Modern Systems Analysis and Design Chapter 7 Structuring System

Modern Systems Analysis and Design Chapter 7 Structuring System Process Requirements

Learning Objectives Understand the logical modeling of processes by studying examples of data flow diagrams (DFDs). Draw data flow diagrams following specific rules and guidelines that lead to accurate and wellstructured process models. Decompose data flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams. Balance higher-level and lower-level data flow diagrams. Chapter 7 2

Learning Objectives (Cont.) Use data flow diagrams as a tool to support the analysis of information systems. Discuss process modeling for electronic commerce applications. Use decision tables to represent the logic of choice in conditional statements. Chapter 7 3

Process Modeling FIGURE 7-1 Systems development life cycle with the analysis phase highlighted Chapter 7 4

Process Modeling (Cont.) Graphically represent the processes that capture, manipulate, store, and distribute data between a system and its environment and among system components. Chapter 7 5

Process Modeling (Cont.) Utilize information gathered during requirements determination. Processes and data structures are modeled. Chapter 7 6

Deliverables and Outcomes Context Scope DFDs data flow diagram (DFD) of system of current physical system Adequate DFDs detail only of current logical system Enables analysts to understand current system Chapter 7 7

Deliverables and Outcomes (Cont.) DFDs of new logical system Technology independent Show data flows, structure, and functional requirements of new system Thorough description of each DFD component Chapter 7 8

Data Flow Diagramming Mechanics Represent both physical and logical information systems Only four symbols are used Chapter 7 9

Data Flow Diagramming Mechanics (Cont.) Useful for depicting purely logical information flows DFDs that detail physical systems differ from system flowcharts which depict details of physical computing equipment Chapter 7 10

Definitions and Symbols FIGURE 7-2 Comparison of DeMarco and Yourdon and Gane and Sarson DFD symbol sets Chapter 7 11

Definitions and Symbols (Cont.) Process: work or actions performed on data (inside the system) Data store: data at rest (inside the system) Chapter 7 12

Definitions and Symbols (Cont.) Source/sink: external entity that is origin or destination of data (outside the system) Data flow: arrows depicting movement of data Chapter 7 13

Developing DFDs Context diagram is an overview of an organizational system that shows: the system boundaries. external entities that interact with the system. major information flows between the entities and the system. Note: only one process symbol, and no data stores shown Chapter 7 14

Context Diagram FIGURE 7-4 Context diagram of Hoosier Burger’s food-ordering system Chapter 7 15

Developing DFDs (Cont.) Level-0 diagram is a data flow diagram that represents a system’s major processes, data flows, and data stores at a high level of detail. Processes are labeled 1.0, 2.0, etc. These will be decomposed into more primitive (lowerlevel) DFDs. Chapter 7 16

Level-0 Diagram FIGURE 7-5 Level-0 DFD of Hoosier Burger’s food-ordering system Chapter 7 17

Data Flow Diagramming Rules There are two DFD guidelines that apply: The inputs to a process are different from the outputs of that process. Processes purpose is to transform inputs into outputs. Objects Chapter 7 on a DFD have unique names. Every process has a unique name. 18

Data Flow Diagramming Rules (Cont.) TABLE 7-2 Rules Governing Data Flow Diagramming Chapter 7 19

Data Flow Diagramming Rules (Cont.) TABLE 7-2 Rules Governing Data Flow Diagramming (cont.) Chapter 7 20

Decomposition of DFDs Functional decomposition is an iterative process of breaking a system description down into finer and finer detail. Creates a set of charts in which one process on a given chart is explained in greater detail on another chart. Continues until no subprocess can logically be broken down any further. Chapter 7 21

Decomposition of DFDs (Cont.) Primitive DFD is the lowest level of a DFD. Level-1 diagram results from decomposition of Level-0 diagram. Level-n diagram is a DFD diagram that is the result of n nested decompositions from a process on a level-0 diagram. Chapter 7 22

Level-1 DFD FIGURE 7-8 Level-1 diagram showing the decomposition of Process 4.0 from the level-0 diagram for Hoosier Burger’s food-ordering system Level-1 DFD shows the sub-processes of one of the processes in the Level-0 DFD. Processes are labeled 4.1, 4.2, etc. These can be further decomposed in more primitive (lower-level) DFDs if necessary. Chapter 7 This is a Level-1 DFD for Process 4.0. 23

