Information Architects | QualiWare Center of Excellence

Data Flow Diagram

Purpose: The purpose of the Data Flow Diagram is to document a system’s or part of a system’s data flows; the data input the system (or a process within the system) consumes and the data output the system produces.

Core concerns: The Data Flow Diagram enables you to model Processes, Data Stores, External Entities, Control Processes and Control Stores. These elements can then be connected by either Data Flows or Control Flows.

Graphical representation of the elements:

The Data Flow Diagram can show different levels of processes within a system that exchange data, and illustrate how those exchanges occur. As such, the model can document a system’s functional hierarchies.

Below, you can see an example of a Data Flow Diagram showing the Data Flows between several Data Stores, Processes and External Entities in a Bookshop:

The next example shows the Data Flow between process, Data Stores and External Entities for a Highway Repair Service:

The final example shows the Data Flows between Processes, Datastores and External Entities in an Outlook Mailbox:

Relation to other templates: The Processes in the Data Flow Diagram can be decomposed into more detailed Data Flow Diagrams to comprise the total functional model. The top level of a Data Flow Diagram is sometimes called a Context Diagram. However, in QLM we use the Data Flow Diagram template for the higher levels as well as the more detailed ones.

The Data Flow Diagram can be a decomposition of an Information System. It can offer a more detailed view of Data Flows than, for example, the Application Architecture Diagram.

An Information System could likewise be decomposed into a Business Process Diagram which offers a complimentary view less concerned with Data Stores and Data Flow, and more concerned with Activity Flow.

Properties and metadata: The Data Flow Diagram template can for example retain the following information:

A description of the diagram
Link to the owner of the diagram
Link to the one responsible for diagram
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Data Flow Diagram template, where you can view and edit the diagram’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

Dashboard

Purpose: The purpose of the Dashboard template is to publish selections of Business Charts targeting different stakeholders. It should be used to gather a series of relevant or connected Business Charts to provide a dashboard-like overview.

Core concerns: The Dashboard template enables you to gather Business Charts, Key Performance Indicators, Performance Indicators and General Concepts to create stakeholder specific views of analyzed data. For example, an Enterprise Architect could find a Dashboard containing Business Charts relevant to the usage and governance of the Enterprise Architecture useful.

Below, you can see examples of different Dashboards presenting an array of Business Charts:

Relation to other templates: The Dashboard template is closely connected to the Business Chart template, as the Dashboard publishes the charts the Business Chart template generates.

Properties and metadata: The Dashboard can for example retain the following information:

A description of the Dashboard
Link to the owner of the Dashboard
Link to the one responsible for the Dashboard
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Dashboard template where you can view and edit the dashboard’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

Customer Journey Map

Purpose: The Purpose of the Customer Journey Map template is to document the customer’s journey from awareness to the end of their interaction with an organization, covering possible touch points from the customer’s perspective.

Core Concerns: The Customer Journey Map template allows you to model connections between different Personas, Customer Journey Phases, Touch Points, Goals, Roles, Locations, Channels, Technology and the aspects from a SWOT analysis.

You can choose to model both a current state and a desired future state of the customer journey and use the documentation for process improvement. Below is an example of a current state model and a future state model:

Current state model:

Desired future model:

Other functionalities: The customer’s touchpoints can be elaborated upon with four scores for Customer Satisfaction, Customer Importance, Customer Effort and Net Promoter Score. Particularly vital touchpoints can be designated as a Moment of Truth.

Relation to other templates: The Customer Journey Map can be used as a groundwork for a strategic change, which for example can be modelled in a Work Model, a Business Capability Model and/or a Strategy Model.

Properties and metadata: The Customer Journey Map can for example retain the following information:

A description of the diagram
Link to the owner of the diagram
Link to the one responsible for the accuracy of the diagram
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram
Project status: information about budgeted and actual man-hours spent, percentage completed and the latest milestone, result and quality control of a change process.

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Customer Journey Map, where you can view and edit the diagram’s properties.

For more information: on Customer Journey Mapping, please view our webinar Experience Mapping – Customer Obsession for IT and Digital Professionals with Milan Guenther and Katharina Weber.

Control Coverage Map

Purpose: The purpose of the Control Coverage Map is to provide an overview of uncovered risks, residual risks and potential cost of the risk occurring.

Core concerns: The Control Coverage Map concerns itself with Financial Risk Management and is created using the Actions tabs in QLM. It can be created based on the information in a Risk Heatmap or by using information from a diagram which contains risks that also have control actions.

