Deck 5: Task Level Modeling

Question 1

Tasks are individual steps involved in accomplishing events in an enterprise.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The database architectures for two enterprises that have different workflow scenarios for the same business process are likely to be very different; however, their system flowcharts for the scenarios are likely to be very similar.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

System flowcharts include symbols, flow lines, and areas of responsibility.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Only one acceptable input symbol exists for use in system flowcharts.

Question 5

The combination of an online manual input device and a computerized process symbol serves as a single process for purposes of input-process-output logic.

Question 6

On system flowcharts, one symbol is specified to indicate files that contain stored data, no matter what media is used.

Question 7

A nonprocessed document on a system flowchart is represented as .

Question 8

A dotted or dashed line on a document or system flowchart is used to indicate actual physical flow of a document or object.

Question 9

The assumed flow of a system or document flowchart is right to left and top to bottom.

Question 10

Areas of responsibility are typically standardized across flowcharts for various organizations.

Question 11

Each copy of a document must flow to a symbol denoting an exit from the system.

Question 12

Master files contain balance data or the status of an entity at a point in time.

Question 13

Data in master files are used to update the balance in the transaction files.

Question 14

Sequential storage implies that records are stored one after another in some order (e.g. by account number or alphabetically).

Question 15

With batch processing, transactions may be entered into the computer without immediately updating the master file.

Question 16

Online processing and real-time processing are synonyms.

Question 17

In data flow diagrams, circles are used to represent processes that take data inflows and transform them to information outflows.

Question 18

A general rule in data flow diagramming is that any single data flow diagram should not have more than about eleven processes.

Question 19

A data flow diagram should balance between levels. This refers to the fact that the level one DFD should have the same system inputs and outputs as the corresponding level zero DFD.

Question 20

Unlike data flow diagrams, which represent the physical components of an information system, system flowcharts can provide a more conceptual, non-physical display of the movement of data through a system.

Question 21

The following is a section of a system flowchart. Which of the following scenarios would accurately describe what is pictured in this system flowchart section?

A) A document is manually compared to data on a magnetic tape and to data on a disk
B) A masterfile on disk is updated for transactions on magnetic tape, and a report is produced
C) A set of documents is read into a computerized process to produce a transaction file on magnetic tape and to update a masterfile stored on disk
D) Either A or B would accurately describe what is pictured in this system flowchart section
E) Either B or C would accurately describe what is pictured in this system flowchart section

Question 22

In the following flowchart segment, the most appropriate description to place in Symbol A is

A) Attach batch total to report and file proof report in report number order
B) Reconcile accounts payable account balances
C) Compare batch total with summary report and make necessary corrections
D) File the error listings by batch total number
E) Run a computerized error check

Question 23

The following partial system flowchart segment could be interpreted as

A) A master file stored on magnetic disk is used to determine errors that exist on a transaction file stored on magnetic tape.
B) A set of sales invoices is posted to a manual accounts receivable subsidiary ledger.
C) A transaction file stored on magnetic tape is used to update a master file which is also stored on magnetic tape.
D) Two transaction files stored on two separate magnetic tapes are used to update a single master file that is also stored on magnetic tape.
E) A master file stored on magnetic tape is used to update two transaction files also stored on magnetic tape.

Question 24

Which of the following is an input/output symbol used in system flowcharting?

A) A document symbol
B) A manual process symbol
C) An off-line or non-computer process symbol
D) An on-page connector symbol
E) A decision symbol

Question 25

In a system flowchart, which symbol should be used to represent a paycheck sent to an employee?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

Question 26

In a system flowchart, which symbol should be used to represent a customer master file that can be accessed directly (as opposed to sequentially)?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

Question 27

Which of the following is not an accurately stated convention for displaying documents on a system flowchart?

A) Diagram a document before and after a process is performed on the document.
B) After a document is altered, change its name to indicate its current status
C) Show a document on entering a page or prior to leaving a page.
D) Show a document when entering a temporary file, but not when leaving the file.
E) Place areas of responsibility with the most frequent interchange adjacent to each other to avoid long arrows.

