Required System Logical

Data Flow Modelling

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 1

 Business & Technical
System Options
Rare for only one solution to be
possible.
Analyst/Designer should be able to
suggest several solutions to the
business’s requirements.

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 2

 Business & Technical
System Options
Business Systems Options (BSOs) provide a
range of possible solutions for the business to
consider.

Each BSO may have more than one way of

being implemented technically.

These are known as Technical System

Options (TSOs)

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 3

 Business System Options
(BSOs)
Aim - To agree the functionality of the
req. system.
BSOs - done after the Requirements
Catalogue (RC) has been formalised.
Each entry in RC is considered, if any
are excluded - document reasons.

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 Business System Options
(BSOs)

Develop 2-6 options.

Using RC, project team establish &
develop a list of : Minimum Functional
Requirements (which all options must
satisfy) & Non-Functional
Requirements.

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Functional Requirements
Dictate what the system should do.
What facilities are required
& what activities the system should carry
out:
• descriptions of required functions
• outline of reports - hard/soft copies
• on-line queries & updates
• data storage, retrieval & transfer, etc.

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 Non-Functional Requirements
• address other facilities (limitations & constraints)

• Required Service/Performance Levels (response

times for on-line functions, rate of data transfer)
• Security & Access Requirements
• Technical Constraints (make use of existing
hardware)
• Project Constraints (system delivery deadlines &
cost limits)
• Quality of user interfaces (how intuitive and easy
to learn, and to use the technology to perform the
task)

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BSOs - consider the following factors:

• Approximate cost of each option

• Development time scale
• Known technical constraints
• Organisation of the system - types of access (on-
line or off-line), interfaces with other systems
• Approximate data and transaction volumes
• Training requirements
• Benefits & impact on the organisation

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 Business System Options

•Upto 3 shortlisted. Each Option presented formally to

the management.
•Strengths & Weaknesses explained to facilitate a
decision. Opportunity to reassess the viability of the
project (to carry on / cancel it).
•Selected BSO could be one option or an hybrid.
•Document selected BSO (reasons for selection &
rejection others).
•Form the basis for the rest of the project and for the
final system.
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 Technical System Options (TSOs)
Addresses how the req. system is to be
implemented.
Define the TSOs:
Identify constraints - external & internal
Develop outline options (Up to 6)
Select 2 or 3 main options for detailed dev’t
Refine selected options - check performance

Select the final TSO:

Present options
Fully document selected TSO (rationale for the
selected option)
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 Technical System Options (TSOs)

Each Full TSO contains 5 main parts:

• Technical environment description

• System description
• Impact analysis
• Outline development plan
• Cost / Benefit analysis

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 11

 Current System DFDs

Has 2 versions
Current PHYSICAL DFD
Representation of the current
system as it is. May show letters, filing
cabinets, manual data stores etc.
Current LOGICAL DFD
Removes all physical references to the
system. The process is referred to as
Logicalisation.

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 Steps in Logicalisation

• Replace Physical Data Stores with main Logical

Data Stores.
• Remove Transient Data Stores
• Remove/separate out processes that cannot be
automated and/or require subjective decisions or
will remain subjective.
• Remove processes which only reorganise data
(e.g. sorting).

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• Combine processes which are joined by a data
flow only, and which form part of the same or a
very similar process
• Combine processes performing the same
functions (appear separate only because of
physical location).
• Minimise Data Flow Contents.
• Remove all physical references.
• Remove processes which do not alter data (ad
hoc retrievals without creation or update.
• Remove processes which exist due to tradition or
politics
CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 14
Required System Logical DFMs:

Current Physical Current Logical

DFM DFM

Requirements
Catalogue Required
Logical
DFM
Selected BSO
CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 15
 Required System Logical DFDs

The broad aim is to take the current logical

DFD
and to map the Requirements Catalogue and
BSO’s on to it.

