University Blida 2 CHAPTER 2: Introduction to MERISE methodology

Department of Commercial Sciences

Using MERISE for IS analysis and design

Introduction to MERISE:

MERISE is a structured methodology for information system analysis and design

(Actually, the analysis and design of information systems has most of the time
vocation to allow the creation of databases, which must represent as closely as
possible the reality of the field studied thus requiring the use of a design method). It
was developed in France in the late 1970s and became widely popular in the 1980s
and 1990s for managing and developing information systems. MERISE stands for
"Méthode d'Étude et de Réalisation Informatique pour les Systèmes d'Entreprise,"
which translates to "Method for the Study and Implementation of Information
Systems for Business."

1. MRISE steps:

The MERISE methodology provides a systematic and step-by-step approach to

designing and implementing information systems. It divides the process into several
stages, each with specific deliverables and objectives. The core stages of MERISE are
as follows:

 User Requirements (Expression des Besoins des Utilisateurs): In this initial step,
the focus is on understanding and documenting the needs and requirements of the
system's end-users. Analysts interact with stakeholders to gather information about
the system's purpose and goals. The primary deliverable is the User Requirements
Document.

 System Organization (Organisation du Système): Once the user requirements are

understood, the next step involves defining the high-level organization and structure
of the system. This includes identifying major system components, the data
architecture, and the overall functional architecture. The primary output is the
System Organization Document.

 Functional Description (Description Fonctionnelle): This step is where the

detailed functional requirements of the system are developed. Data Flow Diagrams
(DFDs) are commonly used to model the processes, data flows, data stores, and
external entities. The goal is to represent how data moves within the system. The
primary deliverable is the Functional Description Document.

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 Data Description (Description des Données): In this step, the focus shifts to
defining the data model of the system. Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) or
similar modeling techniques are used to describe the structure of the data, including
entities, attributes, and relationships. The primary output is the Data Description
Document.

 Software Architecture (Architecture Technique): The Software Architecture step

involves specifying the technical aspects of the system. This includes identifying the
hardware and software components, network architecture, interfaces, and
technology choices. The primary deliverable is the Software Architecture Document.

 Software Design (Conception Technique): At this level, detailed technical

specifications are created for the software modules. This step includes defining
algorithms, data structures, program design, and other technical aspects of the
software components. The primary output is the Software Design Document.

 Implementation (Réalisation): The implementation step involves the actual

coding of the software based on the design specifications. It is where the software
components are developed, tested, and integrated to build the complete system.

 Maintenance (Maintenance): After the system is implemented and deployed, it

enters the maintenance phase. This step involves ongoing support, updates, bug
fixes, and enhancements to ensure the system's continued operation.

2. MERISE levels:

MERISE is particularly known for its three levels of abstraction, which help in structuring the
analysis and design process. The three levels in MERISE are:

2.1. The conceptual Level:

A conceptual data model CDM is an abstraction that represents the high-level

concepts and relationships between them within a domain. It provides a way to
organize and understand the information requirements of a system without going
into the details of how the data will be stored or implemented in a database.

2.1.1. Entities: an "Entity" refers to a major concept or object that is relevant to the
information system being modeled. Each entity has attributes that describe its
properties, and these attributes collectively define the characteristics of the entity.

Entities are typically represented by rectangles, also known as entity boxes. Each
entity box contains the name of the entity.

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2.1.2. Attributes: attributes are properties or characteristics that describe entities

within an information system. They provide specific details about the data that is
stored for each instance of an entity.

Attributes are listed within the entity box and are usually displayed below the entity
name.

2.1.3. Primary keys: Each entity in a conceptual data model should have a unique
identifier, known as a primary key. The primary key is crucial for distinguishing
individual records within an entity.

The primary key is indicated by underlining the attribute(s) that make up the
primary key. This visually distinguishes the primary key from other attributes.

Example: Here is a simplified example to illustrate the graphical representation of

entities

Name
Identifier
Attribute 1
Attribute 2
……
Attribute n

Graphical representation of an entity

Personne Etudiant
NSS Matricule
Nom Nom
Prénom Prénom
Date_Naissance Date_Naiss
Adresse Spécialité

Picture 1: Entity Personne Picture 2: Entity Etudiant

In the picture 1:

 Entity: The rectangle represents the “Personne” entity.

 Attributes: “NSS”, “Nom”, “Prénom”, “Date_Naissance”, “Adresse” are
attributes listed within the entity box.
 Primary key: The primary key, "NSS" is underlined to indicate its role as the
unique identifier for each Person.

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2.1.4. Relationships: relationships model the interactions and associations

between entities within an information system. They define how two or more
entities are connected and how they collaborate to represent a meaningful aspect
of the system being modeled.

Example:

2.1.5. Cardinality: Cardinality defines the number of occurrences of one entity

that can be associated with the number of occurrences of another entity in a
relationship. It is expressed as one-to-one (1,1), one-to-many (1,N), or many-to-
many (M,N).

