Use a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) to show the relationships among the business processes within an organization to:

Method Data flow diagrams are used to describe how the system transforms information. They define how information is processed and stored and identify how the information flows through the processes. When building a data flow diagram, the following items should be considered: where does the data that passes through the system come from and where does it go, what happens to the data once it enters the system (i.e., the inputs) and before it leaves the system (i.e., the outputs), what delays occur between the inputs and outputs (i.e., identifying the need for data stores). Components of a Data Flow Diagram external systems, external organizations, customers, other business processes.

STEPS TO DRAW A DATA FLOW DIAGRAM Steps Start from thecontext diagram. Identify the parent process and theexternal entitieswith their net inputs and outputs. Place the external entities on the diagram. Draw the boundary. Identify thedata flowsneeded to generate the net inputs and outputs to the external entities. Identify thebusiness processesto perform the work needed to generate the input and output data flows. Connect the data flows from the external entities to the processes. Identify thedata stores. Connect the processes and data stores with data flows. Apply theProcess Model Paradigmto verify that the diagram addresses the processing needs of all external entities. Apply theExternal Control Paradigmto further validate that the flows to the external entities are correct.

Continue to decompose to thenth level DFD. Draw all DFDs at one level before moving to the next level of decomposing detail. Youshould decompose horizontally first to a sufficient nth level to ensurethat the processes are partitioned correctly; then you can begin todecompose vertically. Tips and Hints Consider creating adata access modelto document the processes that create, update, and delete data in the system. Asan alternative to functional decomposition, consider using a bottomupapproach when the details about the system are well known. Whenanalyzing the business system under study in terms of its response toevents (for example, user interaction with windowed systems), considerthe following: