Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method. SSADM with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM

Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (abbr. SSADM) is a method developed in Great Britain and accepted in 1993 as a national standard for information systems development and analysis. SSADM is based on Data Flow Diagrams and is characterized with presence of clear sequence of steps at projecting, analysis, and documenting of information system. It involves 6 main stages: analysis of existing system or estimation of practicability, requirements definition, determination of technical requirements and equipment cost, development of logical data model, projecting of logical requirements and specification them, physical projecting. Each of them is also divided into several steps defining the tasks that should be fulfilled at a given stage. The most important SSADM elements are flows modeling with help of DFD, data logic modeling with help of LDS (Logical Data Structure) and description of entities behavior. Applying of SSADM is easy with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software and Data Flow Diagram solution.

JSD - Jackson system development

Jackson System Development (JSD) is a linear method of system development created by Michael A. Jackson and John Cameron in the 1980s. It comprises the whole software life cycle directly or providing a framework for more specialized techniques. When implementing the Jackson System Development method and designing JSD diagrams, you can succesfully use the powerful and helpful tools of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software extended with Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

DFD Library — Design elements

Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park provides plenty of predesigned templates, samples and DFD vector design elements proposed by three DFD libraries. These DFD library objects are designed to help you effectively model the data flows and functional requirements for the business processes or systems, to design the Process-oriented models or Data-oriented models, Data flowcharts and Data process diagrams, Structured analysis diagrams and Information flow diagrams. There are two different notations used to draw the Data Flow Diagrams (Yourdon & Coad and Gane & Sarson). These notations define the different visual representations for the processes, data stores, data flows, and external entities. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software provides you with possibility of designing professional-looking Data Flow Diagrams, DFD Models, Data Flow Process Diagrams using any of these notations. Simply drag the predesigned DFD flowchart symbols from the appropriate library and connect by arrows depicting the data flow from one step to another.

Gane Sarson Diagram

The Gane-Sarson methodology uses the graphical techniques for building the logical models for the systems. It is helpful for analysts and designers to make common and clear picture of the system, to depict all its processes and how they transform the data. The Gane-Sarson methodology lets represent all this information in a way understandable for the users and other interested people, and gives the possibility to see instantly how the system's parts serve together to meet their needs. This methodology supposes the building of a system top-down. First you need create an overall system data flow, then determine the details of the data structures, the process logic and design the modular structures. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software offers the Data Flow Diagrams solution with Gane-Sarson Notation library rich for the specific symbols of the Gane-Sarson notation. All they are vector and fully ready-to-use for drawing the Data Flow Diagrams, which will be then successfully used in presentations, websites, and various business documents.

Data Flow Diagram Symbols. DFD Library

Data Flow Diagrams graphically represent the information transfers and process steps of a system. They visually depict how data are processed by a system in terms of inputs and outputs, how occurs the input in a system, how the data flow through an information system and where they are stored, and how occurs output from the system. DFDs give the overview of the system and models the processes aspects, they are maintained with other methods of structured systems analysis. The main goal of DFDs is achievement of understanding between developers and users. For their construction are used two notations - Gane-Sarson and Yourdon, each of them uses its own set of symbols. Data Flow Diagrams solution from Software Development area extends the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software with templates, samples, and predesigned libraries of data flow diagram symbols for both notations, allowing you easy design the process-oriented and data-oriented models, draw the Data Flow Diagrams, Data Flowcharts, Data Process Diagrams, Information Flow Diagrams, Structured Analysis Diagrams, etc.

Flowchart Definition

Flowchart definition - A Flowchart is a diagram that graphically represents the structure of the system, the flow of steps in a process, algorithm, or the sequence of steps and decisions for execution a process or solution a problem. For depiction the steps there are used specific shapes and graphic symbols which are linked by lines and directional arrows. The main standard shapes are rectangle or box, rounded box, diamond, circle. A Flowchart is a convenient way to observe the follow the process from beginning to end, it lets improve the work of process, highlight the key elements and detach not essential or even excessive steps. The Flowcharts can represent different levels of detail: High-Level Flowchart, Detailed Flowchart, and Deployment or Matrix Flowchart. They are incredibly useful for programmers when developing the programs of any complexity and on any high level language. Create your own Flowcharts using the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software and powerful tools of Flowcharts solution from "Diagrams" area.

Data Flow Diagram

Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is the part of the Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM), which is intended for information systems projection and analysis. Data Flow Diagrams allow graphically represent the data flows in information system and analyze the data processing during the structural projection. This type of diagrams lets visually show a work of information system and results of this work, it is often used in connection with human processes and can be displayed as Workflow diagram. Data Flow Diagram visualizes processes and functions, external entities, data depositories, and data flows connecting these elements and indicating direction and data character. Each of these elements used for DFD has its own graphical notation. There are two notations to draw DFDs - Yourdon & Coad and Gane & Sarson. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) solution from Software Developmant area is ideal for designing professional looking DFDs, which can be then easily exported in various formats.

SSADM Diagram

The vector stencils library SSADM from the solution Systems engineering contains specific symbols of SSADM diagrams for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The Systems engineering solution is contained in Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. The example below illustrates the waterfall model used in SSADM. This model involves 5 stages of developing a product such as requirements specification and its' analysis, design, coding and testing.

Definition Flowchart

A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents an algorithm, workflow or process, showing the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting them with arrows. This definition flowchart gives a clear answer for the question "What is a flowchart?". It is convenient to use a powerful ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software extended with Flowcharts Solution from the "Diagrams" Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park to design flowcharts of various types which will additionally illustrate a definition flowchart.

IDEF0 Diagram

The vector stencils library IDEF0 Diagram from the solution IDEF0 Diagrams contains specific IDEF0 diagram symbols such as arrow symbols and entity symbols for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The IDEF0 Diagram solution is contained in the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.