Below, you can see an example of a Control Coverage map for four risks related to a Bellhouse, a Pump, a Suction pipe and using Check lists:

The Blue column represents the likelihood of the risk before the control action, the green column represents the likelihood of the risk after the implementation of a control action. The red columns represent the estimated cost if the risk is realized.

Relation to other templates: The Control Coverage Map presents graphical views of information from other diagrams the same as the Heatmap, Business Charts and the Graphical Matrix. It can be used by any diagram containing Activities with attached risks that have control activities.

Properties and metadata: The Control Coverage Map can for example retain the following information:

A description
Link to the owner
Link to the one responsible
Graphical specification for the headers of the X-axis and Y-axis
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the Control Coverage Map

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Control Coverage Map template where you can view and edit the template’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

Conceptual Data Model

Purpose: The Conceptual Data Model template is used to describe a high-level business oriented structure of the information concept used in a specific business area. Below yo can se an example of a Conceptual Data Model where the data is divided into data for internal and external use:

Core concerns: The conceptual data model template enables you to model a preliminary high level data model. It may be abstract in content and sparse in attributes. Its preliminary structure allows for many-to-many relationships. When using the Conceptual Data Model, you can model Information Concepts, Subject Areas, and their interrelationships. Below, you can see a car rental service’s Conceptual Data Model for a customer’s data.

Relation to other templates: The conceptual data model is a means of communicating information structures between participants in a project or documenting the overall Information Concept of a specific organization. For a more detailed model you should use a Data Model Diagram.

Properties and metadata: The Conceptual Data Model can for example retain the following metadata:

A description of the diagram
Link to the owner of the diagram
Link to the one responsible for the accuracy of the diagram
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram
Project status: information about budgeted and actual man-hours spent, percentage completed and the latest milestone, result and quality control of a change process.

In the picture below you can see the Conceptual Data Model’s properties dialogue window, where the information can be viewed and edited:

Concept Model

Purpose: The purpose of a Concept Model is to organize an enterprise’s vocabulary to support cPonsistent and unambiguous communication about specific problem domains across business units.

Core concerns: The Concept Model template enables you to model Concepts, Specialization Aspects and Subject Areas. They can be linked by Concept Associations, Concept Aggregations, Concept Generalizations, Type Relationships, and Relationship Constraints.

You are also able to link the diagram to its area of usage through the model’s property dialogue. This area of usage can by default be set to be either an Organization Unit, Role, Actor or External Entity.

Below you can see some examples of Concept Models from a healthcare domain:

The model above shows the concepts related to the healthcare activity ‘knee arthroplasty’. The model below shows the concepts related to a signature in the healthcare domain:

The model above shows the concepts related to the healthcare activity ‘knee arthroplasty’.

The model below shows the concepts related to a signature in the healthcare domain:

Relation to other templates: A Concept Model should enable the identification of the right terms to use in communications where high precision is needed. This is useful when creating large sets of business rules or processes that need to fit together without ambiguity and when creating complex Data Models. As such, it could be advantageous to link to a concept model from the affected Business Process Networks, Workflow Diagrams, Requirements Models and Regulation Diagrams.

Properties and metadata: The Concept Model can for example retain the following information:

A description of the diagram
Link to the owner of the model
Link to the one responsible for the model
Link to view of area of usage
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Concept Model, where you can view and edit the diagram’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

For more information: to learn more about Concept Models, you can read the following article:

Ronald G. Ross , “What Is a Concept Model?” Business Rules Journal Vol. 15, No. 10, (Oct. 2014). URL: http://www.brcommunity.com/a2014/b779.html

Composite Structure Diagram

Purpose: The purpose of the Composite Structure Diagram template is to document the internal structure of a class, Class interactions with the environment and behavior of collaborations. The Composite Structure Diagram is part of the UML version 2.5.

Core concerns: The Composite Structure Diagram enables you to model Collaborations, Collaboration Use, Properties, Classes, Interfaces and Ports. These elements can be connected by Connectors, Dependencies, Interface Realizations and Usage.

Below, you can see an example of a Composite Structure Diagram for a car safety inspection:

The Diagram shows internal structure of the Car-safety inspection class as well as the behavior of collaborations and the different classes’ interactions.

Relation to other templates: The Composite Structure Diagram is part of the UML templates QualiWare supports along with the Activity Diagram, Communication Diagram, Deployment Diagram, Class Diagram, State Diagram, Package Diagram, Component Diagram, Sequence Diagram, Use case diagram and Timing Diagram.

