MODULE 9: PROCESS

SPECIFICATION AND Dr. Tuan Truong

AUTOMATION
 CONTENT
Process specification
Decision analysis techniques
Process automation
 PROCESS
SPECIFICATION
 PROCESS SPECIFICATIONS
Sometimes called minispecs
Created for primitive processes as well as for some higher-level processes on
a data flow diagram
Created for class methods in object-oriented design and for the steps in a use
case
Goals of Producing Process Specifications
• Reduce process ambiguity
• Obtain a precise description of what is accomplished
• Validate the system design
Not Created for
• Processes that represent physical input and/or output
• Processes that represent simple data validation
• Processes that use prewritten code
HOW PROCESS
SPECIFICATIONS RELATE TO
THE DATA FLOW DIAGRAM
PROCESS SPECIFICATION
FORMAT INFORMATION (1 OF 2)
The process number

• Must match the process ID on the data flow diagram

• Allows the analyst to work on or review any process, and to locate the data flow diagram containing the process
easily
The process name

• The same as displays within the process symbol on the D F D

Description of what the process accomplishes

• Determine if an item is available for sale. If it is not available, create a backordered item record. Determine the
quantity available
A list of input data flow

• Uses the names found on the data flow diagram

• Data names used in the formula or logic should match the data dictionary, for consistency and good
communication
Output data flows

• Uses data flow diagram and data dictionary names

PROCESS SPECIFICATION
FORMAT INFORMATION (2 OF 2)
Type of process

• Batch
• Online
Require screen design or web pages
• Manual
Should have well-defined procedures for employees performing the process tasks

Uses prewritten code

• Include the name of the subprogram or function containing the code

Process logic description

• This should state policy and business rules, not computer language pseudo-code
• Business rules are the procedures that allow a corporation to run its business

Logic method reference

• If there is not enough room for a complete structured English description include a reference to the structured English
description, decision table, or tree depicting the logic

List any unresolved issues

• Incomplete portions of logic

• These issues form the basis of the questions used for follow-up interviews with users or business experts you have added to
your project team
 AN
EXAMPLE
OF A
COMPLETED
PROCESS
SPECIFICATI
ON FORM
 LOGIC OF DECISIONS
•Documenting and analyzing logic:
 Structured English
 Decision tables
 Decision trees
•Logic and structured decisions are distinguishable
from semistructured decisions
•Structured decision analysis methods promote
completeness, accuracy, and communication
 STRUCTURE
D ENGLISH Structured English Type Example

TYPES Sequential Structure

A block of instructions in which no
branching occurs
Action #1
Action #2
Action #3
• Express all logic in terms of
sequential structures, Decision Structure IF Condition A is True
decision structures, case Only IF a condition is true, complete the THEN implement Action A
structures, or iterations following statements; otherwise, jump ELSE implement Action B
to the ELSE ENDIF
• Use and capitalize accepted Case Structure IF Case #1 Implement Action #1
keywords such as IF, THEN, A special type of decision structure in ELSE IF Case #2
ELSE, DO, and PERFORM which the cases are mutually exclusive Implement Action #2
(if one occurs, the others cannot) ELSE IF Case #3
• Indent blocks of statements Implement Action #3
to show their hierarchy ELSE IF Case #4
(nesting) clearly Implement Action #4
ELSE print error
• Underline words or phrases ENDIF
that have been defined in a
data dictionary Iteration DO WHILE there are customers.
Blocks of statements that are repeated Action #1
• Clarify the logical until done ENDDO
statements
 DATA DICTIONARY AND
PROCESS
SPECIFICATION
• The data dictionary is a
starting point for creating
structured English:
 Sequence—a simple sequence of
statements MOVE, ADD, and
SUBTRACT
 Selection—[] entries become IF
… THEN...ELSE statements
 Iteration { } entries become DO
WHILE, DO UNTIL, or PERFORM
UNTIL
DECISION TABLES
• A table of rows and columns, separated
into four quadrants:
 Conditions
 Condition alternatives
 Actions to be taken
 Rules for executing the actions
STANDARD FORMAT USED FOR
PRESENTING A DECISION TABLE
Conditions and Rules
Actions
Conditions Condition Alternatives
Actions Action Entries
CUSTOMER CHECKOUT DECISION
TABLE
CONSTRUCTING A DECISION TABLE FOR DECIDING
WHICH CATALOG TO SEND TO CUSTOMERS WHO
ORDER ONLY FROM SELECTED CATALOGS
DEVELOPING
DECISION TABLES
• Determine conditions that affect the decision
• Determine possible actions that can be taken
• Determine condition alternatives for each condition
• Calculate the maximum number of columns in the
decision table
• Fill in the condition alternatives
• Complete table by inserting an X where rules
suggest actions
• Combine rules where it is apparent
• Check for impossible situations
• Rearrange to make more understandable
 DEVELOPING DECISION
TABLES STEP 1
• Determine the number of conditions that may
affect the decision
• Combine rows that overlap, such as conditions
that are mutually exclusive
• The number of conditions becomes the number of
rows in the top half of the decision table
 DEVELOPING DECISION
TABLES STEP 2
• Determine the number of possible actions that can
be taken
• That number becomes the number of rows in the
lower half of the decision table
 DEVELOPING DECISION
TABLES STEP 3
• Determine the number of condition alternatives
for each condition
• In the simplest form of decision table, there would
be two alternatives (Y or N) for each condition
• An extended entry table may have many
alternatives for each condition
• Make sure that all possible values for the condition
are included
 DEVELOPING DECISION
TABLES STEP 4
• Calculate the maximum number of columns in the
decision table by multiplying the number of
alternatives for each condition
• If there were four conditions and two alternatives
(Y or N) for each of the conditions, there would be
16 possibilities
 DEVELOPING DECISION
TABLES STEP 5
• Fill in the condition alternatives
• Start with the first condition and divide the
number of columns by the number of alternatives
for that condition
• If there are 16 columns and two alternatives (Y or
N), then 16 divided by 2 is 8
• Choose one of the alternatives, say Y, and write it
in the first eight columns
• Finish by writing N in the remaining eight columns
CHECKING FOR
COMPLETENESS AND
ACCURACY
• Four main problems:
 Incompleteness
 Impossible situations
 Contradictions
 Redundancy
COMBINING RULES TO SIMPLIFY
THE DECISION TABLE
CHECKING THE DECISION TABLE FOR
IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS
CHECKING FOR CONTRADICTIONS AND
REDUNDANCY
DECISION TABLE
ADVANTAGES
• Help the analysis ensure completeness
• Easy to check for possible errors
 Impossible situations
 Contradictions
 Redundancy
DECISION TREES
•Decision trees are used when complex
branching occurs in a structured decision
process
•Trees are also useful when it is essential to
keep a string of decisions in a particular
sequence
Drawing decision trees
•Identify all conditions and actions and their
order and timing (if they are critical)
•Begin building the tree from left to right,
making sure you list all possible
alternatives before moving to the right
A DECISION TREE TO SHOW THE
NONCASH PURCHASE APPROVAL
ACTIONS FOR A DEPARTMENT
STORE
DECISION TREE
ADVANTAGES

