Chapter 5

Data and Process Modeling

Learning Objectives (1 of 2)

• After this chapter, you will be able to:

• Describe the relationship between logical and
physical models
• Explain data flow diagrams
• Draw the four basic data flow diagram
symbols
• Explain the six guidelines used when drawing
data flow diagrams
• Draw context diagrams
• Draw diagram 0 data flow diagrams
Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Learning Objectives (2 of 2)

• Draw lower-level data flow diagrams

• Explain how to level and balance data flow
diagrams
• Create a data dictionary
• Apply process description tools in modular
design

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Logical Versus Physical Models (1
of 2)
• Logical model
• Shows what the system must do, regardless of
how it will be implemented physically
• Physical model
• Describes how the system will be constructed

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Logical Versus Physical Models (2
of 2)
• Many analysts follow a four-model
approach
• Physical model of the current system
• Logical model of the current system
• Logical model of the new system
• Physical model of the new system

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagrams

• Systems analysts use graphical

techniques to describe an information
system
• Data flow diagram (DFD)
• Uses various symbols to show how the system
transforms input data into useful information
• Shows how data moves through an information
system but does not show program logic or
processing steps

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (1 of
9)
• Four basic symbols represent processes,
data flows, data stores, and entities

FIGURE 5-1 Data flow

diagram symbols, symbol
names, and examples of the
Gane and Sarson and
Yourdon symbol sets

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (2 of
9)
• Process symbols
• Process receives input data and produces
output
• Contains business logic that transforms the
data
• Process name identifies a specific function
• In DFDs, a process symbol can be referred to
as a black box

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (3 of
9)
• Data flow
symbols
• Line with a single
or double
arrowhead

FIGURE 5-3 Examples of

correct combinations of data
flow and process symbols

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (4 of
9)
• Data flow and process combinations that
must be avoided
• Spontaneous generation
• Black holes
• Gray holes

FIGURE 5-4 Examples of incorrect combinations of data flow and

process symbols. APPLY INSURANCE PREMIUM has no input
and is called a spontaneous generation process. CALCULATE
GROSS PAY has no outputs and is called a black hole process.
CALCULATE GRADE has an input that is obviously unable to
produce the output. This process is called a gray hole.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (5 of
9)
• Data store symbol
• Represent data that the system stores
• DFD does not show the detailed contents of a
data store
• Specific structure and data elements are defined in
the data dictionary
• A data store must be connected to a process
with a data flow

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (6 of
9)
• Entity symbol
• Shows how the system interfaces with the
outside world
• DFD shows only external entities that provide
data to the system or receive output
• DFD entities also are called terminators because
they are data origins or final destinations
• Source and sink entities

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (7 of
9)

FIGURE 5-7 Examples of correct uses of external entities in a data flow diagram.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (8 of
9)

FIGURE 5-8 Examples of incorrect uses of external entities. An external entity must be connected
by a data flow to a process, and not directly to a data store or to another external entity.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Data Flow Diagram Symbols (9 of
9)
• Using DFD symbols

FIGURE 5-9 Examples of correct

and incorrect uses of data flows.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing Data Flow Diagrams (1 of
2)
• Graphical model is created based on fact-
finding results
• Review guidelines for drawing DFDs
• Apply guidelines and create a set of DFDs

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing Data Flow Diagrams (2 of
2)
• Guidelines
• Draw the context diagram so that it fits on one
page
• Use the name of the information system as the
process name in the context diagram
• Use unique names within each set of symbols
• Do not cross lines
• Provide a unique name and reference number for
each process
• Ensure that the model is accurate, easy to
understand, and meets the needs of its users
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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing a Context Diagram

• First step in constructing a set of DFDs

FIGURE 5-11 Context diagram

DFD for an order system.

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing a Diagram 0 DFD

• Shows the detail inside the black box

FIGURE 5-13 Diagram 0

DFD for the order system.

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permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing Lower-Level DFDs (1 of
5)
• Leveling and balancing techniques are used

FIGURE 5-14 Diagram 1

DFD shows details of the
FILLORDER process in the
order system

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing Lower-Level DFDs (2 of
5)

FIGURE 5-15 This diagram

does not show the symbols
that connect to data flows
entering or leaving FILL
ORDER on the context
diagram.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing Lower-Level DFDs (3 of
5)

FIGURE 5-16 The order system diagram 0 is

shown at the top of the figure, and exploded
diagram 3 DFD (for the APPLY PAYMENT
process) is shown at the bottom. The two DFDs
are balanced because the child diagram at the
bottom has the same input and output flows as
the parent process 3 shown at the top.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing Lower-Level DFDs (4 of
5)

FIGURE 5-17 Example of a parent DFD diagram, showing process 0 as a black box.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Drawing Lower-Level DFDs (5 of
5)

FIGURE 5-18 In the next level of detail, the process 0 black box reveals three processes, two data
stores, and four internal data flows — all of which are shown inside the dashed line.

Systems Analysis Design, 12th Edition. ©2020 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.