Stop Confusing "Features" with "User Stories"

Elaborating on our previous article “Customers Requirements are Usually Features, Not User Stories", When a customer says to you, "we need the system to ...", they are generally referring to "features" and not "user stories". A lot of Business Analysts and Functional Consultants hear the words "need to ..." and instantly equate that to a "user story" when it is not.

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Form Does Not Equal Substance

Just because someone says or writes something in the form of “as a … I need to … because …” does not make it a user story.

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Example

If a customer tells you, “As a Customer Service Rep, I need to be able to spell check because we think good spelling shows professionalism, ”that does not make it a user story.

Spell-checking is a feature!

It's not a user story!

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What makes it a user story?

An example of a user story might be, “As a Customer Service Rep, I need to set the language to English in our spell checker because we send out communication in English in our company.”

A user story is a step along the way. It would be setting something or doing something specific.

A feature is more of a generality.

Then, you have tasks that must occur by a Developer to build the user story (i.e., a step) in the overall feature.

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Examples of features in Microsoft Word

·       Spell checking

·       Footers

·       Templates

·       Styles

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Example of user stories in Microsoft Word

·       Setting a language in the spell checker

·       Inserting a page number in a footer

·       Saving a document as a template

·       Setting the spacing for a style

 

Happy software engineering!

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About Endeavour and our Purely CRM team

For close to a decade our Purely CRM team has been laser-like focused on delivering CRM solutions built solely on Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, combined with Power Apps and the Microsoft Power Platform. We’ve expanded our team immensely in the past years to help better serve our clients and partners. As an integral part of Endeavour Solutions Inc., a top Microsoft ERP, CRM, and Cloud consulting, our CRM Advisory, Design, and Development teams work with clients across Canada and the United States.

Our core focus is on large mid-market and enterprise CRM Design & Development projects, Staff Augmentation, and CRM Support. When needed we can also tap upon our peers at Endeavour for Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP to provide an All-in-One Cloud ERP-CRM.  We provide services to clients Coast to Coast across the United States and Canada. We do not offshore projects to resources overseas.

Reach out to explore our track record, rates, skills, and approach to discover how we can collaborate and drive YOUR SUCCESS.

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