GetAhead in Data Flow Diagrams Course Outline

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GetAhead in BUSINESS ANALYSIS Data Flow Diagrams

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This training course, accredited by the National Computing Center, will teach you the core skills needed to design and produce key data flow models that underpin business systems.

You will learn how to:

Apply the recognized industry standard analysis technique of data flow diagramming.
Identify opportunities and problem areas within an existing, or planned, business environment.
Model and assess the impact of any proposed changes to a business system.
Design and document robust and reliable business systems, that meet the needs of your users.
Carry out the analysis and design to precisely the level of detail required.

Study Area 1 - Introduction

Data Flow Diagramming - introduces a Business Analysis technique which results in the production of a series of data flow diagrams. The data flow diagrams that are derived for a particular system are collectively called the data flow model.

Study Area 2 - Modeling Simple Scenarios

Diagram Notation - introduces the five symbols that are used in the drawing of data flow (or business process) diagrams, and explains the rules governing their use and inter-relationships.
Context Diagrams - introduces the context diagram, which represents the entire system under investigation. It also shows why this diagram should be drawn first, and then used to clarify and agree the scope of the investigation.

Study Area 3 - Conducting the Analysis

Level 1 Diagrams - introduces the level 1 diagram, which shows the main functional areas of the system under investigation. It also explains why any system should only be represented by a single level 1 diagram.
Starting the Analysis - illustrates the three different methods that are commonly used when starting the analysis required in order to develop the business model.
Converting the Document Flow Diagram - shows how the activities associated with the transfer of the major documents within the system boundary can be represented as processes. It also explains how this forms the basis for drawing the level 1 business process diagram.

Study Area 4 - Refining the Diagrams

Simplifying Diagrams - describes the subjective issue of deciding at what point a level 1 diagram contains sufficient detail.
Top Down Expansion - introduces the process of top down expansion (also known as decomposition or leveling). It also shows that whilst there can only be one context and one level 1 diagram for a given system, these will often give rise to numerous lower level diagrams.
Elementary Processes - introduces Elementary Processes; these are simple and discrete functions that do not require further analysis.
Checking Diagrams - introduces the application of some simple rules in order to verify the completeness and accuracy of the diagrams that make up the business model.

Case Studies

Glossary