Chapter 4
Requirements Modeling
Describe systems analysis phase activities
Explain joint application development (JAD),
rapid application development (RAD), and
agile methods
Use a functional decomposition diagram
(FDD) to model business functions and
Describe the Unified Modeling Language
(UML) and examples of UML diagrams
List and describe system requirements, including
outputs, inputs, processes, performance, and
Explain the concept of scalability
Use fact-finding techniques, including interviews,
documentation review, observation,
questionnaires, sampling, and research
Define total cost of ownership (TCO)
Conduct a successful interview
Develop effective documentation methods to use
during systems development
Systems Analysis Phase Overview
◦ Understand the proposed project
◦ Ensure that it supports business requirements
◦ Build a solid foundation for system development
Systems Analysis Activities
Requirements Modeling
Data and Process Modeling
Object Modeling
Development Strategies
Requirements Modeling
Data and Process
◦ Fact-finding to describe the
current system
◦ Requirements for new system
◦ Graphically represent system
data and processes
FIGURE 4-2 The systems analysis phase consists of
requirements modeling, data and process modeling,
object modeling, and consideration of development
strategies. Notice that the systems analysis tasks are
interactive, even though the waterfall model generally
depicts sequential development
Object Modeling
Development Strategies
◦ Create objects to represent
things, transactions and events
◦ Software trends, development
alternatives, outsourcing, etc.
Systems Analysis Skills
◦ Strong analytical skills
◦ Interpersonal skills
Team-Based Techniques: JAD, RAD, and
Agile Methods
◦ Object is to deliver the best possible system at the
lowest possible cost in the shortest possible time
◦ Joint application development brings users into the
design process
◦ Rapid application development uses a condensed
version of the system development life cycle
◦ Agile methods stress intense interaction between
developers and users
Brings users into the development process as
active participants
User Involvement (formally or informally) created a
successful system
JAD Participants and Roles
◦ Project leader and one or more members
◦ Participants insulated from distractions of day-to-day
FIGURE 4-3 Typical JAD participants and roles
FIGURE 4-4 Typical agenda for a JAD session
JAD Disadvantages
 JAD is more expensive than traditional
 Can be cumbersome if group is too large
JAD Advantages
 JAD allows key users to participate effectively
 Users more likely to feel a sense of ownership
 Produces a more accurate statement of
system requirements
Uses a group approach like JAD
JAD produces a requirements model, RAD produces
a new system
Complete methodology
Four-phase life cycle that parallels the traditional SDLC
Reduces cost and development time
Increases the probability of success
Relies on prototyping and user involvement
Prototypes modified based on user input
FIGURE 4-5 The four phases of the RAD
model are requirements planning, user
design, construction, and cutover. Notice the
continuous interaction between the user
design and construction phases
Requirements Planning
◦ Team agrees on business needs, project scope,
constraints, and system requirements
◦ Management authorization to continue is obtained
User Design
◦ Users interact with analysts to develop models and
◦ A combination of JAD and CASE tools are used
◦ Users understand, modify, and approve a working
◦ Program and application development
◦ Users can suggest changes as screens or reports are
◦ Includes data conversion, testing, changeover to the
new system, and user training
RAD Objectives
◦ Cut development time and expenses by involving users
in every phase of systems development
◦ Allow the development team to make necessary
modifications quickly, as the design evolves
RAD Advantages
◦ Systems developed more quickly with significant cost
RAD Disadvantages
◦ Does not emphasize strategic business needs (system
might work well in short term but miss long-term
◦ Less time to develop quality, consistency, and design
Agile methods attempt to develop a system
incrementally, by building a series of prototypes
and constantly adjusting them to user
Developers revise, extend, and merge earlier
versions into the final product
Emphasizes continuous feedback, and each
incremental step is affected by what was learned in
the prior steps
FIGURE 4-6 Agilian supports various modeling tools, such as
the Unified Modeling Language, use cases, and business
process modeling, among others
◦ A rugby term
◦ Pigs include the
product owner,
the facilitator, and
the development
◦ Chickens include
users, other
FIGURE 4-7 In a rugby scrum, team members prepare to
stakeholders, and
lunge at each other to achieve their objectives
◦ Scrum sessions have specific guidelines that
emphasize time blocks, interaction, and teambased activities that result in deliverable software
Agile Method Advantages and
◦ Very flexible and efficient in dealing with change
◦ Frequent deliverables constantly validate the project
and reduce risk
◦ Team members need a high level of technical and
