User Stories & Acceptance Criteria

1. User Story Template

• Title: [A short, descriptive title for the user story]
• As a: [Role of the user, e.g., “customer,” “administrator,” “support agent”]
• I want to: [The action the user needs to perform]
• So that: [The desired outcome or value provided to the user]

Example:
Title: Easy Access to Service Status Updates
As a: Customer
I want to: Receive real-time updates about service status
So that: I can plan my operations accordingly and minimize disruptions

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2. Acceptance Criteria

• Definition: A clear set of conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered complete. Each criterion should be measurable and verifiable.

Example:

1. Acceptance Criterion 1: The service status should be updated within 5 minutes of a status change.
2. Acceptance Criterion 2: Customers must be notified via email and SMS in case of critical service issues.
3. Acceptance Criterion 3: The status page should display uptime and any active incidents clearly.
4. Acceptance Criterion 4: The status updates should be available on both web and mobile platforms.

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3. Story Details & Context

• Description: A more detailed explanation of the user story, including any context, background information, or assumptions.
• Priority: [High, Medium, Low] – Defines the importance of this user story in relation to others.
• Story Points: [Numeric Value] – An estimation of the effort required to complete the user story.

Example:

• Description: Customers need visibility into service status to ensure they can adapt their operations and minimize any negative impact caused by outages or maintenance. This feature must be reliable and provide information in real-time.
• Priority: High
• Story Points: 8

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4. Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance: The service status page must load within 2 seconds.
• Scalability: The status notification system must support up to 1 million users simultaneously.
• Reliability: The notification system must have 99.9% uptime.

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5. Dependencies & Constraints

• Dependencies: List any external systems, services, or teams that this user story relies on.
• Constraints: Mention any limitations that could impact the completion of this user story.

Example:

• Dependencies: The messaging service used for SMS notifications must be fully functional.
• Constraints: Notifications cannot be sent to countries with restricted telecommunications access.

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6. Testing & Verification

• Test Cases: Define test cases to ensure that all acceptance criteria are met.
• Verification Steps: Outline the process for verifying each criterion.

Example:

• Test Case 1: Simulate a service status change and check that the update is reflected on the status page within 5 minutes.
• Test Case 2: Verify that email and SMS notifications are sent to registered users during a critical incident.
• Test Case 3: Ensure the status page is accessible and displays the correct information on both web and mobile platforms.

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7. Definition of Done

• All acceptance criteria have been met and verified through testing.
• The code has been reviewed and approved by peers.
• Documentation (e.g., release notes, user guides) has been updated.
• The feature has been successfully deployed to the production environment and monitored for initial stability.

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8. Supporting Artefacts

• Wireframes or Mockups: Attach any design assets that illustrate the user story.
• Data Flow Diagrams: Provide diagrams to show how data will move through the system.
• Related User Stories: Link to any other user stories that are related or dependent.

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9. Example User Stories with Acceptance Criteria

1. User Story 1: Enhanced Incident Response
   • As a: Support Agent
   • I want to: Receive detailed alerts when a critical incident occurs
   • So that: I can promptly respond and minimize the impact on customers
   Acceptance Criteria:
   1. The alert must contain the incident ID, description, impact assessment, and action steps.
   2. Alerts should be delivered via email and Slack within 1 minute of incident detection.
   3. The incident dashboard must display all current and resolved incidents in a sortable table.
2. User Story 2: Improved Onboarding Experience
   • As a: New Customer
   • I want to: Be guided through setting up my account step-by-step
   • So that: I can start using the service efficiently without confusion
   Acceptance Criteria:
   1. The onboarding process must include a progress bar showing completion status.
   2. Each step must have a “Help” option linking to relevant support articles.
   3. Users should be able to pause and resume onboarding without losing progress.