20.1. Case Study 1: E-commerce Cart System

📌 Project Objective Design and deliver a shopping cart feature for an online retail platform, enabling users to add, update, and purchase items.

The project aims to create a shopping cart for an online retail site. This cart is crucial because it allows users to select items they want to buy, manage these selections, and eventually make purchases. Essentially, it is like a digital basket where users can store their shopping selections until they're ready to check out.

Imagine going to a physical store with a shopping cart. You put your desired items into the cart as you navigate the aisles. Similarly, the online cart performs this function but in a virtual space, making shopping more convenient.

✅ Key Business Requirements ● Users can add multiple products to the cart ● Cart contents are saved across sessions ● Discounts and promo codes can be applied ● Cart updates dynamically with stock availability ● Checkout process integrates with payment gateway

This section lists essential features for the shopping cart functionality. Users are allowed to add multiple items to their carts, and the information persists even if they leave the site and come back later. Additionally, users can apply discounts, see stock levels in real-time, and complete their purchases through an integrated payment gateway.

Consider an online clothing store. When you select several items to try on, you want to make sure those selections are still available when it's time to pay. The shopping cart does just that, ensuring your options are saved until you proceed to checkout, much like holding items in a fitting room.

👥 Stakeholders ● Product Owner ● Marketing Team ● Customers ● Logistics & Inventory Team

Stakeholders are the individuals or groups that have an interest in the project's outcome. In this case, the stakeholders include the Product Owner, who oversees the project; the Marketing Team, which promotes the cart; Customers who use it; and the Logistics & Inventory Team, who manage stock levels and delivery.

Think of stakeholders as passengers on a train. Each passenger has different needs for their journey; some want comfort, others efficiency. Similarly, each stakeholder in the project has distinct needs that must be considered to keep the project moving in the right direction.

📊 BA Activities ● Gather user stories (e.g., 'As a shopper, I want to remove an item from my cart') ● Create wireframes for cart UI ● Define business rules (e.g., max quantity per product, cart expiration) ● Document functional & non-functional requirements ● Conduct UAT for checkout and promo logic

Business Analysts (BAs) are responsible for several activities in this project. They gather user stories to understand what shoppers want and create wireframes to visualize the cart interface. They also define necessary business rules, document the required functionalities and performance standards, and conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure the cart works correctly.

Imagine being a detective trying to solve a case. You gather clues (user stories) to piece together what happened, visualize the scene (wireframes), and establish rules (business rules) to ensure justice is served (successful functionality). Your work allows others (users) to have a seamless experience.

🛠 Tools Used ● JIRA (User Stories) ● Figma (Wireframes) ● Confluence (BRD/FRD) ● SQL (Verify cart behavior in DB)

This segment identifies the tools that the BAs used in the project. JIRA is utilized for tracking user stories, Figma assists in creating design prototypes, Confluence is employed for documentation, and SQL is used to verify how the shopping cart behaves in the database.

Think of these tools as different instruments a chef uses in a kitchen: a spatula for flipping pancakes (JIRA), a knife for chopping (Figma), a measuring cup for accuracy (Confluence), and a thermometer for checking temperatures (SQL). Each tool serves a unique purpose in creating the perfect dish – or in this case, a successful shopping cart.

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