Getting Started with Analysis Tools: Definitions and Flowcharts

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Getting Started with Analysis Tools: Definitions and Flowcharts

System Analysis and Design · Chapter 2: Business Analysis Tools and Development MethodsSection 2.6 · lesson 12 of 699 min · free with a free account

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In this lesson

Data dictionaries, flowcharts, decision tables, decision trees, and structured English.

  • Explain what a data dictionary is and why analysts use one
  • Recognize standard flowchart symbols; distinguish system and program flowcharts
  • Read and build a decision table and an equivalent decision tree
  • Translate a business rule into structured English

Transcript

Everything said in the video, section by section (1,268 words). Read along, or search it.

Business Analysis Tools and Development Methods

Analysis Tools: Definitions and Flowcharts

Before an analyst can model a process in detail, they need two things. A precise way to describe the data involved, and a precise way to describe the logic that acts on it. This section introduces the foundational tools for both. The data dictionary, flowcharts and their symbols, decision tables, decision trees, and structured English. And one running example, a rule for expedited shipping, lets us compare the same logic across all of them.

Defining Terms Precisely

The Data Dictionary

Start with the data. A data dictionary is a central catalog of every data element a system uses. For each one, it records the type, the size, and the meaning. Here are four fields from our shipping example. Order I D is text, ten characters long. It uniquely identifies each customer order. Order Total is a currency value, the total of the order before shipping. Membership Level is text, eight characters, holding the customer's account tier, either premium or standard. And Order Date is a date, the day the order was placed. Why bother writing this down? Because it gives every analyst, developer, and stakeholder the same precise definition of each term. That prevents a surprisingly common problem. Two people using the same word to mean different things. Imagine one team reading order total as including shipping, and another reading it as excluding shipping. The data dictionary settles that question once, in writing.

Flowcharts

Standard Symbols, No Legend Needed

Now the logic, starting with flowcharts. A flowchart uses a small set of standardized shapes, so anyone who knows the convention can read it without a legend. Each shape has one specific meaning. A terminal, drawn as a rounded pill shape, marks the beginning or end of the flowchart. A process, drawn as a rectangle, is a single action the system performs. A decision, drawn as a diamond, is a yes-or-no, or true-or-false, branch point. An input or output, drawn as a parallelogram, is data entering or leaving the process. A document shape represents a printed or on-screen report the process produces. A connector, a small circle, links two points without drawing a direct line between them. And flow lines, with arrowheads, always show the direction the process moves.

2 Levels of Detail

System Flowchart vs. Program Flowchart

Not every flowchart works at the same level of detail. A system flowchart maps how data moves between people, departments, and systems. It stays at a high level, and it is useful for showing handoffs. Its audience is stakeholders, managers, and other analysts. It mostly uses process, document, and connector shapes. A program flowchart zooms into the logic inside a single program. It shows the exact steps and conditions the code follows. Its audience is the developers who will write or maintain that code. It leans on process, decision, terminal, and input output shapes. Same notation, two very different questions. Who hands what to whom, versus what the code does next. An analyst usually draws the system flowchart first, and the program flowchart comes later, closer to the code.

The Running Example

A Rule for Expedited Shipping

Now to the running example. An online store has a rule for expedited shipping, based on two conditions. Is the order total at least one hundred dollars? And is the customer a premium member? If both are true, the order gets free expedited shipping. If exactly one is true, it gets discounted expedited shipping. And if neither is true, it gets standard shipping. Written as a sentence like that, it sounds clear enough. But sentences hide gaps. The next three tools make the logic impossible to misread. Keep the three outcomes in mind. Free, discounted, and standard.

Tool 1 of 3

The Decision Table

The first tool is the decision table. When a rule depends on more than one condition, a decision table lays out every possible combination in its own column. Then it states the resulting action for each one. The top rows are the conditions. The bottom rows are the actions, with an X marking which one applies. Rule one: total at least one hundred, and premium. Free expedited shipping. Rule two: total at least one hundred, but not premium. Discounted expedited shipping. Rule three: total under one hundred, but premium. Also discounted expedited shipping. Rule four: neither condition. Standard shipping. Two conditions, each yes or no, give exactly four combinations, and all four are here. That is the real power of the format. A missing combination, or a contradiction, is easy to spot. A paragraph of text could easily hide either one.

Tool 2 of 3 - Figure 3

The Decision Tree

The second tool is the decision tree. It expresses the same logic, but as a branching diagram instead of a grid. It starts from a single root question. Is the order total at least one hundred dollars? Each branch represents an answer, and leads either to another question, or to a final outcome. On the yes side, we ask about membership. Premium gets free expedited shipping. Otherwise, discounted. On the no side, we ask the same question. Premium gets discounted expedited shipping. Otherwise, standard. The outcomes at the tips of the branches are called leaves. Count them. Four leaves, matching the four rules in the table. Follow any path from the root to a leaf, and you have read one rule. That is why non-technical readers often find trees easier. They can trace their own situation step by step.

