Exam 4: Documenting Information Systems

The advantage of a physical data flow diagram versus a logical data flow diagram is that we can concentrate on what activities a system is performing without having to specify how, where or by whom..

Adams, Inc.customers mail their orders to the Adams customer service center where clerks open the orders and review them for accuracy.The clerks then key orders into the computer.As the clerk is entering data the computer populates the order input screen with data from the applicable customer and inventory master data.The computer displays the completed order and the clerk reviews the order (assume there are no discrepancies) and then accepts the order (selects the "save" icon on the input screen).The computer then creates a sales order master record, updates the inventory master data to allocate inventory to the sales order, prints a picking ticket in the warehouse, and displays the sales order number to the customer service center clerk.The clerk then reads this number to the customer.Required: a.Prepare an annotated table of entities and activities.Indicate on this table the groupings--bubble numbers and bubble titles--to be used in preparing the level 0 logical data flow diagram. b.Prepare a logical data flow diagram (level 0 only).The context diagram of this billing system shows two external entities: customers and the shipping department. c.Prepare a systems flowchart.

A data flow diagram is a graphical representation of a system, which depicts the system's components, data flows and the sources, destinations and storage of data.

In a physical data flow diagram, this is something within the system that transforms data.

In a physical data flow diagram, a bubble or circle could be used to specify each of the following except:

A data flow diagram could contain each of the following symbols except:

The following systems flowchart describes how a manager queries a data store to view information on a computer screen.Which statement describes whether the systems flowchart was created properly?

Which symbol can be either an entity or a process depending on the type of DFD?

The successive subdividing, or exploding, of logical data flow diagrams is called ___________________________________.

The following systems flowchart describes how a user enters business event data from a source document to update master file data.Which statement describes whether the systems flowchart was created properly?

Figure TB-4.3 shows a context diagram a cash sales system.The diagram intentionally violates several of the guidelines and other techniques presented in the text for drawing data flow diagram.Required: Identify as many of the errors in data flow diagram construction as you can.In the diagram, place consecutive numbers (each in a circle) next to the points at which the errors exist.On your solution sheet, list the numbers and write a one- to two-sentence description of each error and what the correct procedure should be.Error 1 is provided as an example of how to construct the solution.

Processes that handle other-than-normal situations are called ____________________ or ____________________ routines.

Data flow labels in context diagrams usually describe:

When a transaction cannot be processed in a routine fashion because of an error or other processing problems, the transaction must be handled by a(n):

Which type of data flow diagram specifies where, how, and by whom a system's processes are performed?

Processes that handle other-than-normal situations are called exception routines.

Which of the following segments violates guidelines for creating systems flowcharts?

In an enterprise system, we would have one data store/disk symbol that would be labeled "enterprise database" instead of two or more data store symbols.

System flowcharts use only four symbols.

Examine the following context diagram and the related level 0 logical data flow diagram.Which of the following statements is true?