

The include relationship is a relationship between two business use cases that signifies that the business use case on the side to which the arrow points is included in the use case on the other side of the arrow. Apart from the special use of the business use case as a use case within a business system, there is no difference between the business use case and a ‘normal’ use case. Business Use CaseĪ business use case describes the interaction between an actor and a business system, meaning it describes the functionality of the business system that the actor utilizes:Ī business use case is described from the actor’s perspective. In fact, association only means that an actor is involved in the business use case. If a business use case includes several actors, it is not apparent in the use case diagram if each actor can conduct the business use case alone, or if the actors conduct the business use case together. Unfortunately, the association does not give any information about the way in which the functionality is used. It indicates that an actor can use a certain functionality of the business system-the business use case: AssociationĪn association is the relationship between an actor and a business use case. Instead of a stick figure, other symbols can be used as well, if they fit the characteristics of the actor and lead to practical, easy-to-read diagrams. For instance, an actor can be a customer, a business partner, a supplier, or another business system. We use the following elements in use case diagrams: ActorĪn actor represents a role that an outsider takes on when interacting with the business system. You will not find any information about how or in what chronological sequence these services are rendered (Figure 3.7): Figure 3.7 The elements of the use case diagram The relationships between actors and business use cases state that an actor can use a certain functionality of the business system. Use case diagrams show business use cases, actors, and the relationships between them.
