polt

5
System Requirements Specification
LEARNING GOALS
After reading this chapter a student should
be able to
1. Draw document flow diagrams to depict the flow
in an organization,
of documents through offices
2. Draw data flow diagrams to describe the logical
flow of records and how they
are processed in an organization.
3. Specify operational, tactical and strategic information requirements by
user's statement, refining
4. Refine data flow diagrams to meet user's information
requirements.
5. Determine data requirements ofa system.

IAZhen an organization feels dissatisfied with its current information system, it would
normally request an information systems analyst to design a system which will
meet its requirements in a more satisfactory fashion -There are also occasions when an
organization wants information systems designed from the beginning. The first case is
more common,
In order to design an information system, the analyst requests the user to state his
requirements. He also finds out how they are met (may be partially) in the current system.
Normally user's statement of requirements is descriptive and not precise. Further, many
points are not explicitly stated by the user, Asystems analyst should also try to find out
whether he has understood fully the user's statements, He must therefore use a methed
that willenable him to precisely [Link] user, his understanding of the requirements.
(Two graphical specification tools are useful in doing this job
1. Physical document flow diagram
2. Alogical data flow diagram.
(commonly
In this chapter we will illustrate howsystem requirements specification
known as SRS) is obtained from a descriptive statement of requirements.
51
 52 Analysis and Design of
Information Systems
5.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Usually an
SPECIFICATION: EXAMPLE themanagement. We now example,

We will illustrate the method used to an of the

obtain a specification with definition

imprecise statement of the needs of an organization is given by p r e c i s e

give a sample of such a statement, based on which a more from

requirements is evolved by an analyst, n u m b e r
of
items

itene
1000
a over
() Users narrative of requirements, "Our company r e c e i

the
v e s

receive
vendor

we
many vendors and they are received at the receiving office, As check office whether

purchase

to the delivery and

a day it is now virtually impossible for the receiving officeand inform

has supplied items against an order,or sent a wrong item in d

items
e f i c i e n c i e s
received

We are also not able to find out if there are excesses

or The consists
order,

whether the vendor adhered to the delivery per the

i n s p e c t i o n

schedule a: physical
with the
physical

at the receiving office are sent for physical inspection. The agree of item. We
delivery
note quality
of checking whether the quantities stated in the and a check on the items,
excess/

count, whether the item is the correct one ordered, vendors'

incorrect

wouid like to keep a record of rejections due to bad quality,

assess
enable us to
will
deficient supply, etc., determined during inspection, Thisbesides keeping track of supplies,
stores office
reliability to guide us in placing orders in the future, by the
inventory
taken into the item, Customers
Items cleared by the inspection office are available of each availability and
quantity on
which keeps a ledger of items stocked and based
reequests
fulfill the someof our customerS
send requisitions to the stores, The storesable
requests,
Currently we are not to meet office ifthe inventory
ates he ledger, purchase
by our requests and meet
We would like to incorporate automatic reordering track of unfulfilled
level of an item is low, We would also like to keep not able to pay ur vendors promptly
we are
them whern items reach the store, Currently accounts would like to rectify this.
office. We
due to delays in payment order reaching our customers' payments".
promptly and keeptrack of
We would also like to bill our customers
statement carefully we findthat
the first three
Reading the with
(u) Analysis of statement. receives a number of items..." and ending
"our company
Sentences starting with happens at the
".vendor adhered to the deliverv
schedule as per order" relate to what
depicted in Figure 5,1 which shows the physical
receiving office of the company, This is office and the purchase office, and the
entities, namely, the vendor(s), the receiving iscalled the physical document flo
documents which flow between them. The diagram
depict offices, and a straight line with an
diagram. In this diagram rectangles are used toarrow shows the direction of flow. We give
arrow is used to show flow of documents. The
below the line, the name of the document flowing between offices In
the figurewe also
show a dashed line to depict flow of physical [Link] is not relevant to the development
of acomputer-based information system but is useful to the user/manager to verify
whether the analyst has understood him. In this diagram a line connecting purchase
office and vendor depicts the actual order, This is not clearly stated by the user as it is
assumed that avendor supplies items against orders. This point should be told to the user
as situations may arise when a vendor by mistake sends items not ordered at alland
action is needed in such a case.
 System Requirements Specihicotion 53
Delivered items Delivered iterns

Vendor
Receiving office Inspection office
Delivery Items
note
received
note

Order Discrepancy
note

Purchase office.

