How to Use a System Context Diagram in Business Analysis (with example)

are you looking to master the art of clarifying scope in a Flash say hello to the system context diagram your secret solution to project scope now in today's world projects are only becoming more and more complex and even that tiniest little tweak can some ripples through numerous different systems a system context diagram is an elegant solution and a really powerful visual model that will have your business and Technical stakeholders nodding in agreement as you confidently navigate the intricacies of scope especially as it relates to Integrated Systems thank you hi I'm Laura Brandenburg with Bridging the Gap where we help you start succeed and Excel in your business analyst career with weekly videos on business analysis tips and techniques if you're not yet subscribed make sure to do so and hit that notification Bell to stay in the loop with all of our new videos now today we're talking about a system context diagram which is one type of data flow diagram that captures the data flow at the most abstract level possible it's also called a data flow diagram level zero or a DFD level zero a system context diagram shows how one primary system interfaces with the other systems that sounds really simple but also kind of like what does that actually look like so here's an example of a system context diagram and there are three primary elements to the syntax first there's the core system in this case that you're looking at here the core system is the portal and it's represented by the oval in the middle of the diagram typically a system context diagram has only one core system and in this case the portal is the new system that's being built for this project next are the Integrated Systems so each rectangular box represents a system which has an integration point with the new core system the actual names of these systems in this example have been replaced with generic system names for confidentiality reasons so for example the accounting system it could have been QuickBooks freshbooks or Great Planes like any accounting system right you would use your specific systems when you create this so the internal system in this case is the client's pre-existing Master System that had a proprietary name now the third and final component of this diagram are the integration lines so each line between the core system and the Integrated Systems represent what information would be passed between those two systems the core system is the center of the diagram so pass in and pull are being used to reference that Central portal system under design so for example the accounting system would pass E-Check information to the portal you could also represent pass and pull using arrows on the lines just to show direction instead of words it's not typical to have a system without a line flowing to or from it in this case we do have an example like that and that's the online Resource Center that's because this was an existing version of what's here called the portal that was going to be retired so I wanted to be able to explicitly show that there was no relationship between the portal and the resource center so it was on here sort of hanging out in you know hanging out without any connections just to show that and it was a great way to really establish the scope of the project visually so I personally like to complete this type of diagram during the scoping phrase of the project this is after you have a clear understanding of the business needs or the problem to be solved but before you start planning and analyzing the detailed requirements so thinking about system Integrations early prevents a lot of missed requirements later in the development cycle and it gives you a framework to keep your requirements analysis in scope now if you're seeking a comprehensive framework to guide your business analysis Journey we have you covered in one of our other videos we dive into the essential foundations of the successful business analyst in this video introduces you to our eight-step business analysis process framework empowering you to maximize your Effectiveness as a business analyst make sure to watch that video after you finish this one by clicking the card on the top right corner of your screen now so let's talk about how to actually create a system context diagram so you first you want to identify what's the core system for your project and use an oval in the middle to represent it now second you want to identify any systems that the core system will interact with or share data with and create those rectangular boxes for each of those systems then then you want to identify what types of Integrations or data sharing needs need to happen between systems and draw those lines and put the labels or arrows on them now you you know this is the analysis work and it's so important as Bas that we actually work with stakeholders to verify validate and use these tools to discover information that we might not be privy to otherwise so then you want to review the draft of the model with your Project's business stakeholders are you missing any data that they expect to see flowing back and forth are you missing any systems that they're expecting to see Integrations with right and then you also review with your technical stakeholders are there other systems or subsystems that you need to incorporate iterate through your reviews until everyone is on the same page always the goal of the business analyst gain in alignment and get everyone on the same page so the system context diagram I want to say is just one of many data modeling techniques most business analysts use a variety of different data modeling techniques to clarify the project scope and avoid missing data requirements in fact if you're eager to expand your data modeling toolkit and delve deeper into the world of visual modeling we have a free entity relationship diagram sample that you can download right now erds are another fantastic visual modeling tool that really helps you understand the interactions within your data or information you can claim your free copy now by clicking the button on screen below and also I did a video on erds and gave a tutorial in that video as well so that you can figure out how to actually create an ERD so check out that video by Next by clicking the video on screen now and I will see you there

Channel: Bridging the Gap - Resources for Business Analysts

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Keywords: business analysis channel, laura brandenburg, business analysis, bridging the gap, business analyst training, system context diagram example, what is a system context diagram, how to create a system context diagram, data modeling for improved project communication, system context diagram in business analysis, system context diagrams and project scope, visual modeling techniques, benefits of system context diagram, data modeling best practices, system context diagram syntax

Id: lJdIGl_frew

Length: 6min 40sec (400 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 12 2023