Question 28

A master file

A) Contains mostly static information about an object, such as its balance
B) Contains only transaction details
C) Contains inactive past or historical data
D) Contains records identified as incomplete or erroneous pending further action
E) Contains records such as tax tables which are used for reference purposes

Question 29

Transaction files

A) Contain balance data or the status of an entity at a point in time
B) Contain activity data
C) Contain business reference data such as a listing of the chart of accounts
D) Are awaiting some action to complete their processing
E) Contain inactive past or historical data about the status of an entity

Question 30

Which of the following types of records would be contained in a suspense file?

A) Records identified as incomplete or erroneous and which need correction and reentry for processing
B) Complete and correct activity data used to update the master files
C) Inactive past or historical data
D) Information about such things as vendors, credit customers, or inventory
E) Referential data such as tax rate schedules

Question 31

An audio-cassette tape is an example of a _______ storage device.

A) Direct
B) Indexed
C) Sequential
D) Random
E) Method

Question 32

Sequential access means that

A) Data must be stored on magnetic tape
B) The address of the location of data is found through the use of either an algorithm or an index
C) Each record can be accessed in the same amount of time
D) To read record 500, records 1 through 499 must be read first
E) Each record is accessed in random order

Question 33

Online processing

A) Is the same thing as real-time processing
B) Updates master files after a group of transaction data is collected
C) Updates master files as transaction data is entered
D) Updates master files during an information customer's report generation request
E) None of the above

Question 34

With what symbol should a customer master file be represented in a data flow diagram?

A) An arrow
B) A circle
C) Two parallel straight lines
D) A rectangle
E) A square

Question 35

In a data flow diagram, which symbol should be used to show the manual calculation of payroll?

A) A square or box
B) A rectangle
C) A circle
D) A trapezoid
E) An arrow

Question 36

In a data flow diagram, an invoice that was sent to a customer is represented as a

A) Data source
B) Data sink
C) Data store
D) Data flow
E) Document symbol

Question 37

Which of the following is not an accurately stated convention for data flow diagramming?

A) A process must have at least one input data flow and one output data flow.
B) A data flow has at least one end connected to a data store.
C) A data store must have at least one input data flow and one output data flow.
D) Any single DFD should not have more than about seven processes.
E) Data cannot move directly from one data store to another data store; data must be moved by a process.

Question 38

The data flow diagram level that shows the scope of the system being represented is

A) Level Zero
B) Level One
C) Context Level
D) Level "n"
E) A, B, and D each separately represent the scope of the system being represented

Question 39

In order for two levels of a data flow diagram to balance

A) The system processes must be decomposed into the most detailed levels.
B) Both levels must be consistent in showing inputs and outflows.
C) Both levels must be primitive data flow diagrams.
D) Both levels must have the same number of processes.
E) Both levels must have the same number of data flows.

Question 40

Differences between data flow diagrams and system flowcharts include:

A) Both are used to document aspects of an information system.
B) System flowcharts emphasize the logical flow of information throughout a system; whereas data flow diagrams represent the physical flow of information throughout a system.
C) System flowcharts depict the organizational units responsible for various information processes; data flow diagrams do not.
D) Circles are used to represent processes in system flowcharts, whereas in a data flow diagram a process may be represented by a rectangle, a trapezoid, or a square.
E) All of the above are differences between data flow diagrams and system flowcharts.

Question 41

Draw a flowchart segment to represent a payables clerk comparing copies 1 and 2 of a receiving report to the pertinent supplier's invoice. Any discrepancies are noted on a report as part of this comparison process.

Question 42

Draw a flowchart segment to represent the computerized updating of a customer master file that is stored on magnetic tape with data from a cash receipts transactions file that is also on magnetic tape. Draw this segment assuming that the cash receipts transaction file tape has already been sorted into customer number order.

Question 43

Draw a flowchart segment to represent data on source documents being keyed to a disk.

Question 44

Draw a flowchart segment to represent magnetic tape input being used to update a master file stored on disk.

Question 45

What type of processing can be used for tape storage mediums, and why?

Question 46

A company has a customer master file with customer number as the primary key. It is stored in numeric order on magnetic tape. How should the daily sales transaction file (which is stored numerically by invoice number on a disk) be sorted (if at all) before it is used to update the customer master file? Why?

Question 47

Explain the two types of storage/access discussed in your text.

Question 48

Draw a context-level data flow diagram to represent Example University's Registrar's office system according to the following description. Students of Example University request courses via an automated telephone line. Registrar's office employees use the student records file, the course descriptions file, and the course registration file to identify whether students have met the pre-requisite and major requirements for each course they have requested and to determine whether there are seats available. The result of these processes is a set of student schedules. These are forwarded to the University Cashier's office to compare against the students' accounts receivable to make sure they have no outstanding fees due. This fee status information is returned to the Registrar's office and they either send a denial notice or an approved student schedule to each student.

Question 49

Draw a data flow diagram segment to represent data on a magnetic tape being printed on a report during a computerized process.

Question 50

Draw a data flow diagram segment to represent magnetic tape input being used to update a master file stored on disk.

Question 51

Matching

-Which symbol represents "manual process"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 52

Matching

-Which symbol represents "enter/exit"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 53

Matching

-Which symbol represents "computer process"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 54

Matching

-Which symbol represents "on-page connector"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 55

Matching

-Which symbol represents "annotation"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 56

Matching

-Which symbol represents "DFD process"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 57

Matching

-Which symbol represents "data store"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 58

Matching

-Which symbol represents "temporary file"?

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)

Question 59

You have been asked to document the payroll processing for Jarah Corporation. The system has been explained to you as follows.
Each employee records hours worked on a "time track"
report and turns it in to his or her supervisor. At the end of each pay period, supervisors authorize all time track reports and send them to Payroll where a clerk enters the time data into a payroll ledger and then files the time track report by date. Near the end of each pay period, the Personnel department sends documents summarizing any payroll changes, such as newly hired or terminated employees and increases in pay rates. A payroll clerk enters this information into the payroll ledger and files the documents by employee number. The payroll clerk uses the payroll ledger to prepare paychecks for each employee. These paychecks are mailed to employees. The payroll clerk prepares a summary payroll report that is sent to management and a federal withholding report that is mailed to the appropriate government agency.
Required
(a) Prepare a system flowchart to represent Jarah Corporation's system.
(b) Prepare a context level data flow diagram to represent Jarah Corporation's system.

Question 60

Explain batch processing, online processing, real-time processing, and report-time processing, including the similarities and differences between them.

Question 61

Read the following narrative description. Compare the narrative with the data flow diagram on the next page. Identify errors in the data flow diagram. You will receive points for each error correctly identified; however, you will be penalized for any errors incorrectly identified (i.e. items you identify as errors that are not actually errors). Be VERY specific about what each error is.
Toy Wholesaler, Inc. (TWI) purchases toys from various toy manufacturers and resells the toys to local retail shops. TWI's supervisors have given you the following information with regard to part of its information system. At TWI, for purposes of this data flow diagram, the Acquisition/Payment System consists of Purchasing, Accounts Payable, and Accounting.
A purchase requisition is sent from the inventory system and is received by Tom Piper, a clerk in the Purchasing department. Tom prepares a purchase order from information in the vendor and inventory files and mails it to the vendor. The vendor returns a vendor acknowledgement to Tom indicating the receipt of the purchase order. Tom then sends a purchase order notification to Mary Contrary, a clerk in the Accounts Payable department.
When the Receiving department accepts vendor goods, the inventory system sends Mary a receiving report to notify him that the goods have been received. Mary also receives the invoices that are mailed in by the various vendors. Mary matches the invoices with the purchase order notification and the receiving report and updates the accounts payable master file.
Mary then sends a payment authorization to the Accounting department. In the Accounting department Willie Winkie prepares and mails a check to the vendor. When the check is issued, the system automatically updates the accounts payable master file and the general ledger.
Context Level Data Flow Diagram
List the errors you identified in TWI's data flow diagrams.

Question 62

Compare and contrast the use of system (document) flowcharts versus data flow diagrams. What is the purpose of each? How are they similar? How are they different?

Question 63

Identify all errors on the following system flowchart. Be VERY specific about what the error is, why it is an error, and how it would be correctly handled.