Figure 5.1 Document flow diagram in an organization

The input to the receiving office is a delivery note and the outputs are items received
note and discrepancy note(We now find out the data contained in these notes and the
data processing rules followed by the receiving office, This is again depicted as a diagram
called adata flow diagram (Figure 5.2) in which Squares are used to indicate physical
entities from which data originates or terminates. Labelled directed lines are used to
indicate data records which flow in and flow out of sections where data processing is
performed. Alabel is used to name the data record. The arrow indicates the direction of
flow of [Link] is used to indicate processing of data carried out oninput data to
produce output data. Two parallel lines depicts a data store, If data from the store is to
be only read by a process,an arrow is shown from it to the process, If a data store is
modified bythe process, an arrow irom the process points to the data store. Currently the
data contained in the delivery note arey
" Order number, vendor name and address, item name, delivery date, quantity
supplied and units,

Compare
Vendor delivery with Inspection office
Delivery ledger entry Items
note received
note

Discrepancy note

Ledger with one entry Purchase office

for each order

Figure 5.2 Logical data flow diagram of manual process.

 54 Analysis and Design of Information Systems
The data contained in the items received note are:
suppliedand units.
" Order number, item name, delivery date, quantity
The data contained in the discrepancy note are:
Order number, vendor name and address, item name, order date,,delivery date,
quantity supplied, units, excess or deficiency, no.
of days late/early.
The receiving office also retains a ledger containing one record per item ordered. Each
record has the following data:
Order number, order date, item name, vendor name and address, quantity ordered,
delivery period.
The clerk at the receiving office compares the order number and details in the delivery
two do
note with the corresponding order number and details in the ledger. If the
agree, there is discrepancy and a discrepancy note is generated.
The next step is to show the document flow diagram and the logical data f
diagram to the user to make sure that we have understood him. In this particular c
it is very simple, but if we had taken the entire word statement given at the beginnin
of Section 5.1, the diagram would have been complex (we will examine this later). Havin
made sure that we have understood what the user said, the next step is to clarify t
user's information requirements, For this example, the following information requirement
for the receiving office are arrived at after discussion with users,
) Operational information requirements. Automatically check vendor's deliyen:
notes with the orders placed with the vendor. Find whether delivery is for a
order placed with vendor. Determine excess, short, late or early delivery. Store
data on deviations from purchase order.
(i) Tactical information requirements. Vendor performance index may be evolve
using information on excess, short, early and late deliveries. The index must als,
use data on rejections if any.
(i) Strategic information requirements. We may use vendor performance index as
one criterion in deciding on proportion of items to be ordered from different
vendors.
Having found the information requirements we ask
1. What new data elements (if any) are required in the input and output documents,
namely, delivery note, discrepancy note and items received note?
2. What data should be maintained by the receiving office in order to create the
output documents from the input document?
3. What processing rules are to be applied on the input document to obtain the
output documents?

5.2 DATA REQUIREMENTS

In order to find the data elements required in the various documents, we work backwards
In other words,we ask what data elements are required to meet the information neds
and find out the data elemernts required in the input documents and that required to be
maintained at the receiving office. The data elements in the output are also determined
by the specifications of information requirements. In this example the data elements
the input documents, namely, the delivery note, are:
 Vendor

Specification
55
Requirements
System

) Delivery note. delivery date,

quantity

" Order number,vendor name and address, item name,

supplied, units. item
requirements
we see that in
Examining this with operational information mistake

delivered is to be checked. The item name is not enough as a spelling

identification
code
unique
it will make the comparison invalid. Thus we need anote. To meet the tactical
for items. This must be included in the delivery accumulated. Vendor name
information need we require data on vendors to be minor change
of address
and address is not suitable as any spelling mistakes or vendor identification.

