Documentation

Keeping accurate records of interviews, facts, ideas, and observations is essential to

successful
systems development.
o The Need for Recording the Facts
✔
Record information as soon as you obtain it.
✔
Use the simplest recording method.
✔
Record your findings in such a way that they can be understood by someone else.44
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✔ Organize your documentation so related material is located easily.
o
Software Tools
▪ Software programs that are available to help you record and document information
Example:
1.
Graphics modeling software: Microsoft Visio is a popular graphic
modeling tool that can produce a wide range of charts and diagrams.
2.
Personal information managers
●
A Personal Information Manager (PIM) such as Microsoft Outlook
includes a personal calendar, a to-do list with priorities and features.
Outlook can manage email and appointments, and supports
collaboration and team projects.
●
Handheld computers
●
Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
3.
Wireless communication devices
4.
CASE Tools
CASE stands for Computer Aided Software Engineering. It means
development and maintenance of software projects with help of various
automated software tools.
5.
Productivity Software
This includes word processing, spreadsheet, database management,
presentation graphics, and collaboration software programs.
o
Flowchart

A business flowchart shows the steps that make up a business process, along with
who's responsible for each step.

They are useful for analyzing current processes, planning improvements, and
crystallizing communication between process participants45
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or
transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written
permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited.
Types of Flowchart:
●
Document
•
Illustrates the flow of documents and information between areas of
responsibility within an organization.
•
A document flowchart is particularly useful in analyzing the
adequacy of control procedures.
●
System
• System flowcharts depict the relationship among the input,
processing, and output of an AIS
●
Program
• A program flowchart describes the specific logic to perform a
process shown on a systems flowchart
Check the following videos for further discussion on the Flowcharting process.
●
Lesson 05 FlowCharting.mp4
●
Flowchart Tutorial (with Symbols, Guide and Examples)
Importance of the Systems Analysis phase
▪
The systems analysis phase includes three activities: requirements modeling, data
and
process modeling, and consideration of development strategies
▪
The main objective is to understand the proposed project, ensure that it will support
business requirements, and build a solid foundation for the systems design phase
▪
The conclusion of the requirements modeling allow systems developers to have a
clear
understanding of the business processes and system requirements
▪
The next step is to model the logical design of the system
▪
The fact-finding process includes interviewing, document review, observation,
questionnaires, sampling, and research
▪
Systems analysts should carefully record and document factual information as it is
collected, and various software tools can help an analyst visualize and describe an
information system
Unit 06: Systems Analysis - Data Flow Diagrams
As mentioned from the previous lecture, system analysts and developers use
models to help visualize an organization’s information system. They often
develop two
types of models of the proposed system, a logical model which shows what
the system
must do, and a physical model which describes how the system will be
constructed. We’ve
also learned that there are a number modeling tools and techniques available
for the
development of such models. For this lecture, we’ll go for an in-depth
exploration on one
the most commonly used modelling technique, Data Flow Diagrams. We’ll
also explore
the use of process description tools, including structured English, decision
tables, and
decision trees. And finally, we’ll describe the relationship between logical and
physical
models.46
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transmitting in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written
permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited.
Data Flow Diagrams
A Data Flow Diagram, also known as DFD, shows how data moves through
an
information system without showing any program logic or processing steps. In
much
simpler terms, a DFD will describe what pieces of information (e.g. customer
order,
student info) that are involved in a system are produced as well as taken by
the different
entities (e.g. customer, student, other existing systems) that are also involved
in said
system. Take note that a set of DFD provides a logical model that shows what
an
information system does, and not how it does it.
Structure of a Data Flow Diagram
DFDs are typically subdivided into
successively lower levels depending on the amount
of detail the information system has. Essentially
speaking, the lower the level of the DFD, the more
amount of detail or specificity it has.
● Context Diagram
The highest level of DFD is called a Context
Diagram. As the name implies, it provides context as
to what the information system is all about. It shows
all the pieces of information coming in and out (inputs
and outputs respectively) of the system as well as the
different entities involved in the
I