneers Ivar Jacobson, Ian Spence, and Kurt Bittner (circa 2011–2012), Use-Case 2.0 reimagines use cases as lightweight, sliceable, value-driven units that support the entire lifecycle of software delivery — from discovery to operations.

This article dives deep into Use-Case 2.0, offering a comprehensive, practical guide for teams looking to modernize their requirements practice without sacrificing rigor or traceability.

🔹 1. What Is Use-Case 2.0?

Use-Case 2.0 is an agile, scalable approach to capturing and delivering system functionality through use cases — but with a twist. It retains the core strengths of traditional use cases (clarity of goals, actor-centric design, end-to-end scenario modeling) while eliminating the heaviness, bureaucracy, and upfront documentation that often hinder agile teams.

✅ Key Objectives:

Lightweight: As minimal as a user story on an index card.
Incremental: Breaks down large goals into small, shippable slices.
Test-Driven: Tests are defined early — even before code.
Value-Focused: Every slice delivers tangible customer value.
Lifecycle-Ready: Supports requirements, architecture, design, implementation, testing, and operations.

🔄 How It Differs from Traditional Use Cases:

Feature	Traditional Use Cases	Use-Case 2.0
Size	Heavy, full documentation (10+ pages)	Lightweight, 1–2 pages max
Delivery	Big upfront design	Incremental, sprint-by-sprint
Focus	System behavior	User goals and value
Testing	Done after development	Defined upfront (BDD-style)
Scalability	Hard to scale	Scales “in”, “out”, and “up”

✅ Best of Both Worlds: Use-Case 2.0 combines the structure of use cases with the agility of user stories — ideal for complex systems where pure user stories can lose context.

🔹 2. The Six First Principles of Use-Case 2.0

These foundational principles guide every step of the process. They’re not optional — they’re the DNA of the method.

Keep Use Cases Simple and Understandable
Avoid technical jargon. Focus on what the user wants to achieve, not how the system works internally.
Know Your Purpose
Ask: Why am I writing this use case? Is it for backlog grooming? Architecture planning? Test design? Tailor the level of detail accordingly.
Focus on Actors and Their Goals
Every use case must answer: Who is involved? What do they want to accomplish? Why does it matter?
Actors can be humans (e.g., customer, admin), external systems (e.g., payment gateway), or even time-based triggers.
Build the System in Slices
Break use cases into thin, vertical slices that span all layers: UI, backend logic, data, and tests.
Deliver Complete Slices
Each slice must be potentially shippable — fully tested, documented, and demonstrable. No partial deliveries.
Adapt to Context
Use-Case 2.0 is not one-size-fits-all. Scale detail up for enterprise systems or down for startups. It’s flexible, not rigid.

🔹 3. Core Concepts in Use-Case 2.0

🎯 Actor

Any entity (human or system) that interacts with the system.

Primary Actor: Initiates the use case (e.g., a customer withdrawing cash).
Supporting Actor: Assists the primary actor (e.g., a bank database or payment processor).

📌 Use Case

A goal-oriented description of how an actor achieves a valuable outcome.

Named as Verb + Noun: Withdraw Cash, Process Insurance Claim, Create User Account.
Scope: Usually system-level, but can be business-level or component-level.

📝 Example:
Use Case: Withdraw Cash
Goal: To allow a customer to retrieve cash from their account via an ATM.

🧩 Use-Case Narrative / Story

A concise, narrative-style description of the use case. Includes:

Title and goal
Primary and supporting actors
Scope
Main success scenario (happy path)
Extensions (alternatives, errors)

📌 Format Tip: Use 1–2 paragraphs or bullet points. Avoid full UML diagrams unless needed.

🔪 Use-Case Slice (The Game-Changer!)

The most powerful innovation in Use-Case 2.0.

A use-case slice is:

A small, self-contained part of a use case.
Delivering clear, measurable value.
Testable, estimable, and implementable in one sprint.
A vertical slice cutting across all layers: requirements → design → code → tests → UI.

💡 Think of it as a well-written user story, but with context from the larger use case.

✅ Characteristics of a Good Slice:

Independent of other slices (where possible)
Delivers value on its own
Can be verified with tests
Aligns with a single sprint goal

🔹 4. Step-by-Step Process: How to Apply Use-Case 2.0

Follow this proven workflow to turn vision into working software — incrementally and collaboratively.

✅ Step 1: Identify Actors and Use Cases (Discovery Phase)

Start with brainstorming:

Who uses the system?
What are their key goals?

