FLOW CHART

(Professional Business Analyst Training organisation)

Flow chart was introduced by Frank Gilbreth in 1921 in

the presentation Process Charts to the members of the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

A flowchart is a kind of diagram that represents

process in representing the steps as boxes of various

kinds, and orders them by connecting them with

arrows.

This helps in finding a solution for a given problem. They

help in analyzing, designing, documenting program in

various fields.

Flowchart is a marvelous procedure for systems

developers in reducing the uncertainty in the

relationships among objects, information, people and

processes.

Since the rate of usage increased day by day flow charting

symbols were made consistent and are included in

virtually all graphics and word processing products.

They are used to handle simple charts. As complexity

increases in charts and relationships, there are many more

differentiated products available.

Traditional BA (Waterfall) Agile BA

Requirements are documented in Use

Cases,Business Requirements, Functional

requirements, UI Specifications, Business Rules.

Requirements are documented in Epics, User

Stories and optionally Business (or Essential) Use

cases.

Focuses on completeness of requirement and

spends time in ensuring the requirement is

unambiguous and has all the details.

Focuses on understanding the problem and being

the domain expert so that s/he can answer

questions from the development team swiftly and

decisively.

Focuses on getting a ‘sign off’ on the requirements.

Focuses on ensuring the requirements meet the

currentbusiness needs, even if it requires

updating them.

Often there is a wall between the BA/Business and

the Development team.

Agile BA (Often called as Product Owner) is part of

the team.

Tends to dictate solutions.

Has to remain in the problem domain, leaving the

development team ‘space’ to explore different

solutions.

Long turnaround. Quick turnaround.

Focus on what the requirements document said. In

other words, output (Artifact) is a well written

thorough requirements document.

Focus on the functionality of the developed

software. In other words, output (Artifact) is the

software that meets thebusiness needs.

A few types of flow charts are as follows:

1) SPECIALIZED FLOW CHARTS helps in specific issues in

software development. (REFER FIG:1)

2) DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS finds the movement of

information in a process, how information enters and

leaves in a system, changes in the information, where

information is stored. (REFER FIG: 2)

3) BUSINESS PROCESS MAPS defines the components

specific activity, what a business entity is, standards to be

followed for business process should be completed.

(REFER FIG: 3)

4) STATE TRANSITION DIAGRAMS identify the behavior of

systems. (REFER FIG: 4)

5) ENTITY RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAMS DESCRIBES the

relationships between entities, and describes the

attributes for entities, and relationship between entities.

(REFER FIG:5)