Exam Question Two - Documentation Flashcards
What is documentation
A set of documents and models, such as narratives, flowcharts, data flow models and other written materials that explain how a system works
Three Importance’s of documentation
- To read documentation in order to determine how the system works
- To evaluate internal control systems - identify control strengths & weaknesses & recommend improvements
- To develop a new system with skill, it is important to prepare necessary documentation to show how both the existing & proposed systems operate.
Types of documentation tools
Data flow diagram
Flowcharts
Business Process Diagram
What is a data flow diagram?
A graphical description of the source and destination of data that shows data flow within an organisation, the processes performed on the data and how the data is stored.
What are some guidelines to preparing a data flow diagram?
- Understand the system
- Ignore certain aspects of the system
- Determine system boundaries
- Develop a context DPD
- Identify data flows
- Group data flows
- Number each process
- Identify transformational processes
- Group transformational processes
- Identify all data stores
- Identify all sources and destinations
- Label all DFD elements
- Subdivide DFD
What are the three types of flowcharts?
Document Flowchart
System Flowchart
Program Flowchart
What does each flowchart describe?
Document - flow of documents and information
System - logical relationship among input, processing and output of an AIS
Program - sequence of logical operations performed by a computer in executing a program
What are the guidelines to preparing a flowchart?
- Understand the system before flowcharting it
- Identify the entities to be flowcharted
- When several entities are involved, divide flowchart into columns
- Flowchart only the normal flow of operations
- Design the flowchart so that flow proceeds from top to bottom and left to right.
- Give the flowchart a clear beginning & ending
- Use the standard flowcharting symbols
- Clearly label all symbols. Write a description of the input, process or output inside the symbol.
- When using multiple documents, place document numbers in the top right hand corner
- Each manual processing symbol should have an input and output
- Use on-page connectors to avoid excess flow lines
- Use arrowhead on all flow lines
- If a flowchart cannot fit on a single page, clearly label the pages
- Show document or reports first in the column in which they are created then show them again in another column in which the documents are being processed
- Show all data entered into or retrieved from a computer file.