👉 Aim for 5–15 high-level use cases per system. Avoid creating 100+ tiny ones.

🛠️ Example: ATM System

Actors: Customer, Bank Teller, Bank Admin

Use Cases: Withdraw Cash, Deposit Funds, Transfer Money, Check Balance, Change PIN

✅ Step 2: Outline the Use Cases (Lightweight Narrative)

For each use case, write a brief narrative:

Title: Withdraw Cash
Goal: Allow a customer to withdraw money from their account using an ATM.
Actors: Customer (primary), ATM, Bank System (supporting)
Scope: ATM system only
Main Success Scenario:
1. Customer inserts card.
2. System verifies card.
3. Customer enters PIN.
4. System validates PIN.
5. Customer selects “Withdraw Cash”.
6. Customer enters amount.
7. System checks balance.
8. Cash is dispensed.
9. Receipt is printed (optional).
10. Transaction complete.

📌 Include key extensions:

Insufficient funds

Expired card

Daily withdrawal limit exceeded

✅ Step 3: Slice the Use Cases

Break each use case into 3–10+ vertical slices. Use these slicing patterns:

Pattern	Purpose
Basic Slice	Happy path with minimal functionality
Precondition Slice	Authentication, setup, or login
Simple Alternative	One variation (e.g., insufficient funds)
Error/Edge Case Slice	Failure handling (e.g., timeout, network error)
Enhancement Slice	Add features (e.g., receipt, multi-currency)

📌 Example: “Withdraw Cash” Slices

Authenticate user + view balance (foundation)

Withdraw valid amount ≤ balance → dispense cash (core)

Withdraw → insufficient funds → show error message

Withdraw → daily limit exceeded → block transaction

Print receipt after withdrawal

Support multi-currency withdrawal

Each slice is now a backlog item ready for sprint planning.

✅ Step 4: Detail the Slices (Just Enough)

For each slice, define:

Acceptance Criteria (in Gherkin/BDD format):

Given the customer has a valid card
When they enter a valid PIN
And select "Withdraw Cash" for $50
And have sufficient balance
Then cash should be dispensed
And a receipt should be printed

UI/UX Sketches (if needed)
Test Scenarios (automated or manual)
Dependencies (e.g., payment gateway integration)

📌 No over-documenting! Only include what’s needed to build and test.

✅ Step 5: Plan & Prioritize

Add slices to the product backlog.
Prioritize by:
- Business value
- Risk (early risk exposure)
- Dependencies (build critical paths first)
- Customer impact

Use the use-case overview to maintain context — avoid losing the forest for the trees.

🧭 Pro Tip: Use use-case diagrams or visual maps (e.g., Miro, Confluence) to show relationships between use cases and slices.

✅ Step 6: Develop Incrementally

Pull slices into sprints.
Implement full vertical slice: UI + backend + database + tests.
Demonstrate working functionality at the end of each sprint.
Gather feedback and refine.

✅ Every sprint ends with a working, tested, potentially shippable increment.

✅ Step 7: Verify & Adapt

Track each slice’s progress using state transitions:

State	Meaning
Scoped	Identified and prioritized
Prepared	Detailed with acceptance criteria, tests, design
Implemented	Code written and integrated
Verified	Tests pass, demoed, accepted
Retired	No longer needed or obsolete

Use this tracking to monitor progress and identify bottlenecks.

🔹 5. Real-World Example: Online Bookstore

Let’s apply Use-Case 2.0 to a real-world system.

📚 Use Case: Purchase Book

🎯 Goal:

Allow a customer to buy a book online with a seamless checkout process.

📝 Main Success Scenario:

Customer browses/searches for books.
Views book details and adds to cart.
Proceeds to checkout.
Enters shipping and payment information.
Confirms order.
Receives order confirmation (email + on-screen).

🔪 Use-Case Slices (Backlog Items)

Each slice is a vertical, shippable increment:

Slice	Description	Value Delivered
Slice 1: Browse & Search Books	Customer can search books by title, author, or category (no login required).	Basic discovery capability
Slice 2: View Book Details + Add to Cart	Customer sees book description, price, and adds to cart.	Core shopping flow
Slice 3: View Cart & Update Quantities	Customer views cart and edits item quantities.	Personalization & control
Slice 4: Guest Checkout (Basic)	Customer checks out without account; enters basic shipping/payment info.	Low-friction entry point
Slice 5: Registered User Login + Saved Addresses	Logged-in users can save addresses and auto-fill them.	Reusability & convenience
Slice 6: Integrate Real Payment Gateway	Connect to Stripe/PayPal; handle secure transactions.	Trust & completion
Slice 7: Order Confirmation Email	System sends email with order summary and tracking.	Post-purchase assurance
Slice 8: Handle Failed Payment + Retry	Customer sees error, can retry or change payment method.	Resilience & UX polish

✅ Each slice can be tested, demonstrated, and released independently.