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 16

 Required System Logical DFMs - Method

Step1
Decide which processes on the current logical DFD are
needed, then include these on the required logical
DFD.
Step 2
Look at the requirements catalogue, see what new
processes are needed to meet the new requirements,
add these to the required logical DFD.
Generally, any process that could be done by computer
is a candidate for automation.
Any process that requires human judgement must be
ruled out.
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Current Logical Context Level DFD:

Membership
Customer request

Mem. card
Manager

Mang. reports
Video + Mem.
card Video Add new video
System
Payment request

Payment rec. + Mem.

card + video
Payment

Return video

Customer
Reserve video

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Current Logical Level 1 DFD:
1
Customer Membership Customer
Mem. card
request Record
Member
details
*

Member details

Customer Customer
D1 Member

Video + Mem.
Payment request
card

2
Payment rec. + Mem.
Customer Payment Record Customer
card + video
Video
Loan
*

5
Customer Record
3
Return video Video
Record details
return *
video
*

Add new video

D2 Video
4
D1 Member
Produce
report
Mang. reports *

Manager

Manager

Reserve Reserve video

Customer
video
*

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 19

Requirement Catalogue entries:
• Manager can produce a list of members
monthly, and then select members who will be
eligible for monthly bonuses.
• Generate and send monthly bonus letters to
selected members.
• Incorporate purchasing of new videos from
suppliers - an order for new videos is generated
and sent to suppliers. Suppliers send the invoice
and the videos to the store. A payment is sent to
the supplier on receipt of the invoice.
CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 20
Requirements Catalogue
Requirements 1 & 2
A new process (7) is added to incorporate
requirements 1 & 2.
The existing Loan details and Member
data stores are included.
Members details are sent to the manager
and a bonus list is generated.
The bonus letter is sent to the customer.

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 21

 Process 7 DFD

Customer
D4 Loan details

Monthly bonus
Previous month
letter
details

7
Produce
Membership
monthly D1 Member
details
bonus
letter

Mem. bonus list

Monthly mem.
list Manager

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 22

 Required System Logical DFMs -
Method
Step3

To maintain data, new data stores may need

to be added. Identify these and add to the
required logical DFD.

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 23

Requirements Catalogue
Requirement 3

Another process (8) is needed to

incorporate Requirement 3 into the
logical DFD.
In this example, a new data store ‘Video
order’ is also added.

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 24

 Process 8 DFD

Order payment

8
Purchase
Purchase order
Supplier & Payment
New Videos
Order details

Video
D3
Order & invoice order

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 25

Required Logical Level 1 DFD:
1
Membership Record D1 Member
Customer request Member
details
*

Mem. card D4 Loan details

Video + Mem.
2
card
Record
Payment request Video
Loan
* D2 Video
Payment

Customer Payment rec. + Mem. 3

card + video
Record
return
Return video
video
*
5
Record
Video
D1 Member 4
details
Reserve video *
Produce
report
* Add new video

Mang. reports

Manager
D2 Video

Reserve
video
Customer
*
Monthly Bonus
letter
D4 Loan details 8
Produce
Monthly
Order payment Bonus
letter *
D1 Member
7
Monthly mem.
Purchase
Purchase order list
Supplier & payment
new videos
*
Mem. bonus list
Manager
Order+Invoice
Video
D3
order

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 26

 Context Diagram
The Context Level required system
logical DFD. follows same principles as
for current physical and current logical
DFDs.

Any Level 1, Level 2 diagrams should

balance with the context diagram.

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 27

Required Logical Context Level DFD:
Monthly mem.
list
Membership
Customer request
Add new video Manager

Mem. card
Mem. bonus list

Video + Mem. Mang. reports

card Video
System
Payment request

Return video
Order+Invoice

Order payment Purchase order

Payment
Payment rec. + Mem.
card + video

Reserve video
Supplier

Monthly Bonus
letter

Customer

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 28

 Exercise
Incorporate the following entry from the
Requirements Catalogue into the required
system DFM

Requirements Catalogue
Storecard holders should have the facility
to close their accounts.

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 29

 Requirements Catalogue-
Storecard holders should have the facility to
close their account.

Manager
Cardholder
details
1
Register Cardholder
Account No. D1
new Account
customer

Transacts.
Cardholder Balance & payments
details

2
Cardholder
D2
details Record
transactions
and payments

Payments Transaction
details

Cardholder Merchant

CSC 2202 Systems Analysis and Design 30