will distract acomputer-based system. We need a uniquewe will call

vendor code.
Hence vendors must be given a unique code which
Thus the modified delivery note is address, item code,
item name,
Order number, vendor code, vendor name and
delivery date, quantity supplied, units,
necessary
code, and name and address are
One may ask whether both vendor have the name and address
is necessary to
They are usedfor different Prposes. It
of the vendor if a rejected item is to be returned.
Discrepancy note. Using the same arguments, the modified discrepancy note
()
must contain the following data items:
vendor name and address, item code,
item name,
" Order number, vendor code,
excess or deficiency, no. of days late/
delivery date, quantity supplied, units,
early.
process has to create the discrepancy note using the delivery note
The receiving data
all orders. Individual records of this
and adata store containing records of
discrepancy note given the delivery note.
store must have the data to create the
the order records are:
The data items in the data store containing
code, vendor name and address, item
Order records: Order number, vendor period
units, specified delivery
code, itenm name, order date, quantity ordered,
(in days).
to determine late/early delivery.
The specified delivery period is necessaryreceiving process must contain the
The items received note generated by the
following data:
vendor code, vendor name and address,
(iii) Items received note. Order number,
units.
item code, item name, delivery date, quantity supplied,
explained
The codes for vendor and item are needed for easy computer processing as
earlier.
documents are listed below:
The data elements in each of the
address
Delivery note = Order no, + vendor code + vendor name + vendor
+item code + item name + delivery date + quantity supplied
+ units.

(Discrepancy note) = Order no. + vendor code + vendor name + vendor address
+item code + item name + delivery date + quantity supplied
+ units + excess/deficiency+ no. of days late/early
 nat Rod d i a t
deidm

|Vendor
dulies

Soe

indnstu
ontonet

Arnalyet ho Zo conty ho Anhy

thuu ueti
 56 Analysis ond Design of Information Systems
This can also be written as:
(Discrepancy note) = Delivery note +(excess/deficiency) +(no. .of days
The data element discrepancy note is written within parentheses to late/ eat
may be empty, that is, not generated at all. The discrepancy note will notindicate that
be
if there is no discrepancy, that is, exact quantity is delivered as per order and
In the discrepancy note, one of the elements, namely, excess/deficiency oT
generate:
no. of
late/early,. may not be present. The items received note has the same data items
delivery note. as h
Item-received note = Delivery note
Order records = Order no. + vendor code + vendor name + vendor
item code +item name +order date +quantity orderedaddres
+delivery period.
After individual data elements are determined, they are consolidated
in a data diction
A data dictionary contains data about data which is called metadata. In the data dicti!
the data elements are arranged in alphabetical order. Information on each data elen
is shown in Table 5.1. The data dictionary
thus forms an essential part of
documentation of a system. The detailed data dictionary is developed during the svsi
design phase.
Table 5.1 Information Specified in Data Dictionary
Data Name Where Used Length Type Range of Value
Characters Numeric, alpha, (lfapplicable)
alphanumeric,
bit, etc.

Having obtained the data elements in the input, outputs and the order data store x
the receiving office, the next step is to specify how the input will be processed to obtai
the outputs. Alogical data flow diagram (Figure 5.3) depicts this. Processing rules maybe
specified in English so that a lay person can understand it. The English used is mor
Items
received Inspection
Delivery note
note Processing
Vendor rules for
receiving
process Discrepancy note

Discrepancy notes

Purchase
section
Orders

Figure 5.3 Data flow diagram for receiving process.