interpersonal skills
◦ May be subject to significant change in scope
Involves graphical methods and nontechnical
language that represent the system at various
stages of development
Can use various tools
Functional Decomposition Diagrams
◦ Functional decomposition diagram (FDD)
◦ Model business functions and show how they are
organized into lower-level processes
Functional Decomposition
◦ Top-down
of a function
or process
◦ Similar to an
FIGURE 4-8 This Visible Analyst FDD shows a library system
with five top-level functions. The Library Operations
function includes two additional levels of processes and sub
Business Process
◦ Business process
model (BPM)
◦ Business process
modeling notation
◦ Pool
◦ Swim lanes
FIGURE 4-9 Using the Visible Analyst CASE tool, an
analyst can create a business process diagram. The
overall diagram is called a pool, and the two separate
customer areas are called swim lanes
Data Flow
◦ Data flow diagram
◦ show how the system
stores, processes,
and transforms data
◦ Additional levels of
information and
detail are depicted in
other, related DFDs
FIGURE 4-10 This Visible Analyst DFD shows how books
are added and removed in a library system
Use Case
◦ Interaction between
users and the
FIGURE 4-12 This table documents the credit card
validation use case shown in Figure 4-11
FIGURE 4-11 This Visible Analyst use case diagram
shows a sales system, where the actor is a customer
and the use case is a credit card validation
◦ Shows the timing
of interactions
between objects
as they occur
FIGURE 4-14 This Visible Analyst sequence diagram
shows a credit card validation process
Output Examples
◦ The Web site must report online volume statistics
every four hours, and hourly during peak periods
◦ The inventory system must produce a daily report
showing the part number, description, quantity on
hand, quantity allocated, quantity available, and unit
cost of all sorted by part number
◦ The contact management system must generate a
daily reminder list for all sales reps
◦ The purchasing system must provide suppliers with
up-to-date specifications
Input Examples
◦ Manufacturing employees must swipe their ID cards into
online data collection terminals that record labor costs and
calculate production efficiency
◦ The department head must enter overtime hours on a
separate screen
◦ Student grades must be entered on machine-scannable forms
prepared by the instructor
◦ Each input form must include date, time, product code,
customer number, and quantity
◦ Data entry screens must be uniform, except for background
color, which can be changed by the user
◦ A data entry person at the medical group must input patient
services into the billing system
Process Examples
◦ The student records system must calculate the GPA at the
end of each semester
◦ As the final step in year-end processing, the payroll
system must update employee salaries, bonuses, and
benefits and produce tax data required by the IRS
◦ The warehouse distribution system must analyze daily
orders and create a routing pattern for delivery trucks that
maximizes efficiency and reduces unnecessary mileage
◦ The human resources system must interface properly with
the existing payroll system
◦ The equipment rental system must not execute new rental
transactions for customers who have overdue accounts
◦ The prescription system must automatically generate an
insurance claim form
Performance Examples
◦ The system must support 25 users online
◦ Response time must not exceed four seconds
◦ The system must be operational seven days a week, 365
days a year
◦ The accounts receivable system must prepare customer
statements by the third business day of the following
◦ The student records system must produce class lists
within five hours after the end of registration
◦ The online inventory control system must flag all lowstock items within one hour after the quantity falls
below a predetermined minimum
Control Examples
◦ The system must provide logon security at the
operating system level and at the application level
◦ An employee record must be added, changed, or
deleted only by a member of the human resources
◦ The system must maintain separate levels of security
for users and the system administrator
◦ All transactions must have audit trails
◦ The manager of the sales department must approve
orders that exceed a customer’s credit limit
◦ The system must create an error log file that
includes the error type, description, and time
◦ A system’s ability to handle increased business
volume and transactions in the future
◦ A scalable system offers a better return on the initial
◦ To evaluate scalability, you need information about
projected future volume for all outputs, inputs, and
Total Cost of Ownership
– Total cost of ownership
(TCO) is especially
important if the
development team is
evaluating several
– One problem is that cost
estimates tend to
understate indirect costs
– Rapid Economic Justification
FIGURE 4-15 HP urges viewers to Take
the TCO Challenge. Interested viewers
can download a step-by-step TCO
analysis that HP created
Fact-Finding Overview
◦ First, you must identify the information you need
◦ Develop a fact-finding plan
Who, What, Where, When, How, and Why?
