Topic 7: Systems Mapping and Documentation

Question 1

Balanced Data Flow Diagrams

Answer 1

Diagrams (context diagram, physical DFD and logical DFD) with the same external entities and flows.

Question 2

Business Process

Answer 2

The activities that work together to achieve business objectives.

Question 3

Context Diagram

Answer 3

A representation of the system of interest and the entities that provide inputs to, or receive outputs from, the system of interest.

Question 4

Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)

Answer 4

Graphical representations of the data flows that occur within a system.

Question 5

Decomposing or Stepwise Refinement

Answer 5

The process of breaking a logical DFD down to a lower level to extract more detail about a process within the diagram.

Question 6

Entity

Answer 6

A representation of a real-world thing or object that is involved in a process and corresponds to a table in a relational database.

Question 7

Error Routine

Answer 7

A routine that is performed when the system does not function as is normally
expected.

Question 8

External Entity

Answer 8

Any entity that provides inputs into a process or receives outputs from a process.

Question 9

Internal Entity

Answer 9

An entity that processes or transforms the data within the business process of interest.

Question 10

Level 0 Data Flow Diagram

Answer 10

The highest level logical DFD providing an overarching view of the processes that occur.

Question 11

Level 1 Data Flow Diagram

Answer 11

The second level logical DFD that takes one of the process bubbles from the level 0 diagram and expands it to provide detail about the activities that occur within the process.

Question 12

Logical Data Flow Diagram

Answer 12

A diagram that illustrates the processes that take place within a system, the flows among these processes, and how these processes interact with the external entities that provide inputs to, or receive outputs from, the system of interest.

Question 13

Physical Data Flow Diagram

Answer 13

A diagram that provides details of the entities involved in a process and the flows between those entities, as well as their interaction with external entities.

Question 14

Process Map

Answer 14

A simple graphical representation of a business process, detailing the activities that occur, the areas of the business responsible for completing the activities, and any decisions that need to be made as part of the process.

Question 15

Process Narrative

Answer 15

A written description of how a process operates.

Question 16

System of Interest

Answer 16

The system or process that is the focus of the documentation; it will have a clear boundary or scope.

Question 17

Systems Flowchart

Answer 17

A flowchart that illustrates a system and its inputs, processes and outputs in more detail than a process map or DFD, providing information about the documents and processes performed within the system, as well as who is involved in the system.