 System Requirements Specification 57
precise and is known as Structured English.
Whenever many conditions have to be checked
to arrive at actions, a tabular specification tool called Decision Table is used. We will
1llustrate the procesSSing rules for this example in Structured English and as a
table in Chapters 8 and 9, respectively. Decision
Thus the logical specification consists of:
1. Data elements in the input and
output
2. Data elements in the data store (if any) documents.
required for processing inputs to obtain
specified outputs.
3. Document and data flow diagrams which graphically
the places where they get transformed. depict the flow of data and
4. A statement of the processing rules used to
transform the input document to
output document (the processing rules are expressed in Structured
one or more Decision tables). English or as
5. A data dictionary which consolidates all the data in the
store.
documents and data
6. Astatement (mostly descriptive) of requirements met by
the system.
5.3 STEPS IN SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
In Section 5.2, we have seen that given auser's stated requirements,we first study the
current system and how documents flow in the system. Using this model we derive a
logical equivalent of a system and represent it by a logical data flow diagram. This is
refined after finding out from the user his information requirements and a new logical
data flow diagram is obtained,
Along with this the processing rules (expressed in Structured English or Decision
tables), the data dictionary and information provided by a system are obtained. This
design process is shown in Figure 5.4. In Figure 5.4 is also shown afeasibility document
as input in modelling the system. In our example we assumed that the system was
feasible and we did not impose any constraints. In future studies, however, feasibility
document will be an important input.

5.4 MODULARIZING REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATIONS

Going back to the user's narrative of requirements given in Section 5.1, we observe that
there are three major operations performed in the organization. They are:
1. Ordering items from vendors
2. Processing of items received by the company
3. Issue of items to customers
From the user's narrative, a diagram depicting various offices in the company and the
flow of documents between offices is obtained. For each of the three major operations
identified above, the document flow between offices is depicted in Figures 5.5,5.6 and 5.7,
mnodularisation.
respectively. Such a division ofa large problem into smaller ones is called
strategic
We obtain next, after discussion with users, their operational, tactical and
information requirements.
58 Analysis and Design of Informotion Systerms

Study current
User's stated
system
requirements

Current physical
document flow diagram

Derive logical
system

Current logical
data flow diagram

New logical
New system data flow
model
Feasibility diagram
document

Descriptive statement Data dictionary

of information provided Processing
by system rules

Figure 5.4 Steps in system analysis.

Stores office
Vendor

Reorder advice
New purchase
Order to requisition
vendor

Accounts office Purchase office

Purchase order copy

Figure 5.5 Document flow diagram for ordering goods from vendor.
 System Requirements Speciication 59
Payment to
vendor
Delivered items
Vendor Recetving office
Delivery note

Rejected Rejected Items Delivered

items advice items
Discrepancy received items
note note
Purchase
order

Items rejected note

Purchase office Inspection office

Rejected items

Items Accepted
Vendor Payment to vendor accepted items
invoice advice note

Accounts office Stores office

Items taken in
stock note

Figure 5.6 Document flow diagram for goods received

Payment advice

Bill

Issue note
Requisition
Stores office Accounts office
Customer

Issue note

Items issued

customer.
Figure 5.7 Document flow diagram for items issued to

5.4.1 Operational Requirements

against orders placed with them and
1. Automatically check vendors' delivery notes delivery or delay or early delivery.
initiate action if there is an excess or short
Simultaneously store data on the deviations of
supplies.
 60 Analysis and Design of Information Systems
2. Store data on rejections and deviations in supply found at the inspection
items in store.
3. Keep up todate data on inventory of
4. Automatically initiate orders to verndors when stock is below pre-assigned
5. Automatically initiate payment advice when goodssupplied by vendors is
into the inventory by the stores.
customers when items are issued to them and
6. Automatically send bills to
shoulrecon,a,
Current status of acustomer's account
with payments made bythem.
available in a customer's account file.

order file which enables supply of items to customers whose

a back and
Keeppending
7. are automatically initiate action to supply customers when items
received in the stores. They may be based on whether a customer is willing to t
eorden
balance.
partial shipment and wait for the
time limit.
8. Stop supply tocustomer if bills not paid in specified

5.4.2 Tactical Information Requirements

1. Based on regularity and quality of supply, develop avendor performance inde
2. Considering demand for items, determine the optimal reorder level and quant,
of reorder. Determine optimal quantity of items in the inventory.
sh:
3. Depending on value of inventory items, obtain information to exercise
control on storing high value items.
4. Based on customers' promptness of payment and quantities ordered, devel
credit ratings of customers and customer rating.
5. Keep track of large outstanding payments and receipts.
6. Keep track of unusual delays, if any, in inspection.