◦ Difference between asking what is being done and
what could or should be done
Typical questions to ask
◦ What business functions are supported by the current
◦ What strategic objectives and business requirements
must be supported by the new system?
◦ What are the benefits and TCO of the proposed
◦ What transactions will the system process?
◦ What information do users and managers need from
the system?
◦ Must the new system interface with legacy systems?
Typical questions to ask
◦ What procedures could be eliminated by business
process reengineering?
◦ What security issues exist?
◦ What risks are acceptable?
◦ What budget and timetable constraints will affect
system development?
◦ Who performs each of the procedures within the system? Why?
Are the correct people performing the activity? Could other
people perform the tasks more effectively?
◦ What is being done? What procedures are being followed? Why is
that process necessary? Often, procedures are followed for many
years and no one knows why. You should question why a
procedure is being followed at all
◦ Where are operations being performed? Why? Where could they
be performed? Could they be performed more efficiently
◦ When is a procedure performed? Why is it being performed at
this time? Is this the best time?
◦ How is a procedure performed? Why is it performed in that
manner? Could it be performed better, more efficiently, or less
expensively in some other manner?
FIGURE 4-17 Sample questions during requirements modeling as the
focus shifts from the current system to the proposed system
The Zachman
◦ Zachman
Framework for
◦ Helps managers
and users
understand the
model and assures
that overall
business goals
translate into
successful IT
FIGURE 4-18 Visible Analyst uses the Zachman Framework
for Enterprise Architecture. The Zachman concept presents
traditional fact-finding questions in a systems development
Determine the people to interview
Establish objectives for the interview
Develop interview questions
Prepare for the interview
Conduct the interview
Document the interview
Evaluate the interview
Step 1: Determine the people to interview
◦ Select the right people and ask the right questions
◦ Don’t rely on just an organization chart
◦ Decide on group and/or individual interviews
Step 2. Establish objectives for the interview
Determine the areas to be discussed
List the facts you need to gather
Upper management provides the big picture
Users can give you specific details
Step 3. Develop interview questions
Decide what to ask and how to phrase the question
The same question to different people - for comparison
Open ended questions encourage spontaneous and unstructured
 What are users saying about the new system?
 How is this task performed?
Close ended questions limit the response - used to verify facts
 How many personal computers do you have in this
 Do you review the reports before they are sent out?
Range of response questions limit the response – uses a scale
how effective was your training?
 How would you rate the severity of the problem: low,
medium, or high?