🔹 6. Use-Case 2.0 vs. User Stories: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Pure User Story	Use-Case 2.0 Slice
Format	“As a [role], I want [goal] so that [benefit]”	“Part of ‘Purchase Book’ — withdraw valid amount”
Context	Isolated; may lose connection to larger flows	Embedded in a use case — shows relationships
Traceability	Weak (hard to link stories)	Strong (slices trace back to use case)
Complexity Handling	Struggles with multi-step, branching scenarios	Excels with extensions, alternatives, and error paths
Testing	Often defined after implementation	Tests defined before coding (BDD-first)
Scalability	Breaks down at scale (too many stories)	Scales well via use-case packages and hierarchies

✅ Use-Case 2.0 is not a replacement for user stories — it’s an upgrade.
It gives you the agility of user stories with the structure and visibility of use cases.

🔹 7. Tips for Success & Scaling

🎯 Start Light, Scale Smart

Begin with index cards or one-pagers.
Use digital whiteboards (Miro, FigJam, Confluence) for collaboration.
Avoid over-engineering early on.

🖼️ Use Visuals Strategically

Use-Case Diagrams: Show high-level system boundaries and actor relationships.
Activity Diagrams: Model complex flows (e.g., multi-step checkout).
Slice Maps: Visualize how slices fit into the larger use case.

🏢 Scaling for Large Projects

Group related use cases into Use-Case Packages (e.g., “Order Management”, “User Account”).
Use Business Use Cases for enterprise-level planning (e.g., “Onboard New Customer”).
Implement modular architecture to support vertical slicing.

🛠️ Recommended Tools

Tool	Use Case
Visual Paradigm	Full UML modeling, use-case diagrams, traceability
Enterprise Architect	Advanced modeling, integration with ALM tools
Miro / FigJam	Collaborative whiteboarding, slice mapping
Jira / Azure DevOps	Backlog management, sprint tracking, state transitions
Cucumber / SpecFlow	BDD testing with Gherkin syntax

✅ Pro Tip: Use Gherkin for acceptance criteria — it’s readable by both developers and non-technical stakeholders.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Too many slices per use case → Death by detail.
→ Fix: Limit to 3–10 slices; focus on value, not granularity.
Too few slices → Giant, untestable stories.
→ Fix: Break down large flows into thin vertical slices.
Ignoring extensions and errors → Unreliable systems.
→ Fix: Include at least one error/alternative slice per use case.
Treating use cases as final specs → Anti-agile.
→ Fix: Treat them as living artifacts — refine as you learn.

🔹 Conclusion: The Future of Requirements Is Here

Use-Case 2.0 is not just a methodology — it’s a mindset shift.

It answers the age-old tension between clarity and agility, between structure and speed. By combining:

The goal-oriented focus of use cases,
The lightweight, iterative nature of user stories,
The test-first, vertical slicing of modern agile practices,

…Use-Case 2.0 delivers a powerful, future-proof approach to software requirements.

✅ Why Teams Love It in 2026:

✅ Faster time to value – deliver working features early.
✅ Better collaboration – shared understanding across product, dev, QA.
✅ Fewer defects – tests are defined before code.
✅ Easier scaling – works for startups and global enterprises.
✅ Traceable delivery – every feature links back to a user goal.

📚 Further Reading:

Use-Case 2.0: The Guide to Succeeding with Use Cases by Ivar Jacobson, Ian Spence, Kurt Bittner

Free download: https://www.ivarjacobson.com

Explore the Ivar Jacobson International site for training, tools, and community.

📌 Final Thought

“Don’t write requirements — deliver value.”
Use-Case 2.0 turns abstract goals into tangible, tested, and valuable increments — one slice at a time.

Whether you’re building a fintech app, an e-commerce platform, or a mission-critical enterprise system, Use-Case 2.0 gives you the framework to build smarter, faster, and with greater confidence.

🚀 Happy Slicing!
Go forth and deliver value — one vertical slice at a time.

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