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Data Flow Diagrams
This GetAhead - Data Flow Diagrams course explains the techniques needed to draw data flow diagrams. This approach focuses on the data flows within a business system; making these central to the analysis or investigation.

This type of system investigation leads to a series of data flow diagrams, also known as the business process model. This begins with the context diagram and continues through the high level (or level 1) diagram, the level 2 diagram and so on – as the analysis continues at increasingly low levels.

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Data Flow Diagrams
This course represents approximately 5 hours of intensive training and is equivalent to a 2-day instructor led course. It is made up of self contained sections, each representing approximately 15 minutes of training, giving you the flexibility to either undertake intensive study or to fit your training into a busy work schedule. It clearly describes the underlying concepts which are then illustrated using a variety of real-world examples. It also includes exercises, case studies and questions to ensure that you understand and remember all of the key messages.
   
Features include:

eBook Features
 

   1)     An embedded active ‘Table of Contents’ for easy navigation.
   2)     Full Acrobat navigation facilities for targeted content searching.
   3)     Section Introductions are highlighted and identify key learning objectives.
   4)     Key Learning Points are highlighted within each self contained section.
   5)     Frequent and challenging Questions are accompanied by detailed feedback.
   6)     Detailed Graphical explanations are used to reinforce key concepts.
   7)     Section Summaries ensure that you remember all of the key messages.

This Data Flow Diagrams course (approx. 1MB) is in Adobe Acrobat format, if you don't already have the Acrobat Reader click here to download it free.
  
  

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Data Flow Diagrams - the learning objectives of each Section are shown below.
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     Study Area 1 - Introduction
Introduction - Business modeling enables effective communication between staff involved in the analysis and design of business processes. The modeling activity produces diagrams which can form the basis of both new information systems design and business process re-engineering.

Example Diagram from this Study Area   
                                     Data Flow Diagrams - Example 1
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    Study Area 2 - Modeling Simple Scenarios
Diagram Notation - This section explains the basic skills and knowledge needed to draw these diagrams, their structures and notation standards. Topics covered include: entities, data flows, processes, data stores and resource flows.
Exercise 1 - Guides the candidate through drawing a simple business process diagram for a common business scenario.
Context Diagrams - Introduces and then tests basic knowledge and skills in producing simple context diagrams as a way of documenting system boundaries.
Exercise 2 - Shows the candidate how to draw a context diagram for a simple business system.
Exercise 3 - Guides the candidate through the drawing of a context diagram for more complex business scenarios.
  Example Diagrams from this Study Area
             Data Flow Diagrams - Example 2


                  Data Flow Diagrams - Example 3

 
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    Study Area 3 - Conducting the Analysis
Level 1 Diagrams - This section explains how to analyse and document the main functional areas of the system under investigation, with reference to previously drawn context diagrams.
Resource Flow - Demonstrates how to identify, read and draw resource flow diagrams; this technique is a particularly useful start point where the business is concerned with the movement of physical goods or ‘resources’.
Organisation Structure - Another view of a system, process or organization is from its functional perspective; this section teaches candidates to conduct this type of analysis.
Document Flow - An organization which makes extensive use of either paper-based or computerised documentation can be examined from a document flow perspective; this section teaches candidates to construct document flow diagrams.
Converting Document Flow - Explains the techniques used to convert the document flow diagram into the various diagrammatic components that make up a business process diagram.
Exercise 4 - This exercise involves the drawing of a level 1 business process diagram using a context diagram and a document flow diagram; a detailed on-line case study supports the exercise.
  Example Diagram from this Study Area

        Data Flow Diagrams - Example 4
 
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    Study Area 4 - Refining the Diagrams
Simplifying Diagrams - It is easier to produce complex and incomprehensible diagrams rather than simple but complete ones. This section explains how to simplify business process diagrams so that they are genuinely useful to everyone involved.
Top Down Expansion - Having learned and practised the techniques for developing high level diagrams, candidates now learn to conduct top down expansion, or ‘decomposition’.
Exercise 5 - Candidates are guided through the process of drawing a level 2 business process diagram by the top down expansion of an existing level 1 diagram; this exercise is also supported by a detailed on-line case study.
Elementary Processes - An elementary process is one which requires no further analysis and this section teaches candidates how to identify and annotate elementary processes.
  Checking Diagrams - Having created business process diagrams the final and essential step is to check that they are meaningful, intelligible and complete; this section explains how to examine and verify the entire business model.
  Example Diagrams from this Study Area
          Data Flow Diagrams - Example 5

              Data Flow Diagrams - Example 6
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Case Studies - This course contains case studies which show you how to apply the data flow diagramming skills you have learned to real business problems. These case studies include: banking, retail, library and commercial vehicle hire.
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Glossary - The following technical terms are described in the glossary. Attribute, Bottom Level, Boundary, Business Process Diagram, Business Process Model, Candidate Key, Cardinality, Compound Key, Connection Trap, Context Diagram, Data Flow, Data Group, Data Item, Data Store, Decomposition, Degree, Detail Entity, Document Flow Diagram, Elementary Process, Entity, Entity Cross Reference, Entity Description, Entity Key, Entity Life History, Entity Occurrence, Entity Type, Exclusive Relationship, External Entity, Foreign Key, Function, Hierarchic Relationship, Informal Identification, Key, Level 1 Diagram, Level 2 Diagram, Link Entity, Link Phrase, Master Entity, Maximum Cardinality, Network Relationship, Optionality, Participation, Physical Flow, Potential Entity, Preliminary Diagram, Primary Key, Process, Recursive Relationship, Redundant Relationship, Relationship, Resource Flow, Supertype, System Boundary.
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