User Stories and Use Cases

Overview

This document outlines the key user stories and use cases for the MS-Project system, organized by user role and functional area. Each story includes acceptance criteria, business value, and technical considerations.

User Personas

1. Sarah - Project Manager

  • Role: Senior Project Manager
  • Goals: Oversee multiple projects, ensure timely delivery, manage resources
  • Pain Points: Lack of real-time visibility, manual coordination, scattered information

2. Mike - Team Lead

  • Role: Development Team Lead
  • Goals: Assign tasks efficiently, track team progress, identify blockers
  • Pain Points: Poor task prioritization, unclear dependencies, communication gaps

3. Emma - Team Member

  • Role: Software Developer
  • Goals: Complete assigned tasks, collaborate with team, update progress
  • Pain Points: Context switching, unclear requirements, lack of feedback

4. David - Executive

  • Role: VP of Engineering
  • Goals: Monitor portfolio health, make data-driven decisions, ensure ROI
  • Pain Points: Delayed reporting, lack of insights, budget overruns

5. Lisa - Client

  • Role: External Stakeholder
  • Goals: Track project progress, review deliverables, provide feedback
  • Pain Points: Limited visibility, slow communication, unclear timelines

Epic 1: Project Management

User Story 1.1: Create New Project

As Sarah (Project Manager) I want to create a new project with all necessary details So that I can start planning and resource allocation

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Can enter project name, description, and contract value
  • ✅ Can set project timeline and milestones
  • ✅ Can assign customer and initial team members
  • ✅ Can upload project documentation
  • ✅ System generates unique project code automatically
  • ✅ Can save as draft or submit for approval

API Endpoints:

POST /api/v1/projects

Business Value:

  • Reduces project setup time by 70%
  • Ensures consistent project information
  • Enables immediate team collaboration

User Story 1.2: Track Project Progress

As Sarah (Project Manager) I want to track project progress through defined stages So that I can identify delays and take corrective action

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ View project in 8 progress stages
  • ✅ Update progress with single click
  • ✅ See visual progress indicators
  • ✅ Receive alerts on stage transitions
  • ✅ View historical progress timeline

API Endpoints:

GET /api/v1/projects/{uniqueCode}
PATCH /api/v1/projects/{uniqueCode}/progress

Business Value:

  • Improves project visibility by 90%
  • Reduces status meeting time by 50%
  • Enables proactive issue resolution

User Story 1.3: Manage Project Expenses

As Sarah (Project Manager) I want to track all project-related expenses So that I can ensure projects stay within budget

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ View total project expenses
  • ✅ See expense breakdown by category
  • ✅ Compare actual vs. budgeted costs
  • ✅ Receive budget alerts at thresholds
  • ✅ Export expense reports

API Endpoints:

GET /api/v1/projects/{uniqueCode}/expenses_count

Epic 2: Task Management

User Story 2.1: Create and Assign Tasks

As Mike (Team Lead) I want to create tasks and assign them to team members So that work is distributed efficiently

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Create tasks with name, description, and due date
  • ✅ Set priority levels (Low, Medium, High, Urgent)
  • ✅ Assign to individuals or departments
  • ✅ Create subtasks for complex work
  • ✅ Attach relevant files and documents
  • ✅ Add tags for categorization

API Endpoints:

POST /api/v1/tasks

Technical Implementation:

{
  "name": "Implement user authentication",
  "projectId": "01HXYZ123ABC",
  "departmentId": "engineering",
  "priority": "high",
  "endDate": "2024-12-31T00:00:00Z",
  "participantIds": ["user1", "user2"],
  "tags": ["backend", "security"]
}

User Story 2.2: Update Task Status

As Emma (Team Member) I want to update my task status So that everyone knows my progress

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Change task status with single action
  • ✅ Add progress comments
  • ✅ System tracks status history
  • ✅ Notifications sent to watchers
  • ✅ Can mark tasks as blocked with reason

API Endpoints:

PUT /api/v1/tasks/{unique_code}/status

Status Workflow:

pending → in_progress → pending_review → completed
         ↓              ↓
      on_hold        blocked
         ↓              ↓
      canceled       deferred

User Story 2.3: View My Tasks

As Emma (Team Member) I want to see all tasks assigned to me So that I can prioritize my work

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ View tasks filtered by status
  • ✅ Sort by priority and due date
  • ✅ See task dependencies
  • ✅ Quick actions for status updates
  • ✅ Calendar view of deadlines

API Endpoints:

GET /api/v1/tasks/my-tasks

Epic 3: Collaboration

User Story 3.1: Add Task Comments

As Emma (Team Member) I want to comment on tasks So that I can communicate progress and issues

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Add text comments with formatting
  • ✅ Attach files to comments
  • ✅ Reply to existing comments (threading)
  • ✅ @mention team members
  • ✅ Edit and delete own comments

API Endpoints:

POST /api/v1/tasks/{unique_code}/comments

Implementation:

{
  "content": "@mike Need clarification on requirements",
  "attachmentIds": ["file123"],
  "parentId": "comment456"
}

User Story 3.2: React to Comments

As Mike (Team Lead) I want to react to team comments So that I can provide quick feedback

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Like/dislike comments
  • ✅ See reaction counts
  • ✅ Change reaction anytime
  • ✅ View who reacted
  • ✅ Receive notifications on reactions

API Endpoints:

POST /api/v1/tasks/{unique_code}/comments/toggle-like

Epic 4: Product Management

User Story 4.1: Define Project Deliverables

As Sarah (Project Manager) I want to define flexible project deliverables So that I can manage any type of product