Example:

Figure 3: An order (commande) is passed by a single customer (client)

A customer can pass several orders

Figure 3

Picture 4: An order may concern at least one and possibly several products

Figure 4

Figure 3 and Figure 4 represent two simple data conceptual models DCMs. We use
an entity relationship diagram ERD as a graphical representation for these models.

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2.1.6. The data dictionary: a data dictionary is a vital tool for documenting and
organizing information about data elements within an information system.

Here's a breakdown of the key components typically found in a MERISE data

dictionary:

 Identifier: A unique code or name that distinguishes the data element.

 Description: A brief explanation of the purpose and meaning of the data

element.

 Type: The data type of the element (e.g., integer, string, date).

 Length/Precision: The size or precision of the data element.

 Observation: The set of allowable values for the data element.

Example: Give the data dictionary of the two documents below

Commande Facture
N° Commande: ……………...................... N° Facture: ……………......................
Date de commande: ……………………… Code commande: ………………………
Numéro client: ………………………......... Date Facture: ……………………….........
Nom client: ……………………………....... Matricule client: …………………………….......
Adresse client: ……………………….......... Référence Désignation PU Quantité Montant
Référence Désignation Prix unitaire Quantité
Montant total ....................

N stands for Numeric and AN for Alfa numeric

Identifier Description Type Length Observation

Num_C Numéro commande N 4

Date_C Date de commande Date
Num_CL Numéro client N 4
Nom_CL Nom client AN 25
Adr_CL Adresse client AN 50
Ref_P Référence du produit N 4
Design Désignation du produit AN 25
PU Prix unitaire N 8
Qtt_C Quantité commandée N 6
Num_F Numéro de la facture N 4

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Code_C Code de la commande N 4

Date_F Date de facturation Date
Matricule_CL Matricule du client N 4
Qtt_F Quantité facturée N 6
Montant Montant total du produit N Calculé
Montant_T Montant total de la facture N Calculé

Note that some different identifiers stands for the same data. For example, both
Num_C and Code_C represent “Numéro de la commande”. In our example,
Num_CL = Code_CL, Num_C = Code_C.

“Montant” and “Montant_T” represent data which can be calculated based on other
variables values: Montant = PU * Qtt and Mont_T = ∑ Montant.

2.2. Organizational or Logical Level:

The logical data model is an abstract representation of a possible implementation,

without being bound to any specific implementation. It may be considered as a
bridge between the conceptual data model (business view) and the physical data
model (developer’s view)

The transition (mapping) from the entity relationship diagram (conceptual model) to
a logical model involves a detailed analysis and refinement process

2.2.1. Mapping rules:

To convert an entity relationship model to a logical model, a procedure of several

steps should be followed:

1. Mapping of regular entity set: Create a separate relation (table) for each
entity.

2. Determine the primary key for each of the relations: The primary key must
uniquely identify any row within the table.

3. Mapping of one-to-one 1:1 relationships: This is child to child relation.

Primary key on one side becomes a foreign key on the other side.

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Employé (Num_Employé, Nom, Prénom, Fonction)

Service (Code_Service, Nom_Service, Num_Employé)

Foreign Key

4. Mapping of one-to-many 1:N relationships : This is Parent to child

relation. Primary key of parent is added to child as foreign key

Child Parent

Client (Numéro_Client, Nom, Prénom, Date_Naissance, Adresse)

Commande (Num_Commande, Date_Commande, Numéro_Client)

Foreign Key

5. Mapping of many-to-many M:N relationships: This is parent to parent

relation. Create a new relation with the primary keys of the two entities as its
primary key (composite primary key).

Client (Num_Client, Nom, Prénom, Adresse)

Produit (Numero_Prod, Libellé, Qtt_Stock)
Commande (Num_Client, Numero_Prod, quantité)

Composite primary key

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Example: Construct appropriate tables for the ER diagram given in the figure
below

Employé (Num_Employé, Nom, Prénom, Fonction, Num_Entreprise)

Entreprise (Num_Entreprise, Nom, Nbre_employés, Capital)

Département (Num_Départ, Nom, Num_Employé)

Projet (Num_Projet, Nom, Location)

Gère (Num_Entreprise, Num_Projet)

2.3. Physical Level:

The physical level is concerned with the implementation details of the information
system, particularly the structure of the database that will store and manage the data
considering the technical aspects of the chosen database management system
(DBMS):

 Each entity in the logical model is mapped to a table in the physical model.
 Each attribute in the logical model becomes a column in the corresponding
table. Consider data types, lengths, and constraints applicable to each column.
 Confirm and refine the primary keys for each table.
 Establish foreign key relationships between tables to maintain referential
integrity.

Ensure that all relationships between tables are well-defined and documented.