Step 4. Prepare for the interview
◦ Careful preparation is essential because an interview
is an important meeting and not just a casual chat
◦ Limit the interview to no more than one hour
◦ Verify time, place, length, and topics via e-mail
◦ Ask the interviewee to have samples available
FIGURE 4-20 Sample message to a department
head about interviews
FIGURE 4-21 Sample message to confirm an
Step 5. Conduct the interview
◦ Develop a specific plan for the meeting
◦ Begin by introducing yourself, describing the project,
and explaining your interview objectives
◦ Engaged listening
◦ Allow the person enough time to think about the
◦ After an interview, you should summarize the
session and seek a confirmation
Step 6. Document the interview
– Note taking should be kept to a minimum
– After conducting the interview, you must record the
information quickly
– After the interview, send memo to the interviewee
expressing your appreciation
– Note date, time, location, purpose of the interview,
and the main points you discussed so the interviewee
has a written summary and can offer additions or
Step 7. Evaluate the interview
◦ In addition to recording the facts obtained in an
interview, try to identify any possible biases
Unsuccessful Interviews
◦ No matter how well you prepare for interviews, some
are not successful
◦ Misunderstanding or personality conflict could
affect the interview negatively, or the interviewee
might be afraid that the new system will eliminate
or change his or her job
Document Review
• Review old and current forms and documentation
– Seeing the system in action gives you additional
perspective and a better understanding of the
system procedures
– Plan your observations in advance
– Consider the Hawthorne Effect Study
 Productivity seemed to improve whenever workers knew
they were being observed
Questionnaires and
◦ When designing a
questionnaire, the most
important rule of all is to
make sure that your
questions collect the right
data in a form that you
can use to further your
◦ Fill-in form
FIGURE 4-23 Online version of a sample questionnaire. Does
it follow the suggested guidelines?
Keep the questionnaire brief and user-friendly
Provide clear instructions that will answer all anticipated
Arrange the questions in a logical order, going from simple to
more complex topics
Phrase questions to avoid misunderstandings; use simple
terms and wording
Try not to lead the response or use questions that give clues to
expected answers
Limit the use of open-ended questions that are difficult to
Limit the use of questions that can raise concerns about job
security or other negative issues
Include a section at the end of the questionnaire for general
Test the questionnaire whenever possible on a small test group
before finalizing it and distributing to a large group
◦ Systematic sample
 Select every tenth customer for review
◦ Stratified sample
 Select five customers from each of four postal codes
◦ Random sample
 Any 20 customers
◦ Main objective of a sample is to ensure that it represents the
overall population accurately
◦ Can include the Internet, IT magazines, and books to obtain
background information, technical material, and news about
industry trends and developments
◦ Site visit
Interviews versus Questionnaires
◦ Interview is more familiar and personal
◦ Questionnaire gives many people the opportunity to provide
input and suggestions
◦ Brainstorming
◦ Structured brainstorming
◦ Unstructured brainstorming
The Need for Recording the Facts
◦ Record information as soon as you obtain it
◦ Use the simplest recording method
◦ Record your findings in such a way that they can
be understood by someone else
◦ Organize your documentation so related material
is located easily
Software Tools
◦ CASE Tools
◦ Productivity
 Word processing
 Spreadsheets
 Database
 Presentation
graphics, and
software programs
 Histogram
FIGURE 4-27 This histogram displays the results
from Question 2 in the questionnaire shown in
Figure 4-23 on page 156.
◦ Produces charts
and diagrams
◦ MS Visio popular
FIGURE 4-28 This Visio drawing uses drag-and-drop
shapes to represent a business process
Personal data management software
◦ Microsoft Outlook
 A personal calendar
 A to-do list with priorities and ability to check off
completed items
◦ Microsoft OneNote
 Handles many different types of input, including text,
handwritten notes, images, audio and video recordings,
Web links
 OneNote is included in most versions of the Office
At the conclusion of requirements modeling,
systems developers should have a clear
understanding of business processes and
system requirements
The next step is to construct a logical model
of the system
IT professionals have differing views about
systems development methodologies, and
no universally accepted approach exists
The systems analysis phase includes three
activities: requirements modeling, data and
process modeling, and consideration of
development strategies
The main objective is to understand the
proposed project, ensure that it will support
business requirements, and build a solid
foundation for the systems design phase
Popular team-based approaches include JAD,
RAD, and agile methods
The fact-finding process includes
interviewing, document review, observation,
questionnaires, sampling, and research
Systems analysts should carefully record and
document factual information as it is
collected, and various software tools can help
an analyst visualize and describe an
information system

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