Chapter 5

Process Modeling

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

SEVENTH EDITION

DENNIS, WIXOM, AND ROTH

Learning Objectives
• Explain the rules and style guidelines for data flow
diagrams.
• Describe the process used to create data flow
diagrams.
• Create data flow diagrams.

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Key Definitions
• Process model
• A formal way of representing how a business process
operates
• Illustrate activities that are performed and how data moves
between them
• Logical process models describe processes without suggesting
how they are conducted.
• Physical process models include process implementation
information
• Data flow diagramming
• A popular technique for creating process models
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Data Flow Diagrams
WHAT DO DFDS TELL US?

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Reading a Data Flow Diagram

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DFD Elements (1 of 7)
• Process
• An activity or function performed for a
specific business reason
• Can be manual or computerized
• Includes the following:
• A number
• A name (verb phrase)
• A description
• At least one output data flow
• At least one input data flow

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DFD Elements (2 of 7)
• Process
• Logical process models omit any processes that
simply move or route data and leave the data
unchanged.
• You do include logical processes that:
• Perform computations (e.g., calculate grade point
average)
• Make decisions (e.g., determine availability of ordered
products)
• Sort, filter or otherwise summarize data (e.g., identify
overdue invoices)
• Organize data into useful information (e.g., generate a
report or answer a question)
• Trigger other processes (e.g., turn on the furnace or
instruct a robot)
• Use stored data (create, read, update or delete a
record)

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DFD Elements (3 of 7)
• Data flow
• A single piece of data or a logical collection
of data
• Data Flow names describe the content of
the data flow but not how it is implemented
• Always starts or ends at a process
• Includes the following:
• A name (noun)
• Description
• One or more connections to a process

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DFD Elements (4 of 7)
• Data flow
• A data flow is data in motion.
• an input of data to a process, or the output
of data (or information) from a process.
• the creation, deletion, or update of data in
a file or database (called a data store on the
DFD).
• A data flow is depicted as a solid-line with
arrow.
• Control flows (non-data flows) trigger processes,
such as ‘time to run the weekly payroll’
• The control flow is depicted as a dashed-line with
arrow.

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DFD Elements (5 of 7)
• Data Store
• Most information systems capture data for
later use.
• A data store is a collection of data that is
stored in some way
• Include the following:
• A number
• A name (noun)
• Description
• One or more input data flows (somewhere in
process model)
• One or more output data flows (somewhere
in process model)
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DFD Elements (6 of 7)
• Data Store
• If data flows are data in motion, think of
data stores as data at rest.
• Data stores should describe “things”
about which the business wants to store
data.
• Data flows leaving the data store are data
retrievals
• Data flows entering the data store are
updates or new data added

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DFD Elements (7 of 7)
• External entity
• A person, organization, or system that is
external to the system
• Has interactions with the system (adds data to
system or receives data from system)
• Include the following:
• A name (noun)
• Description

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Depicting Business Processes with DFDs
• Business processes are too complex to be shown on a
single DFD
• A deliberate hierarchy is created with multiple “levels”
of DFDs
• To build the hierarchy, use Decomposition
• Child diagrams show a portion of the parent diagram in
greater detail

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DFD Hierarchy (1 of 3)
• Context Diagram decomposes into Level 0 diagram

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DFD Hierarchy (2 of 3)
• Processes on Level 0 diagram each decompose into separate
Level 1 diagrams
• Processes on Level 1 diagrams may or may not be decomposed
into separate Level 2 diagrams.
• Processes are decomposed until each process is a single-
purpose, primitive process.

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DFD Hierarchy (3 of 3)

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Balancing
• Ensures that information presented at one level of a
DFD is accurately represented in the next level DFD.
• Data flows on parent diagram are carried down to
child diagram.
• Child diagram adds new processes and new data
flows

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Context Diagram

• Top-level DFD in every process model

• Shows the context into which the business process fits
• Shows the overall business process as just one process (process
‘zero’)
• Shows all the external entities that receive information from or
contribute information to the system
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Level 0 Diagram

• Shows all the major processes that comprise the overall system
– the internal components of process 0
• Shows how the major processes are interrelated by data flows
• Shows external entities and the major processes with which
they interact
• Adds stored data via the data stores
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Level 1 Diagrams

• Create one level 1 diagram for every major process on the level 0
diagram
• Shows the internal processes that comprise a single process on the
level 0 diagram
• Shows how information moves to and from each of these processes
• If a parent process is decomposed into, say, three child processes,
then these three child processes wholly and completely make up the
parent process
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Level 2 Diagrams
• Shows all processes that comprise a single process on
the level 1 diagram
• Shows how information moves to and from each of
these processes
• Level 2 diagrams may not be needed for all level 1
processes
• Correctly numbering each process helps the user
understand where the process fits into the overall
system

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Diagram Numbering
• Correctly numbering each process helps the user
understand where the process fits into the overall
hierarchy
• Context Diagram is always “Process 0”
• Level 0 processes are always numbered with integer value (1,
2, 3, etc.)
• Level 1 processes always have one “dot”: parent number
“dot” unique number (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.)
• Level 2 processes always have two “dots”: parent number
“dot” unique number (1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, etc.)