5.4.3 Strategic Requirements

1. Determine proportion of items to be ordered from multiple vendors.
2. Develop vendors for critical items.
3. Determine optimal inventory levels for high value items.
4. Long range forecasting of demands based on trends.
5. Reducing variety in inventory.
6. Build better customer relations.

Using the information requirements and preliminary document and data flow diagram,
we obtain the revised data flow diagram. We show it for the stores process in Figure 58
The data elements in stores process are:
 System Requirements Specificotion 61
Issue note or out of
issue against back stock or
order note

Customer
Requisition
Issue note
Stores process Accounts
process

Items
accepted
Inventory
Reorder
Inspection
Back orders
Rejected
items note

Purchase
process Items
received note

Figure 5.8 Logical data flow diagram

for stores process.
Requisition = Customer code + customer
name + customer address + item code
+ item name +
quantity ordered + units
Items accepted = Order no. + vendor code +
vendor name + vendor address + item
code + item name + quantity
accepted
Issue note to = Customer code + customer name
+ customer address + item code
accounts + item name + quantity issued + units
Issue note to = Customer code + customer name +
customer address + item code
customer + item name + quantity issued or back order or out of
stock+ units
Reorder Item code + reorder quantity t units
Inventory record = Item code + item name + quantity in stock + units + reorder level
+reorder quantity
Back order record= Customer code + items code + quantity to be supplied
+ units
Tocomplete this example, we give the data flow diagrams for the other two modules,
namely, the purchase process and the accounts process as Figures 5.9 and 5.10,
respectively.
62 Anglysis and Design of Information Systems
Goods rejected note
Discreparncy note
Receiving office Inspection ofica
Order to vendor
Reorder advice Purchase
process

Stores
Rejects Vendor
New
requisition Vendors

Discrepancy Orders

Items

Figure 5.9 Data flow diagram for purchase process.

Payments

Bill
Issue note Accounts Customer
process
Items taken in
stock note

Payment note
Item price

Vendor
Orders accounts
Customer Vendor
accounts

Figure 5.10 Data flow diagram for accounts process.

5.5 CONCLUSIONS

We saw in this chapter that before designing an information system, it is essental:

understand user's requirements. To find out if the systems analyst understood the user
requirements correctly, it is necessary to prepare a document which specifies the user
requirements. This specification document must use a notation which any non-spectas
user (i.e., a person whodoes not know much about computers) can understand. Data to
diagrams, structured English and decision tables constitute such a specification to
 System Requirements Specification 63
Document flow diagrams, data flow diagrams and data dictionaries also
are these
procedural and are easily understood by alay user. In later chapters we will discuss non
tools in greater detail
There is another method of specifying
been popularised as part of what is knownrequirements
as object
called use case method which nas
it is Chapter 10, oriented analysis. We will discuss

SUMMARY
1 Normally computer-based
improve existing manual or information systems are designed to replace and
computer-based systems.
2. A systems analyst should understand
what users expect from the proposed
computerized information system.
3. As a first step adocument flow diagram is
documents flow between offices in an used as a tool to understand what
organization.
4. his is refined and expanded into a data flow
depicts the logical structure of data flowing diagram. A data flow diagram
in
rules which transform data. The refinement andthe system and the processing
that all the stated requirements of expansion is carried out such
users are met.
5The users' requirements are documented as
This document is shown to appropriate usersoperational, tactical, and strategic.
and their approval is obtained.
6,The processing rules are specified either in structured English or as
tables. decision
7. A data dictionary is used to document information about all
in the system.
data records flowing
8. The logical design of the information system is complete when the tasks
in points 3-6 in this summary are accomplished, mentioned
9. The notation used to document the logical design should be
user. A user need not be a specialist in computers.
understood by any
10. The logical design can be examined by the user tosee whether all his requirements
are met. If it does not meet all requirements, it should be modified by the analyst.

EXERCISES

5.1 What are the initial two steps followed by a systems analyst when he is requested
todesign an information system?
5.2 What graphical tools are useful to a systems analyst to understand user's
requirements?
5.3 A hostel warden states the following requirements for a hostel information system:
"Our hostel has 500 rooms and 4 messes. Currently, there are 1000 students in
all in 2 seated rooms. Theyeat in any one of the messes but can get a rebate if