Analysis

Part 2 - Structuring System Process Requirements

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 Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, students should be able to:

 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 well-structured process models.
 Decompose data flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams.
 Balance higher-level and lower-level data flow diagrams.
 Use data flow diagrams as a tool to support the analysis of
information systems.

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 Process Modeling

FIGURE 7-1
Systems development life cycle with the
analysis phase highlighted
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 Process Modeling (Cont.)

Graphically represent the processes that capture, manipulate, store, and

distribute data between a system and its environment and among system
components.

Utilize information gathered during requirements determination.

Model processes and data structures.

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 Deliverables and Outcomes

Context data flow diagram (DFD)

 Scope of system

DFDs of current physical system

 Adequate detail only

DFDs of current logical system

 Enables analysts to understand current system

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 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

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 Data Flow Diagramming Mechanics

Represent both physical and logical information systems

Only four symbols are used
Useful for depicting purely logical information flows
DFDs that detail physical systems differ from system flowcharts
which depict details of physical computing equipment.

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 Definitions and Symbols

FIGURE 7-2
Comparison of DeMarco and Yourdon
and Gane and Sarson DFD symbol sets
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 Definitions and Symbols (Cont.)

Process: work or actions performed on data (inside the system)

Data store: data at rest (inside the system)
 Source/sink: external entity that is the origin or destination of data
(outside the system)
Data flow: arrows depicting movement of data

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 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

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 Context Diagram

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

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 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 (lower-level) DFDs.

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 Level-0 Diagram

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

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 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 on a DFD have unique names.
Every process has a unique name.

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

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 Data Flow Diagramming Rules (Cont.)

TABLE 7-2 Rules Governing Data Flow Diagramming

(cont.)

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Data Flow Diagramming Rules

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 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 sub process can logically be broken down any further.

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 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.

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 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.

This is a Level-1
DFD for Process
4.0.
Processes are labeled 4.1, 4.2, etc. These can be
further decomposed in more primitive (lower-
level) DFDs if necessary.

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 Level-n DFD

FIGURE 7-9
Level-2 diagram showing the decomposition
of Process 4.3 from the level-1 diagram for Level-n DFD shows
the sub-processes
Process 4.0 for Hoosier Burger’s food-
of one of the
ordering system 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.
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 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.

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 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

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 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

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 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.

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 Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (Cont.)

Primitive DFDs
Lowest logical level of decomposition
Decision has to be made when to stop decomposition
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

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 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
 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

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 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.

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 Using DFDs in BPR

FIGURE 7-16
IBM Credit Corporation’s primary work process before BPR

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 Using DFDs in BPR (Cont.)

FIGURE 7-17
IBM Credit Corporation’s primary work process after BPR

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 Summary

In this chapter you learned how to:

Understand logical process modeling via data flow diagrams (DFDs).

Draw data flow diagrams of well-structured process models.

Decompose data flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams.

 Balance high-level and low-level data flow diagrams.

Use data flow diagrams for analyzing information systems.

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