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Alternative Data Flows
• Where a process can produce different data flows
given different conditions
• We show both data flows and use the process
description to explain why they are alternatives
• Tip -- alternative data flows often accompany
processes with IF statements

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Process Descriptions
• Text-based process descriptions provide more
information about the process than the DFD alone
• CASE tools enable easy creation of descriptions
• If the logic underlying the process is quite complex,
more detail may be needed in the form of:
• Structured English
• Decision trees
• Decision tables

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CASE Entry of Process Description

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Your Turn
• At this point in the process it is easy to lose track of the
“big picture”.
• Describe the contribution of data flows, data stores,
and processes to a process model.
• Describe in your own words the relationship between
the DFDs and the ultimate new application being
developed.

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Creating Data Flow Diagrams
HOW DFDS ARE DEVELOPED

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Steps in Building DFDs (1 of 2)
• Build the context diagram
• Identify the external entities and the major inflows they
supply and the outflows they receive
• Identify all major processes encompassed by the
Context Diagram
• Each major event / use case is “handled” by a process
• Create DFD “fragments” for each event / use case
• Each DFD fragment is a mini-diagram showing the process
and the external entities and data stores with which it
interacts.

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Steps in Building DFDs (2 of 2)
• Organize DFD fragments into level 0 diagram
• Decompose each level 0 process into a level 1 diagram;
decompose level 1 processes into level 2 diagrams as
needed; etc.
• Validate DFDs with user to ensure completeness and
correctness

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Integrating Use Cases
• DFDs start with events, use cases and the requirements
definition
• The DFDs often flow directly from the use cases
• Names of use cases become major processes on the Level 0
diagram
• Steps in the use case become processes on the Level 1
diagram
• Inputs and outputs become data flows on the Level 1 diagram
(and below)

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Illustration – Developing DFDs (1 of 6)
Creating the Context Diagram

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Illustration – Developing DFDs (2 of 6)
Create a DFD “fragment” based on a use case

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Illustration – Developing DFDs (3 of 6)
Merge DFD “fragment” diagrams into the Level 0 diagram

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Illustration – Developing DFDs (4 of 6)
Develop Level 1 diagrams for every process on the Level 0 diagram
• Level 1 – Process 3: Create Parts Request

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Illustration – Developing DFDs (5 of 6)
Develop Level 1 diagrams for every process on the Level 0 diagram
• Level 1 – Process 4: Record Receipt of Components

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Illustration – Developing DFDs (6 of 6)
Develop Level 1 diagrams for every process on the Level 0 diagram
• Level 1 – Process 5: Finalize Parts Request

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Evaluate DFDs for Quality (1 of 2)
Syntax
Within DFD
Process • Every process has a unique name that is an action-oriented verb phrase, a number, and a description.
• Every process has at least one input data flow.
• Every process has at least one output data flow.
• Output data flows usually have different names than input data flows because the process changes the input
into a different output in some way.
• There are between three and seven processes per DFD.
Data Flow • Every data flow has a unique name that is a noun, and a description.
• Every data flow connects to at least one process.
• Data flows only in one direction (no two-headed arrows).
• A minimum number of data flow lines cross.
Data Store • Every data store has a unique name that is a noun, and a description.
• Every data store has at least one input data flow (which means to add new data or change existing data in the
data store) on some page of the process model.
• Every data store has at least one output data flow (which means to read data from the data store) on some
page of the process model.
External Entity • Every external entity has a unique name that is a noun, and a description.
• Every external entity has at least one input or output data flow.

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Evaluate DFDs for Quality (2 of 2)
Across DFDs
Context diagram • Every set of DFDs must have one context diagram.
Viewpoint • There is a consistent viewpoint for the entire set of DFDs.
Decomposition • Every process is wholly and completely described by the
processes on its children DFDs.
Balance • Every data flow, data store, and external entity on a higher level
DFD is shown on the lower-level DFD that decomposes it.
Semantics
Appropriate Representation • User validation
• Role-play processes
Consistent Decomposition • Examine lowest-level DFDs
Consistent Terminology • Examine names carefully

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Common DFD Errors
• Syntax errors – violating “drawing” rules
• Every data flow must connect to a process.
• Every process must have at least one inflow and one outflow.
• Semantics errors – errors in the meaning of the
diagrams
• Walk-through diagrams with users
• Verify that inputs shown are logically sufficient to produce the
outputs
• Check for consistent levels of decomposition
• Check for consistent use of terminology

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(cont’d)
Common
Syntax
Errors

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After reading and studying this chapter,
you should be able to: (1 of 2)
• Define the meaning and purpose of the four basic
symbols found on a data flow diagram.
• Explain the meaning and purpose of a process model’s
context diagram.
• Explain the meaning and purpose of a process model’s
level 0 diagram.
• Explain the meaning and purpose of a process model’s
level 1 diagrams

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After reading and studying this chapter,
you should be able to: (2 of 2)
• Explain the concept of decomposition and why process
models are created as a hierarchy of DFDs.
• Describe several common syntax and semantic errors
found on DFDs.
• Discuss the process used to create a process model.
• Discuss how the process model contributes to the
development of the new information system.

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Copyright
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