SYSTEM TOOLS AND DOCUMENTATION TECHNIQUES
SYSTEM TOOLS AND DOCUMENTATION TECHNIQUES
1.
Documentation - Explains how a system works, including the who, what, when, where, why, and
how of data entry, data processing, data storage, information output, and system controls.
Three Documentation Tools
1. Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
2. Flowchart
3. Business Process Diagram
1.
Data Flow Diagram - a graphical description of the flow of data within an organization, including
data sources/destinations, data flows, transformation processes, and data storage.
4 Basic Elements of DFD
SYMBOL
NAME
EXPLANATION
The people and organizations that send data to
and receive data from the system are
represented by square boxes. Data destinations
are also referred to as data sinks.
Data sources/
destination
Data flows
The flow of the data into or out of a process is
represented by curved or straight lines with
arrows.
Transformation
process
The processes that transform data from inputs to
outputs are represented by circles. They are
often referred to as bubbles.
Data stores
The storage of data is represented by two
horizontal lines.
Data Store
(H)
Data Flow
(G)
Data
Source
(A)
Data
Flow
(B)
Data
Flow
(D)
Proces
s
(C)
Data Flow
(E)
Data
Destinati
on
(J)
Proces
s
(F)
Data
Flow
(I)
Data
Destinati
on
(K)
SYSTEM TOOLS AND DOCUMENTATION TECHNIQUES
SUBDIVING THE DFD
DFDs are subdivided into successively lower levels to provide ever-increasing
amounts of detail, because few systems can be fully diagrammed on one sheet of paper. Also,
users have differing needs, and a variety of levels can better satisfy differing requirements.
2.
CONTEXT DIAGRAM - Highest-level DFD; a summary-level view of a system, showing
the data processing system, its input(s) and output(s), and their sources and destinations.
Flowchart - An analytical technique that uses a standard set of symbols to describe
pictorially some aspect of an IS in a clear, concise, and logical manner.
4 Categories of flowcharting:
1. Input/ Output Symbols - show input to or output from a system.
2. Processing Symbols - show data processing, either electronically or by hand.
3. Storage Symbols - show where data is stored.
4. Flow and Miscellaneous Symbols - indicate the flow of data, where flowcharts
begin or end, where decisions are made, and how to add explanatory notes to
flowcharts.
Common Flowcharting Symbols
SYMBOL
NAME
EXPLANATION
Input/ Output Symbols
Document
An electronic or paper document or report.
Multiple copies of
one paper
document
Illustrated by overlapping the document symbol
and printing the document number on the face of
the document in the upper right corner.
Electronic output
Information displayed by an electronic output
device such as a terminal, monitor, or screen.
Electronic data
entry
Electronic data entry device such as a computer,
terminal, tablet, or phone.
Electronic input
and output
device
The electronic data entry and output symbols are
used together to show a device used for both.
Processing Symbols
Computer
processing
Manual operation
A computerperformed processing function;
usually results in a change in data or information.
A processing operation performed manually.
SYSTEM TOOLS AND DOCUMENTATION TECHNIQUES
Storage Symbols
Database
Magnetic tape
Data stored electronically in a database.
Data stored on a magnetic tape; tapes are
popular backup storage mediums.
Paper document
file
File of paper documents; letters indicate file
ordering sequence: N = numerically, A =
alphabetically, D = by date.
Journal/ ledger
Paperbased accounting journals and ledgers.
Flow and Miscellaneous Symbols
Document or
processing flow
Direction of processing or document flow; normal
flow is down and to the right.
Communication
links
Transmission of data from one geographic
location to another via communication lines.
On-page
connector
Connects the processing flow on the same page;
its usage avoids lines crisscrossing a page.
Off-page
connector
An entry from, or an exit to, another page.
Terminal
A beginning, end, or point of interruption in a
process; also used to indicate an external party.
Decision
A decisionmaking step.
Annotation
Addition of descriptive comments or explanatory
notes as clarification.
Types of Flowchart
DOCUMENT FLOWCHART Illustrates the flow of documents and data among areas of
responsibility within an organization.
SYSTEM FLOWCHART - Depicts the relationships among system input, processing,
storage, and output.
PROGRAM FLOWCHART Illustrates the sequence of logical operations performed by
a computer in executing a program.
SYSTEM TOOLS AND DOCUMENTATION TECHNIQUES
3. Business Process Diagram a visual way to describe the different steps or activities in a
business process.
Business Process Diagram Symbols
SYMBOL
NAME
EXPLANATION
Start/ Begin
The start or beginning of a process is represented
by a small circle.
End
Activity in a
process
Decision
The end of a process is represented by a small
bolded circle.
An activity in a process is represented by a
rounded-edge rectangle. An explanation of the
activity is placed inside the rectangle.
A decision made during the process is
represented by a diamond. An explanation of the
decision is placed inside the symbol.
Flow
The flow of data or information is indicated by an
arrow.
Annotation
information
Information that helps explain a business process
is entered in the BPD and, if needed, a bolded
dashed arrow is drawn from the explanation to
the symbol.
