CIS 321 Case Study Employee Benefits System Milestone 3 Proc

Cis 321 Case Study Employee Benefits Systemmilestone 3 Process Mod

The requirements analysis phase answers the question, "What does the user need and want from a new system?" The requirements analysis phase is critical to the success of any new information system! In this milestone, you will identify what information system requirements need to be defined from the system users’ perspectives, using Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) to express system requirements.

You will first uncover external agents, processes, and data flows that define the requirements for the proposed system and document that information. This will involve constructing the Context Data Flow Diagram (DFD) using VISIO or equivalent software, based on the results of previous milestones, case data, interviews, and analysis.

The activities include identifying external entities, their relationship with the system, and data flows between them. The final deliverable is the Context Level DFD that visually represents these relationships to facilitate understanding and further system development.

Your deliverables should be neatly assembled per your instructor’s specifications and include the Context Level DFD. An advanced option involves compiling process descriptions detailing the inputs and outputs of each process.

Paper For Above instruction

The development of an effective Employee Benefits System (EBS) hinges fundamentally on comprehensive requirements gathering and analysis during the initial phases of the information system development lifecycle. Milestone 3 concentrates on understanding and modeling the external environment of the system through Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs), specifically the Context Diagram, which provides a high-level overview of the system interactions with external entities.

In analyzing the employee benefits system, the primary step involves identifying external entities—these are individuals or organizations that interact with the system but are outside its boundary. Examples include employees, HR personnel, payroll services, insurance providers, and financial institutions. These entities initiate or receive data to and from the system, shaping the overall requirements.

To accurately identify these external agents, analysts utilize interview transcripts, business process documents, and the previous milestones' findings. For instance, interviews with HR staff might reveal that they provide employee information and receive benefit reports, while employees may submit benefit enrollment forms through the system and receive notifications and summaries.

Following identification of entities, the next step involves recognizing the data flows between each external actor and the system. For example, employee personal data, benefit enrollment requests, and contribution information may flow into the system, whereas benefits eligibility, summaries, and notifications flow back to employees. These data flows are crucial as they define the boundaries and interactions necessary for system functionality.

The culmination of this analysis results in creating the Context DFD, which visually captures external entities and the data exchanges. This diagram does not depict internal processes but focuses on the system's environment, offering a clear understanding for developers and stakeholders. Software like VISIO simplifies this process, allowing the creation of precise and intuitive diagrams.

Constructing the Context DFD entails drawing a single process symbol labeled with the system name, connecting external entities via labeled data flow arrows. Each arrow should clearly indicate the nature of data exchanged, aligned with the identified flows. The diagram should be neat, accurate, and based on solid analysis to serve as a foundation for subsequent decomposition into lower-level DFDs.

Overall, Milestone 3 emphasizes the importance of accurate external entity identification, understanding the data exchanges, and visually representing these relationships through the Context DFD. This activity ensures that the system requirements are captured from the user and organizational perspective, facilitating a system that adequately meets the needs of its users and stakeholders.

References

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