SADM 5/ed – CASE STUDY 3 – Milestone 5: Process Modeling
Page: 5-1
MILESTONE 5 – PROCESS MODELING
 Synopsis
rocess modeling is a technique for organizing and documenting the structure
and flow of data through a system’s processes and/or the logic, policies, and
procedures to be implemented by a system’s processes. In this milestone we
focus on using and constructing data flow diagrams (DFDs) and
decomposition diagrams to perform process modeling.
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Data flow diagrams are tools that depict the flow of data through a system and the
work or processing performed by that system. A decomposition diagram is a DFD
planning tool that shows the top-down functional decomposition and structure of a
system.
During this milestone you will first construct a context diagram to establish project
scope and boundaries. Second, you will draw a functional decomposition diagram to
partition the system into logical subsystems and/or functions. Third, you will draw
event decomposition diagrams to model individual processes. Finally, you will
construct a system data flow diagram that shows the big picture of the system, and a
primitive data flow diagram for a single event process.
 Objectives
After completing this milestone, you should be able to:
 Construct a context diagram to illustrate a system’s interfaces with its
environment.
 Identify external and temporal business events for a system.
 Logically group events to create a functional decomposition diagram.
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 5ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman
Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2001
SADM 5/ed – CASE STUDY 3 – Milestone 5: Process Modeling
Page: 5-2
 Create event diagrams.
 Merge event diagrams into a system data flow diagram.
 Draw appropriate primitive data flow diagrams.
 Prerequisites
1. Process modeling – Chapter 8
2. Optional: Milestone 3 or 4 solution
 Assignment
As a systems analyst or knowledgeable end-user, you must learn how to draw
decomposition and data flow diagrams to model business process requirements. The
preliminary investigation and problem analysis phases of the methodology have been
completed and you understand the current system’s strengths, weaknesses,
limitations, problems, opportunities, and constraints. As part of a requirements
analysis phase, you have already built the data model (Milestones 3 and 4) to
document business data requirements for the new system. You now need to build the
corresponding process models.
 Activities
1. Draw a Context Diagram using the accompanying narrative.
2. Given the accompanying use-case (event/response) matrix, draw the Functional
Decomposition Diagram.
3. Given your decomposition diagram from above and the use-case matrix, draw
Event Decomposition Diagrams. Your instructor will tell you which ones to draw.
Use your data model from milestones 3 and 4 as an attribute reference. Also, state
any assumptions you make.
4. Merge your event diagrams from #3 above into a System Diagram.
5. For all transaction processes described in the accompanying narratives, draw the
Primitive Data Flow Diagram.
Deliverable format and software to be used are according to your instructor’s
specifications. Deliverables should be neatly packaged in a binder, separated with a
tab divider labeled “Milestone 5.”
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 5ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman
Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2001
SADM 5/ed – CASE STUDY 3 – Milestone 5: Process Modeling
Page: 5-3
References:
Completed Data Model Solution from Milestone 4
Context Diagram Narrative
Exhibit 5.1
Completed Use-Case (or Event-Response) List
Exhibit 5.2
Primitive Diagram Narrative(s)
Exhibit 5.3
Deliverables:
Context Diagram:
Due: __/__/__
Time:_______
Functional Decomposition Diagram:
Due: __/__/__
Time:_______
Event Decomposition Diagrams:
Due: __/__/__
Time:_______
System Diagram:
Due: __/__/__
Time:_______
Primitive Diagram(s):
Due: __/__/__
Time:_______
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 5ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman
Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2001
SADM 5/ed – CASE STUDY 3 – Milestone 5: Process Modeling
Page: 5-4
ALTERNATIVE OPTION
Draw use-case diagrams using the object-oriented analysis notation
described in Module A. For the use-cases (specified by your instructor), draw
appropriate activity diagrams or state models.
Use-cases:
Due: __/__/__
Time:_______
Activity diagrams and state models:
Due: __/__/__
Time:_______
Milestone’s Point Value:
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 5ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman
_______
Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2001
SADM 5/ed – CASE STUDY 3 – Milestone 5: Process Modeling
Page: 5-5
Exhibit 5.1
Use the following narrative to construct the Context Diagram for the Pinnacle Publishing sales and
book tracking system
The purpose of the sales and book tracking system is to provide a single central
repository of all information about sales leads, books in process, and books for
sale. The Sales Department will enter new authors to the system as they gather
leads from various sources. In response, the system can produce mailing labels for
sending information to authors. As salespeople enter information on their phone
calls, the system will generate recall lists to help the salespeople schedule their
calls. Management wants to get a sales performance report from the system.
Once a salesperson sells a publishing contract to an author and the author sends in
a manuscript, the Production Department will create a book record to track the
book through the production process. Each book will be assigned a “shepherd”
who will oversee the production process for that book. The system will provide
the shepherd with a list of the status of each of his or her books each day. When
the shepherd sees that a task has been finished for a book, the shepherd will assign
another task and select the technician to complete that task. The system will
communicate that assignment to the technician via e-mail. Technicians will enter
updated information to the system as they complete their tasks. The system will
also output information daily from the database to a self-service web site where
authors can check on the status of their books. As the book comes to press,
production people will enter information about promotions being done, ISBN, and
other information.
The Sales Department continues to work with authors who have submitted books
to sell them various promotional options. The Production Department fulfills
those options.
For books that are published, the system needs to pull sales information from
several external e-commerce web sites. This information will be used by the
Accounting Department to generate royalty reports to use to pay authors.
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 5ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman
Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2001
SADM 5/ed – CASE STUDY 3 – Milestone 5: Process Modeling
Page: 5-6
Exhibit 5.2
Below is a Use-Case list for the major processes of the system. To keep the assignment
simple, all “maintenance” events, such as adding new salespeople, tasks, and technicians
have been ignored.
Actor
Event (or Use-Case)
Trigger
Responses
Sales
Add author
Contact comes in by phone,
direct mail response, etc.
Create Author in database
Generate author mailing
labels
Sales
Update call information
Sales calls
Recall Lists
Sales
Sell a promotion option
Sales calls
Create new Promotion Sale
in database
Production
Add book to the production
process
Manuscript comes in from
author
Create Book in database
Production
Update book information
Completed promotions and
ISBN registrations
Update Book information
(time)
Monitor status of book
production
Daily
Generate Book Status
Reports
Book “Shepherd”
Make new assignment
Decision by Book
“Shepherd”
Update Task Work
information in database
Send e-mail to technician
Technician
Complete assignment
Does work
Update Task Work
information in database
Management
Monitor sales performance
Upon Request
Generate Sales Performance
Report
(time)
Import sales from
Quarterly
Import and calculate sales
information from ecommerce sites
e-commerce sites
Generate Royalty Report
(time)
Export production information
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 5ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman
Daily
Update Author web site
database
Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2001
SADM 5/ed – CASE STUDY 3 – Milestone 5: Process Modeling
Page: 5-7
Exhibit 5.3
Use the following narrative to construct the Primitive Diagram for the Make New Assignment
event.
As the Book “Shepherd” enters a Book ID, Task ID, and Technician ID for the
new assignment, verify all IDs. If any of the IDs are not valid, send a response to
the Book “Shepherd.” If the IDs are all valid, add the new task assignment to the
Task Work data store. Generate e-mail to technician.
Prepared by Gary B. Randolph for
Systems Analysis & Design Methods 5ed
by J. L. Whitten, L. D. Bentley, & K. C. Dittman
Copyright Irwin/McGraw-Hill 2001