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Create physical products with specifications
  • ✅ Create software deliverables with versions
  • ✅ Create service deliverables with hours
  • ✅ Create document deliverables with revisions
  • ✅ Add custom attributes without code changes

Product Types Supported:

Physical Product:
- Dimensions, Materials, Weight
- Manufacturing specifications
- Quality standards

Software Product:
- Version, License type
- Platform requirements
- Deployment method

Service Product:
- Hours, Rate, Consultants
- Service level agreements
- Deliverable milestones

Document Product:
- Format, Pages, Revisions
- Review cycles
- Approval requirements

User Story 4.2: Track Product Attributes

As Sarah (Project Manager) I want to add custom attributes to products So that I can capture industry-specific information

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Add unlimited custom attributes
  • ✅ Support multiple data types
  • ✅ Search by attribute values
  • ✅ Export attribute data
  • ✅ Maintain attribute history

Technical Implementation:

// EAV Pattern Implementation
product.SetAttribute(db, "material", "Stainless Steel")
product.SetAttribute(db, "certification", "ISO 9001")
product.SetAttribute(db, "warranty_years", 5)
product.SetAttribute(db, "test_results", jsonData)

Epic 5: Reporting and Analytics

User Story 5.1: View Project Dashboard

As David (Executive) I want to see a high-level dashboard So that I can monitor portfolio health

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ See active project count and status
  • ✅ View resource utilization metrics
  • ✅ Track financial performance
  • ✅ Identify at-risk projects
  • ✅ Export executive reports

Metrics Displayed:

  • Total projects by status
  • Budget vs. actual spending
  • Resource allocation heat map
  • Timeline adherence percentage
  • Risk indicators

User Story 5.2: Generate Task Reports

As Mike (Team Lead) I want to generate task reports So that I can analyze team performance

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Task completion velocity
  • ✅ Average time per priority
  • ✅ Blocker frequency analysis
  • ✅ Department workload distribution
  • ✅ Individual performance metrics

API Endpoints:

GET /api/v1/tasks/projects/{projectId}/task-summary

Epic 6: Client Portal

User Story 6.1: View Project Status

As Lisa (Client) I want to view my project status So that I stay informed of progress

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Read-only access to project
  • ✅ See milestone completion
  • ✅ View approved deliverables
  • ✅ Access project documents
  • ✅ Receive status notifications

User Story 6.2: Provide Feedback

As Lisa (Client) I want to provide feedback on deliverables So that I can ensure quality

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Comment on specific deliverables
  • ✅ Approve or request changes
  • ✅ Upload reference materials
  • ✅ Track feedback resolution
  • ✅ View feedback history

Epic 7: Mobile Access

User Story 7.1: Mobile Task Management

As Emma (Team Member) I want to manage tasks on mobile So that I can work remotely

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ View assigned tasks
  • ✅ Update task status
  • ✅ Add comments
  • ✅ Receive push notifications
  • ✅ Work offline with sync

User Story 7.2: Mobile Approvals

As Sarah (Project Manager) I want to approve items on mobile So that I don't delay projects

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Review approval requests
  • ✅ Approve/reject with comments
  • ✅ Delegate approvals
  • ✅ View approval history
  • ✅ Set out-of-office delegates

Epic 8: Integration

User Story 8.1: Calendar Integration

As Emma (Team Member) I want to sync tasks with my calendar So that I can manage time effectively

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Export tasks to calendar
  • ✅ Two-way sync support
  • ✅ Show task deadlines
  • ✅ Block time for tasks
  • ✅ Reminder notifications

User Story 8.2: Slack Integration

As Mike (Team Lead) I want to receive updates in Slack So that I stay informed

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Task assignment notifications
  • ✅ Status change alerts
  • ✅ Comment mentions
  • ✅ Daily task summary
  • ✅ Quick actions from Slack

Epic 9: Security and Compliance

User Story 9.1: Audit Trail

As David (Executive) I want to see complete audit trails So that we maintain compliance

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Track all data changes
  • ✅ Record user actions
  • ✅ Timestamp all events
  • ✅ Export audit logs
  • ✅ Immutable audit records

User Story 9.2: Access Control

As Sarah (Project Manager) I want to control project access So that sensitive data is protected

Acceptance Criteria:

  • ✅ Role-based permissions
  • ✅ Project-level access
  • ✅ Department restrictions
  • ✅ Guest access controls
  • ✅ Access review reports

Non-Functional Requirements

Performance Requirements

  • Page load time < 2 seconds
  • API response time < 200ms
  • Support 10,000 concurrent users
  • 99.9% uptime availability

Usability Requirements

  • Mobile-responsive design
  • Accessibility WCAG 2.1 AA
  • Multi-language support
  • Intuitive navigation
  • Contextual help system

Security Requirements

  • End-to-end encryption
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Regular security audits
  • GDPR compliance
  • SOC 2 certification

Success Metrics

Adoption Metrics

  • User activation rate > 80%
  • Daily active users > 60%
  • Feature adoption > 70%
  • User retention > 90%

Performance Metrics

  • Task completion rate increase 40%
  • Project delivery on-time rate 85%
  • Communication efficiency +50%
  • Administrative time reduction 60%

Business Metrics

  • ROI within 6 months
  • Cost reduction 30%
  • Customer satisfaction 4.5/5
  • Employee satisfaction 4.0/5

Conclusion

These user stories represent the core functionality needed to deliver value to all stakeholder groups. The implementation prioritizes the most critical workflows while maintaining flexibility for future enhancements. Each story is designed to be independently valuable while contributing to the overall system cohesion.