Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:
As an Appian Lead Developer, defining “good” functional acceptance criteria for a user story requires ensuring they are specific, testable, and directly tied to the user’s need (placing an online food order to avoid waiting in line). Good criteria focus on functionality, usability, and reliability, aligning with Appian’s Agile and design best practices. Let’s evaluate each option:
A. The user will click Save, and the order information will be saved in the ORDER table and have audit history:This is a “good” criterion. It directly validates the core functionality of the user story—placing an order online. Saving order data in the ORDER table (likely via a process model or Data Store Entity) ensures persistence, and audit history (e.g., using Appian’s audit logs or database triggers) tracks changes, supporting traceability and compliance. This is specific, testable (e.g., verify data in the table and logs), and essential for the user’s goal, aligning with Appian’s data management and user experience guidelines.
B. The user will receive an email notification when their order is completed:While useful, this is a “nice-to-have” enhancement, not a core requirement of the user story. The story focuses on placing an order online to avoid waiting, not on completion notifications. Email notifications add value but aren’t essential for validating the primary functionality. Appian’s user story best practices prioritize criteria tied to the main user need, making this secondary and not “good” in this context.
C. The system must handle up to 500 unique orders per day:This is a non-functional requirement (performance/scalability), not a functional acceptance criterion. It describes system capacity, not specific user behavior or functionality. While important for design, it’s not directly testable for the user story’s outcome (placing an order) and isn’t tied to the user’s experience. Appian’s Agile methodologies separate functional and non-functional requirements, making this less relevant as a “good” criterion here.
D. The user cannot submit the form without filling out all required fields:This is a “good” criterion. It ensures data integrity and usability by preventing incomplete orders, directly supporting the user’s ability to place a valid online order. In Appian, this can be implemented using form validation (e.g., required attributes in SAIL interfaces or process model validations), making it specific, testable (e.g., verify form submission fails with missing fields), and critical for a reliable user experience. This aligns with Appian’s UI design and user story validation standards.
Conclusion: The two “good” functional acceptance criteria are A (order saved with audit history) and D (required fields enforced). These directly validate the user story’s functionality (placing a valid order online), are testable, and ensure a reliable, user-friendly experience—aligning with Appian’s Agile and design best practices for user stories.
[References: , Appian Documentation: "Writing Effective User Stories and Acceptance Criteria" (Functional Requirements). , Appian Lead Developer Certification: Agile Development Module (Acceptance Criteria Best Practices). , Appian Best Practices: "Designing User Interfaces in Appian" (Form Validation and Data Persistence)., , ]
