In order to communicate system requirements clearly and accurately to both business and IT stakeholders, it is vital for analysts and designers to be able to construct models from a variety of perspectives. In most cases these models will provide the basis for more detailed design.
The starting point for this course is a set of requirements, as defined in the Systems Development Essentials course. It is primarily concerned with modelling systems using structured techniques. It requires delegates to construct different types of model reflecting different perspectives and to describe the interactions between them.
At the end of the course delegates may sit an examination to attain the BCS Certificate in Systems Modelling Techniques.
Following your exam you will be sent an email from BCS asking you to register for your exam. Once you have registered and your exam results become available then you will be able to log back into your account and view your results.
This course may be taken as part of the Focus programme leading to the BCS Diploma in Systems Development.
Target Audience:
This course is ideal for those who need to model business systems using structured modelling techniques and/or those wishing to attain the ISEB Certificate in Systems Modelling Techniques.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this course you will be able to:
- Justify the need for modelling and modelling techniques
- Explain why it is important to model system requirements from different perspectives and identify specific modelling techniques
- Construct a static structure model (logical data structure, entity-relationship diagram) Construct a process model (data flow diagram)
- Construct a simple dynamic event driven model (entity-lifecycle diagram and access path analysis)
- Evaluate how the various models reflect business objectives and system requirements Appreciate how the various perspectives inter-relate to each other
Pre-Requisites
An understanding of the fundamentals of systems development, or attendance of the BCS Systems Development Essentials course.
Course Content
Systems Modelling
The need for modelling and modelling standards; Rationale for the selected approach; The approach and a Systems Development Lifecycle; Place of models within the Systems Development Lifecycle; Modelling the system from different perspectives; Interaction of the models; Validating and verifying models
Systems Modelling in Context
Monitoring analysis against business objectives and system requirements; The bridge to design, software package selection, and development
Modelling Functionality
Modelling processes using a data flow diagram; Elementary process descriptions; Types of data flow diagram
Static Modelling of Data
Entity Relationship diagrams - entity types, attributes, keys, relationships, super-types and sub-types; Supporting documentation
Dynamic Modelling
Analysing the behaviour of entities - events, enquiries, effects; Modelling the behaviour of entities - constructs for sequence, selection and iteration; Documenting navigation paths
Interaction of Models
Entity-Process Matrices (CRUD analysis
Case Study
Throughout the course, a case study is used to reinforce and practise the topics discussed
Additional information
This course is aligned to the following Knowledge Areas/Tasks contained in the IIBA® publication A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide):
This course is utilises the following Underlying Competencies contained in the IIBA® publication A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide):
This course is employs the following Techniques contained in the IIBA® publication A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guides).
Exams & Certification
BCS Systems Modelling Techniques Certificate
One-hour, open book, exam.
This certificate is a core certificate in the BCS Diploma in Solution Development and is also a specialist practitioner certificate in the BCS Diploma in Business Analysis.
