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New Post 10/15/2008 4:05 AM
User is offline TankFish
25 posts
www.store.co.za
9th Level Poster


BPMN Flow Diagram 
Modified By TankFish  on 10/16/2008 7:51:49 AM)

Hi,

I have created my fisrt BPMN flow diagram. I was hoping that I could get some comments on it. I am not sure if I am using the correct objects to define the process and if this is what it is meant to look like.

It is for a basic application where a logger unit in the field collects data and the communicates that data back to a website. Users then get alarms if the data is out of range and can then log onto the website and view the data.

I am sure that I am not seeing something about the real point of these diagrams, because the diagram took 45 minutes to create and says the same thing as the above sentence, which took 4.5 seconds.

Any comments and advice would be great.

Thanks in advance,

 
New Post 10/16/2008 5:41 AM
User is offline Tony Markos
493 posts
5th Level Poster


Re: BPMN Flow Diagram 

Hi:

Your diagram, while informative,  is of a system implemention.  BAs typically are after capturing and verifying what the system currently does and is to do from a business standpoint - not how the system is implemented.  There is a huge difference.  If you where to try to walkthrought the diagram with a business manager, he/she would ask questions of the diagram like:   "What business data is being transported?  What business data is being reported on?".  

Tony 

 

 
New Post 10/16/2008 5:53 AM
User is offline TankFish
25 posts
www.store.co.za
9th Level Poster


Re: BPMN Flow Diagram 

Ok, I think I understand. So as a BA, I would still create a doc like this but it would be more a functional requirements document and appososed to a Businss Requirements Document.

Is that correct?

 
New Post 10/16/2008 8:17 AM
User is offline Tony Markos
493 posts
5th Level Poster


Re: BPMN Flow Diagram 

HI:

I say that your diagram documents neither functional requirements nor business requires, but a system implementation.   Functional requirements diagrams show functions and - especially - the function's data inputs and data outputs.  Your diagram does not have data input or data outputs.   That is what is so confusing about BPMN - it says that it is about business processes (i.e. business functions) but it is not.

Only data flow diagram capture data flows (data inputs and outputs between functions).

As far as business requirements, see the below which I copied from Wikipedia after querying on "business requirements".

Tony

Business Requirements

Example: Improve the readability of project plans.

Funtional Requirements

An example that follows from previous business requirement example:

(1) System must provide the ability to associate notes to a project plan. (2) System must allow the user to enter free text to the project plan notes, up to 255 characters in length.

 
New Post 10/17/2008 12:11 AM
User is offline TankFish
25 posts
www.store.co.za
9th Level Poster


Re: BPMN Flow Diagram 
Modified By TankFish  on 10/17/2008 2:26:55 AM)

Ok, so I see this diagram as maybe being the middle tier then. Based on the diagram we would have something like this.

Business Requiremenst (1st)

We need a web based system that our customers can logon to and view/download the data transmitted by their loggers in the field. Each customer must only be able to see their site and its data.

System Requirement (2nd)

See diagram.

Functional Requirements (3rd)

  1. The logger needs to transmit to the server by secure GPRS
    1. Logger ID
    2. SIM number
    3. PIN
  2. Date transmitted will be as follows
    1. Date: YYYY-MM-DD
    2. Time: HH:mm:ss
    3. LoggerID
      1. 6 character unique numeral
    4. Channel 1 Value(CH1)
      1. 10 Character numeral with decimal point
    5. Channel 2 Value(CH2)
      1. 10 Character numeral with decimal point
    6. Channel 3 Value(CH3)
      1. 10 Character numeral with decimal point
  3. Data string will be transmitted in the following format
    1. DDDD-MM-YY|HH:mm:ss|LoggerID|CH1|CH2|CH3
  4. etc
  5. etc
  6. Data file must be available in PDF
    1. Format as follows
      1. Header
        1. Logger ID
        2. Date Period Report Run for
        3. User who ran report
      2. Body
        1. Line Graph plotting data
          1. Formar: JPEG
          2. All channels on one graph
          3. X & Y Axis must auto scale to range of values
            1. X = Date Range
            2. Y = Data Points
        2. Data in Table format
          1. Table Header Rows (Bold)
            1. Date
            2. Time
            3. CH1
            4. CH2
            5. CH3
          2. Table Data Rows (1 for each data point)
            1. Date
            2. Time
            3. CH1
            4. CH2
            5. CH3
      3. Footer
        1. Company Information
          1. Company Name
          2. Contact Number
          3. Website Address
            1. Must be link to company website
  7. etc
  8. etc

Is that correct? Will the BRD almost always be shorter than the FRD?

 
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