THE ORDER OF CHECKING CONDITIONS AND ACTIONS OF COMPARED TO DECISION

CONDITIONS AND EXECUTING DECISION TREES ARE FOUND TABLES, DECISION TREES ARE
ACTIONS IS IMMEDIATELY ON SOME BRANCHES BUT NOT MORE READILY UNDERSTOOD
NOTICEABLE ON OTHERS BY OTHERS IN THE
ORGANIZATION
SELECTIN Use structured English when there are many

GA Use repetitious actions or when communication

to end users is important

STRUCTU
RED Use
Use decision tables when a complex
combination of conditions, actions, and rules
are found or you require a method that

DECISION effectively avoids impossible situations,

redundancies, and contradictions

ANALYSIS
TECHNIQ
Use decision trees when the sequence of
conditions and actions is critical or when not
Use every condition is relevant to every action

UE (the branches are different)

 MINI PROJECT 2 – STAGE 4
Draw a complete process specification of the process
Complete its decision table & decision tree
 PROCESS
AUTOMATION
 PREPARING DATA
Design your process data in excel or googlesheet in two ways:
Create a local data using excel
Use cloud service: googlesheet
 CONNECT PROCESS DATA TO
APPSHEET
Two ways to connect process data
to appsheet:
Directly in googlesheet
Create an apps and connect data
 USING DATA IN THE APPS
In Data > Columns, you’ll see a
list of each column you have in
your table listed in a field. By
either clicking on the pencil to
the left of each field, you can
adjust settings for how the app
will interact with your data.
Here’s two examples of the
settings you can adjust here:
Type lets you specify what
type of data is in that column.
For example, if you have an
“Email” column in your data,
you need to make sure that
column type is set to Email.
Show lets you select whether
or not this data will be
displayed in your app (some
data you may want to keep
hidden)
DESIGN YOUR APPS
Left-side menu editor
 CREATE BOT FOR
AUTOMATION
Three components of a
bot:
An event is something
that happens that
triggers your bot to run.
A task is the action you
want to happen when
your event occurs, such
as “Send an email” You
can have multiple tasks
for one event.
A process allows you to
combine your tasks into
steps and customize
how you want them to
occur with conditional create bots such as sending an email, SMS, or
logic. notification, updating data in other tables, or
 DEPLOY AND SHARING APPS
Go to the Users
tab, and in the
Users section type
the email
addresses for the
people you want to
share your app
with.
Go
to Manage>Deploy
>Deployment Chec
k and click “Run
Deployment
Check.”
APPSHEET FUNCTION LIST
Function List

Building automation

Limitation

Scalable to large da
taset
EXERCISE 9.1
Create an apps using Appsheet with your miniproject database (in
exercise 8.3)