MBI630Fall 2009

Process Modeling

Tutorial 1 -- Context Diagram --

  1. Start Microsoft Visio Professional 2007 by going Start button -> Programs -> Microsoft Office -> "Microsoft Office Visio 2007". (This may vary depends on how you installed the Visio)
  1. Choose "Software and Database" from the Template Categories list -> "Data Flow Model Diagram" from the Other Templates list.

Figure 1-1: “Choose Drawing Type” Screen

  1. A blank sheet appears, and you are ready to draw a data flow diagram (DFD).
  1. For this first tutorial, we are going to have a simple context diagram showing the main system as a process and two
  1. Now you are ready to put symbols and connections. First, you put a PROCESS symbol in the center of the diagram.

** If the screen is too small to see, adjust the “zoom” combo box on the tool bar.

** It might be a good idea to change the page orientation from File-> Page setup

and change the radio button for paper orientation to Landscape.

Double click the symbol to show the contents (name of the process). Type in the name of the system (for practice, type in "PIA Operation System.")

The page should look like this:

Figure 1-2: Process “PIA Operation System”

  1. Put an External Entity (it says Interface in the Visio) by clicking and draggingthe symbol (Interface) to the working area (left side of the system process).

Name the object as "CUSTOMER" (singular).

In the same way, create another external entity called "VENDOR" on the right side of the diagram.

  1. Connect the Process and External Entity: Click a line (data flow) and drag it to the working area. Connecting arrows (Data flows) to other object could be tricky. Visio uses the concept of connection if the arrows or lines dragged into the symbol and stick it to the center of the symbol, not the border (see the following figure: see the red square at the end of the line to the process side? If you connect the end of the data flow to the box, the arrow turns to greento red, indicating the connection is complete. If the square is still green, it is not properly connected, like the one with CUSTOMER side).

Figure 1-3: Connecting dataflows

Now name the dataflow as “Order”

In the same way, create data flows as follows:

Invoice: from System to CUSTOMER

Letter: from System to CUSTOMER

Vendor_Order: from System to VENDOR

Vendor_Invoice: from VENDOR to System

Vendor_Payment: from System to VENDOR

(End of Tutorial 1)

1