The Composite Structure Diagram can be defined as the components content along with the Component Diagrams, Class Diagrams, Classes, and Interfaces. The Component Object is a representation of a physical part from the system specification.

Properties and metadata: The Composite Structure Diagram can for example retain the following information:

A description of the diagram
Link to the owner of the diagram
Link to the one responsible for the diagram
Extensions (Stereotypes, constraints and tagged values)
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Composite Structure Diagram where you can view and edit the diagram’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

For more information: about the UML, please visit the Object Management Group’s Website, where you can find the complete specification.

Component Diagram

Purpose: The purpose of the Component Diagram is to specify the structure of and dependencies among the different components that make up a system.

Core concerns: The Component Diagram template enables you to model a system’s Components, Classes, Interfaces, Packages, Artifacts and Ports. They can be connected by Dependency, Interface Realization, Component Realization, Usage, Generalization or a generic Connector. Below, you can see an example of a simple Component Diagram consisting of Components connected by Dependencies.

Using the properties dialogue, you can identify extensions such as Stereotype, Constraints and Tagged values:

Relation to other templates: The Component Diagram is part of the Application domain and shows how a system is structured. To model how users interact with a system you should use a Use Case Diagram, to model how interactions with the system through processes you should use the Sequence Diagram template. To model the structure of an application landscape you should use the Application Architecture Diagram.

Properties and metadata: The Component Diagram can for example retain the following information:

A description of the diagram
Link to the owner of the diagram
Link to the one responsible for the diagram
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Component Diagram where you can view and edit the diagram’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

Communication Diagram

Purpose: The purpose of the Communication Diagram template is to document interactions between objects or parts, focusing on sequenced messages.

Core concerns: The Communication Diagram template is a simplified UML 2.0 alternative to the UML Collaboration Diagram. It enables you to model Lifelines and Annotation, which can be connected by messages.

Below you can see a simple example of a Communication Diagram:

Relation to other templates: Usually, Communication Diagrams would be modeled using information from Class Diagram, Sequence Diagram, and Use case diagram. It is related to the other UML interaction diagrams: Sequence Diagram, Interaction overview diagram and Timing Diagram.

While the Communication Diagram show much of the same information a Sequence Diagram does, the Communication Diagram conveys which elements each one interacts with better, while sequence diagrams show the order in which the interactions take place more clearly.

Other UML diagrams that QualiWare support include: Activity Diagram, Communication Diagram, Deployment Diagram, , Composite Structure Diagram, State Diagram, Package Diagram, Component Diagram, Composite structure Diagram, and Object Diagram.

Properties and metadata: The Communication Diagram can for example retain the following information:

A description of the diagrams
Link to related sequence diagram
Extensions (Stereotype, Constraints and Tagged values)
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram

The above picture shows the properties dialogue window for the Communication diagram, where you can view and edit the diagram’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

For more information: about the UML, please visit the Object Management Group’s Website, where you can find the complete specification.

Class Diagram

Purpose: The primary objective of the Class Diagram template is to visually represent and document the structural components of a system utilizing the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Displayed below is an example of a straightforward Class Diagram:

Core concerns: The Class Diagram effectively captures the various classes within a system, their attributes, operations, and the relationships between classes and other objects, such as packages. This comprehensive representation enables a clear understanding of the system’s structure, promoting efficient communication among stakeholders and facilitating system design and maintenance.

Example: In the Class Diagram below, the relationships between the classes “Customer” and “Internet User” and the packages “WEB-API”, “Reservation Control”, “GUI” (Graphical User Interface), and “Database” are illustrated. This example highlights the connections among different components and provides a visual overview of how they interact within the system:

Relation to other templates: The Class Diagram presents a detailed structural view of information. It can for example be a decomposition of an Information System which typically is presented in an Application Architecture Diagram. If a Class Diagram becomes too complex or large, a Package Diagram, where the classes are grouped into Packages, could be modelled instead.

Properties and metadata: The Class Diagram can for example retain the following information:

A description of the diagram
Link to the owner of the diagram
Link to the one responsible for the diagram
Audits (auto generated information regarding its current state and access rights)
Extensions regarding constraints and tagged values
Associated documents, diagrams and other objects
Inherent Risk detailing risk considerations
Governance information detailing information about the published diagram and who has been involved in the approval of the diagram

In the picture below you can see the Class Diagrams properties dialogue window, where the information can be viewed and edited: