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Structured Decision Analysis Techniques

Chapter 9 discusses methods for documenting and analyzing structured decisions, including structured English, decision tables, and decision trees. It emphasizes the importance of process specifications to reduce ambiguity and validate system design, while outlining the roles of business rules and the conditions necessary for effective decision-making. The chapter also provides guidelines for selecting appropriate techniques based on the complexity and requirements of the decision-making process.

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Omotosho Busayor
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25 views3 pages

Structured Decision Analysis Techniques

Chapter 9 discusses methods for documenting and analyzing structured decisions, including structured English, decision tables, and decision trees. It emphasizes the importance of process specifications to reduce ambiguity and validate system design, while outlining the roles of business rules and the conditions necessary for effective decision-making. The chapter also provides guidelines for selecting appropriate techniques based on the complexity and requirements of the decision-making process.

Uploaded by

Omotosho Busayor
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Chapter 9

Process Specifications and


Structured Decisions
Key Points
1. The methods available for documenting and analyzing the logic of structured decisions
include structured English, decision tables, and decision trees.

2. Process specifications are created for primitive processes and some higher level
processes on a data flow diagram. They are also called minispecs (mini specifications).

3. The goals of producing process specifications are:

A. Reduce process ambiguity


B. Obtain a precise description of what is accomplished
C. Validate the system design, including data flow diagrams and the data dictionary

4. Primitive process specifications are not created for:

A. Physical input and/or output processes


B. Processes that represent simple data validation
C. Processes for which prewritten code already exists

5. Process descriptions may exist on a form or within a CASE tool repository.

6. Process logic may be represented as:

A. Structured English
B. A decision table
C. A decision tree
D. A formula
E. Any combination of the above

7. Business rules include the following:

A. Definitions of business terms


B. Business conditions and actions
C. Data integrity constraints
D. Mathematical and functional derivations
E. Logical inferences
F. Processing sequences
G. Relationships among facts about the business

8. Conditions, condition alternatives, actions, and action rules must be known in order to
design systems for structured decisions.
9. Structured English is based on:

A. Structured logic, or instructions, organized into nested and grouped procedures


B. Simple English statements such as add, multiply, move, and so on

It is an appropriate technique for analyzing the system when structured decisions are not
complex.

10. To use structured English, the following steps are needed:

A. Express all logic in terms of sequential structures, decision structures, case


structures, or iterations.
B. Use and capitalize accepted keywords such as IF, THEN, ELSE, DO, and
PERFORM.
C. Indent blocks of statements to show their hierarchy (nesting) clearly.
D. When words or phrases used have been defined in a data dictionary, underline
those words or phrases to signify that they have a specialized, reserved meaning.
E. Be careful when using “and” and “or” operations, and avoid confusion when using
logical comparisons such as “greater than” and “greater than or equal to.”

11. Structured English has advantages of clarifying the logic and relationships found in human
languages, being an effective communication tool, and easy to teach and understand.

12. The data dictionary may be used as a starting point when creating structured English as
follows:

A. Sequenced (simple + between elements) data dictionary entries become simple


structured English statements.
B. Selection (elements within [ ] brackets) data dictionary entries become
IF...THEN...ELSE structured English statements.
C. Iteration (elements within { } braces) data dictionary entries become DO WHILE,
DO UNTIL, or PERFORM UNTIL structured English statements.

13. Decision tables provide a way to examine, describe, and document decisions using a table
consisting of four quadrants. They are used to: (1) describe the conditions, (2) identify
possible decision alternatives, (3) indicate which actions should be performed, and (4)
describe actions.

14. The use of decision tables helps analysts ensure completeness and accuracy in analyzing
structured decisions. However, there are four main problems that can occur in developing
decision tables. They are incompleteness, impossible situations, contradictions, and
redundancy.

15. Decision trees are used when complex branching occurs in a structured decision process.
Trees are also useful when it is essential to keep a string of decisions in a particular
sequence.

16. In drawing the decision tree:

A. First, identify all conditions and actions and the order and timing of these (if they
are critical).
B. Second, begin building the tree from left to right while making sure you are
complete in listing all possible alternatives before moving over to the right.
17. The decision tree has three main advantages over a decision table. First, the order of
checking conditions and executing actions is immediately noticeable. Second, conditions
and actions of decision trees are found on some branches but not on others, unlike
decision tables where they are all part of the same table. Third, compared to decision
tables, decision trees are more readily understood by others in the organization.

18. To select an appropriate structured decision analysis technique, systems analysts can
refer to these guidelines:

A. Use structured English when there are many repetitious actions or when
communication to end users is important
B. Use decision tables when complex combinations of conditions, actions, and rules
are found or you require a method that effectively avoids impossible situations,
redundancies, and contradictions.
C. Use decision trees when the sequence of conditions and actions is critical or when
not every condition is relevant to every action (the branches are different).

Common questions

Powered by AI

The primary methods for documenting the logic of structured decisions include structured English, decision tables, and decision trees. Structured English is beneficial for clarifying logic and is straightforward to communicate, especially when there are many repetitious actions . Decision tables are advantageous for handling complex combinations of conditions, actions, and rules, ensuring completeness and accuracy by avoiding impossible situations, redundancies, and contradictions . Decision trees are valuable when branching is complex or when it's critical to keep the sequence of decisions clear, as they highlight the order of condition checks and actions .

Structured English facilitates communication by using simple English statements and structured logic to clarify decision-making processes, making it accessible to non-technical stakeholders . Its clarity and simplicity serve as a bridge between detailed technical descriptions and end-user understanding, especially in systems with repetitious actions .

CASE tools enhance management and organization of process specifications by storing detailed procedural logic in a centralized repository, allowing for efficient tracking, modification, and validation of system processes . This centralized approach aids in maintaining consistency across various documentation outputs and facilitates easier updates and communication among team members.

Effectively using structured English involves expressing logic in sequential, decision, case, or iterative structures, capitalizing keywords like IF, THEN, and ELSE, and clearly indenting nested statements . Words defined in a data dictionary should be underlined to signify special meanings, and logical operations should be used cautiously to avoid ambiguity . These steps ensure clarity and maintain accuracy in translating business logic into a coded framework, facilitating understanding across technical and non-technical team members.

Process specifications contribute to system design validation by reducing process ambiguity, providing precise descriptions of what is accomplished, and ensuring that system design (including data flow diagrams and the data dictionary) is accurately followed . These specs, also known as minispecs, ensure that the logical flow of data and processes aligns with system goals and business needs.

Business rules define the framework and constraints within which business operates, such as terms, conditions, actions, data integrity, mathematical derivations, logical inferences, sequences, and relationships . They guide structured decision-making by determining permissible actions and ensuring decisions conform to business logic and objectives .

A systems analyst should use decision trees when the sequence of conditions and actions is critical, or when not every condition is relevant to every action, as the tree structure efficiently represents varying paths . Decision trees are advantageous when complex branching is involved or when maintaining the decision sequence is essential, making them easily understandable compared to decision tables .

Decision tables provide a clear method for describing conditions, decision alternatives, actions, and related rules, ensuring completeness and accuracy . However, challenges include ensuring the tables do not present incomplete scenarios, impossible situations, contradictions, and redundancy, which require careful evaluation during table development .

Conditions, condition alternatives, actions, and action rules form the core of designing systems for structured decisions as they dictate how inputs are processed to produce outputs . Understanding these elements allows system designers to map decision paths, ensuring the system behaves predictably and fulfills business requirements by executing the correct actions based on predefined scenarios .

Converting data dictionary entries into structured English involves creating sequential statements, using conditions with IF...THEN...ELSE structures, and forming iterations with looping constructs like DO WHILE or PERFORM UNTIL . This conversion is crucial for ensuring that the data's logical structure is maintained consistently, aiding in the clear and accurate representation of system processes for development and communication purposes .

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