What If? Scenarios

What if? scenarios allow you to explore possibilities and question the business rules. You ask, "What if we did this?" or "What if we didn't do that?" It becomes easier to find the many possibilities if you think about the constraints. Ask what would happen if the constraint did not exist. As an example, suppose that while going over the scenarios for the flight check-in case, you asked, "What if we took away the constraint of the check-in desk?

What if? scenarios allow you to explore possibilities.

This freedom gives rise to all sorts of possibilities. Suppose you wrote your what if? scenario like this:

1. The passenger calls the airline while en route to the airport.

2. Text the passenger and ask if he wants to check in.

3. If yes, get the record locator from the passenger's phone (this was sent at the time of the reservation).

4. Check the passenger onto the flight, and text the seat allocation and passcode (the passenger's phone will be scanned at gates to allow the passenger to move through the airport).

5. Text bag checks (these will activate the automated bag tag printers at curbside).

6. Wish the passenger a pleasant flight.

What if? scenarios are intended to stimulate creativity and guide your stakeholders to come up with more innovative products. However, you must strike a balance between spending too much time and too little looking for innovative solutions.

What if? scenarios are intended to stimulate creativity and guide your stakeholders to come up with more innovative products.