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:

DataFlowDiagram_2

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

DataFlowDiagram_1

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

dfd

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:

Dashboard_1

 

Dashboard_2

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:

CustomerJourneyMap_2

Desired future model:

CustomerJourneyMap_1

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.

 

 

CPM Diagram

Purpose: The Purpose of the Critical Path Method Diagram (CPM Diagram) is to reveal the critical path through a project, i.e. the list of activities that needs special attention since a delay in these activities will delay the whole project.

Core concerns: The CPM Diagram enables you to model Project Activities and connect them with Activity Paths. The Project Activities are then enriched with information about latest and earliest dates for start and finish as well as information about duration and slack for each Project Activity.

This makes it possible to calculate the probability of finishing the project within the planned timeframe, and to successively improve and detail the plan.

Below, you can see an example of a CPM Diagram about how to develop an organization to support a strategic change. It concerns the incoming and outgoing flow of employees as well as their training across several locations:

 

CPMDiagram_2

As you can see, the critical path is marked with red.

The following example is of a technology roadmap, where the critical path shows the three most critical project activities for on-time completion:

Other functionalities: A Calendar can be linked to the Property Dialog of the diagram showing holidays for the project.

Relation to other templates: The CPM Diagram template should be used after a project has been broken down into Project Activities. As such, it can be a decomposition of a Project Activity from a Business Canvas, Value Proposition, Work Model, Strategy Model or Innovation Canvas.

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

  • A description of the diagram
  • Link to owner
  • Link to responsible
  • Link to calendar
  • 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 CPM diagram where you can view and edit the diagram’s properties in QualiWare Lifecycle Manager.

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:

ControlCoverageMap

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.

Configuration Diagram

Purpose: The purpose of the Configuration Diagram template is to document a well-defined combination of documents and files to enable an explorer functionality.

Core concerns: The Configuration Diagram template enables you to model Document Categories, External Documents, and Document Revisions (which store references to files containing a revision of an External Document).

The Configuration Diagram should be used to link external documents like CAD-files, word processor documents, spreadsheets etc. including the applications that must be used to view or modify the documents, to the repository.

Other functionalities: Controlling paper documents and their distribution is also possible with this diagram type.

The diagram contains embedded revision control of the external documents. This functionality is based on the following placement of the repository related documents:

Directory structure example:
c:\qwc\
. db\…
. demos\…
. guides\…
. models\…
. Projects\
. . repdb1\…
. . repdb2\…
. . …
. . repdbx\
. . . in\…
. . . out\…
. . . Docs\< here are all related documents placed >

Relation to other templates: The Configuration Diagram can be contained in a Workflow Diagram, be linked as ‘Relevant Documentation’ for a Project Activity and be a decomposition of a Business Scope.

Properties and metadata: The Configuration 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 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 Configuration Diagram template where you can view and edit the diagram’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:

ConceptualDataModel_2

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.

ConceptualDataModel_1

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:

ConceptModel_1

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:

ConceptModel_2

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.

ComponentDiagram

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.