Table vs. Tree

Same Logic, 2 Formats

So when would you choose one over the other? The decision table is a grid. It is ideal for checking that every combination is covered, and nothing contradicts. The decision tree is a branching diagram. It is often easier for a non-technical audience to follow than a table with many columns. The logic is identical. The choice is about who needs to read it, and what they need to check. Many analysts build the table first, to be sure nothing is missing, and then draw the tree to explain it.

Tool 3 of 3 - Figure 4

Structured English

The third tool is structured English. It writes a business rule as plain-language logic, using a fixed set of keywords. If, then, else, and end if. Read it from the top. If the order total is at least one hundred, then check the membership level. If it is premium, ship with free expedited shipping. Otherwise, discounted expedited shipping. Else, meaning the total is under one hundred, check membership again. Premium gets discounted expedited shipping. Otherwise, standard shipping. Notice the indentation. It shows which decisions sit inside which. Structured English avoids the ambiguity of an ordinary sentence, while staying readable without any programming background. That makes it a useful bridge, between a decision table or tree, and the code a developer will eventually write.

Key Terms

The Vocabulary of This Section

Let's lock in the key terms. A data dictionary is a central catalog of every data element a system uses, including its type, size, and precise meaning. A system flowchart shows how data moves between people, departments, or systems. A program flowchart shows the logic steps and conditions inside a single program. A decision table lists every combination of conditions in its own column, with the resulting action beneath each one. A decision tree represents the same logic as a branching diagram, ending in outcomes called leaves. And structured English writes business rules in plain language, constrained to keywords like if, then, else, and end if.

Key Takeaways

What to Carry Forward

To pull this together. A data dictionary gives every stakeholder the same precise definition for each data element. Flowcharts use a small, standardized set of symbols, so anyone familiar with the convention can read them. A system flowchart maps handoffs between people and departments. A program flowchart maps the logic inside one program. Decision tables and decision trees represent the same conditional logic, as a grid versus a branching diagram. And structured English bridges a decision table or tree, and the code a developer will eventually write.

About System Analysis and Design at UPI Study

System Analysis and Design (Computer Science 390) is a self-paced online course of 69 video lessons in 9 chapters, from the analyst's role and requirements to UML modeling, interface and database design, testing, maintenance and project management. It carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits.

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Universities that work with NCCRS

System Analysis and Design carries a NCCRS credit recommendation. These universities work with NCCRS; some are UPI Study's signed partners. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

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FAQ

Questions students ask us

About Getting Started with Analysis Tools: Definitions and Flowcharts

What is a data dictionary in systems analysis?
A data dictionary is a central catalog of every data element a system uses, recording each element's type, size, and precise meaning. For example, it might define Order ID as a ten-character text field that uniquely identifies each order. Its value is a shared definition: it settles questions such as whether Order Total includes shipping, so two teams do not use the same term to mean different things.
What do the standard flowchart symbols mean?
Each standard flowchart symbol has one meaning: a rounded terminal marks the start or end, a rectangle is a process step, a diamond is a yes-or-no decision, and a parallelogram is input or output. A document shape represents a report, a small circle is a connector linking two points, and arrows on flow lines show direction. A system flowchart uses these to show handoffs between people and departments, while a program flowchart shows the logic inside one program.
What is the difference between a decision table and a decision tree?
A decision table and a decision tree express the same conditional logic, but a table is a grid while a tree is a branching diagram. A table lists every combination of conditions in its own column with the resulting action, making missing or contradictory cases easy to spot. A tree starts from a root question and branches to outcomes called leaves, which non-technical readers often find easier to follow. Two yes-or-no conditions give four rules or four leaves.
What is structured English in systems analysis?
Structured English writes a business rule as plain-language logic using a fixed set of keywords such as if, then, else, and end if, with indentation showing which decisions sit inside which. For example: if the order total is at least $100, then check membership; if premium, give free expedited shipping. It avoids the ambiguity of ordinary sentences while staying readable without programming knowledge, bridging decision tables and code.

About the System Analysis and Design course

How many college credits is System Analysis and Design?
System Analysis and Design (Computer Science 390) carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
How much does System Analysis and Design cost and what is included?
$250, paid once, with lifetime access: all 69 video lessons, a practice quiz after each, the graded work and final exam, and an official transcript when you finish. Students who want several courses choose UPI Study PRO instead.
Which universities accept UPI Study credits?
UPI Study has signed partner agreements with universities such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Charter Oak State College, and works with universities such as Penn State, SNHU and SUNY. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Use "Find my college" on this page to check yours.
How long does System Analysis and Design take?
It is self-paced with no deadlines. The 69 lessons total about 9 hours of video; most students add reading and practice time and finish in a few weeks to a few months, on their own schedule.
How are the exams done?
Quizzes and assignments are online in the course. The final exam is taken online with proctoring; a person on the UPI Study team checks assignments, usually within two days.
How do my credits reach my college?
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