Level-n DFD FIGURE 7-9 Level-2 diagram showing the decomposition of Process 4.3 from the level-1 diagram for Process 4.0 for Hoosier Burger’s food-ordering system Level-n DFD shows the sub-processes of one of the processes in the Level n-1 DFD. This is a Level-2 DFD for Process 4.3. Processes are labeled 4.3.1, 4.3.2, etc. If this is the lowest level of the hierarchy, it is called a primitive DFD. Chapter 7 24

Balancing DFDs Conservation Principle: conserve inputs and outputs to a process at the next level of decomposition Balancing: conservation of inputs and outputs to a data flow diagram process when that process is decomposed to a lower level Chapter 7 25

Balancing DFDs (Cont.) Balanced means: Number of inputs to lower level DFD equals number of inputs to associated process of higher-level DFD Number of outputs to lower level DFD equals number of outputs to associated process of higher-level DFD Chapter 7 26

Balancing DFDs (Cont.) FIGURE 7-10 An unbalanced set of data flow diagrams (a) Context diagram 1 input 1 output (b) Level-0 diagram 2 inputs 1 output Chapter 7 This is unbalanced because the process of the context diagram has only one input but the Level-0 diagram has two inputs. 27

Balancing DFDs (Cont.) Data flow splitting is when a composite data flow at a higher level is split and different parts go to different processes in the lower level DFD. The DFD remains balanced because the same data is involved, but split into two parts. Chapter 7 28

Balancing DFDs (Cont.) FIGURE 7-11 Example of data flow splitting (a) Composite data flow (b) Disaggregated data flows Chapter 7 29

Balancing DFDs: More DFD Rules Chapter 7 30

Four Different Types of DFDs Current Physical Process labels identify technology (people or systems) used to process the data. Data flows and data stores identify actual name of the physical media. Current Logical Physical aspects of system are removed as much as possible. Current system is reduced to data and processes that transform them. Chapter 7 31

Four Different Types of DFDs (Cont.) New Logical Includes additional functions. Obsolete functions are removed. Inefficient data flows are reorganized. New Physical Represents the physical implementation of the new system. Chapter 7 32

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs Completeness DFD must include all components necessary for system. Each component must be fully described in the project dictionary or CASE repository. Consistency The extent to which information contained on one level of a set of nested DFDs is also included on other levels Chapter 7 33

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) Timing Time is not represented well on DFDs. Best to draw DFDs as if the system has never started and will never stop. Iterative Development Analyst should expect to redraw diagram several times before reaching the closest approximation to the system being modeled. Chapter 7 34

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) Primitive DFDs Lowest logical level of decomposition Decision has to be made when to stop decomposition Chapter 7 35

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) Rules for stopping decomposition When each process has been reduced to a single decision, calculation or database operation When each data store represents data about a single entity Chapter 7 36

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) Rules for stopping decomposition, cont. When the system user does not care to see any more detail When every data flow does not need to be split further to show that data are handled in various ways Chapter 7 37

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.) Rules for stopping decomposition, cont. When you believe that you have shown each business form or transaction, online display and report as a single data flow When you believe that there is a separate process for each choice on all lowest-level menu options Chapter 7 38

Using DFDs as Analysis Tools Gap Analysis is the process of discovering discrepancies between two or more sets of data flow diagrams or discrepancies within a single DFD. Inefficiencies in a system can often be identified through DFDs. Chapter 7 39

Using DFDs in BPR FIGURE 7-16 IBM Credit Corporation’s primary work process before BPR (Source: Based on Hammer and Champy, 1993.) Chapter 7 40

Using DFDs in BPR (Cont.) FIGURE 7-17 IBM Credit Corporation’s primary work process after BPR (Source: Based on Hammer and Champy, 1993.) Chapter 7 41

Electronic Commerce Application: Process Modeling using Data Flow Diagrams Process modeling for Pine Valley Furniture’s Webstore Completed JAD session. Began translating the Webstore system structure into data flow diagrams. Chapter 7 Identified six high-level processes. 42

Electronic Commerce Application: Process Modeling using Data Flow Diagrams (Cont.) Chapter 7 43

Electronic Commerce Application: Process Modeling using Data Flow Diagrams FIGURE 7-22 Level-0 data flow diagram for the WebStore Chapter 7 44