1. Analyzing systems process: Activity diagram
Asper School of Business
University of Manitoba
Systems Analysis & Design
Instructor: Bob Travica
Analyzing systems process: Activity diagram

2. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
Outline
Activity diagram concept
Elements of activity diagram
Reading activity diagrams
Process logic in activity diagram
Creating activity diagrams
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

3. Activity Diagram (AD) concept
AD used for requirements determination
AD depicts:
process (workflow) – manual & automated
process logic – time order of process steps (activities) & decision points
process performers
AD resembles old flow charts and somewhat data flow diagram
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

4. AD elements – Quote process
Page 146
Who/What
performs
activity
Start
Swimline
Activity
Time
Process
flow
Decision point
(System’s logic);
Choices (yes/no);
activity branching
End
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

5. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
AD elements (cont.)
Page 147
Synchronization
Bar
Parallel
processes
Synchronization
Bar
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

6. AD diagram of the Telephone Order Process
Page 227
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

7. AD of the Telephone Order Process – simpler (cont.)
Page 232
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

8. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
Process logic
Sequential (step 1  step 2)
Conditional, If-Then (decision points: if condition A, then step n)
Iteration, loops (feedback into a previous step while certain condition persists
Slide 4, feedback from the “Change required?” decision point)
Slide 6, loop: “For each item” to “End of each”
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

9. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
What AD does not show?
Data
Objects
User interface
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

10. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
How to create AD
Identify who/what performs activities
Identify activities of a process (workflow)
Identify decision points
Identify parallel activities
Identify order of activities
Continues…
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

11. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
How to create AD (cont.)
6. Draw swimlines
7. Draw the start point of the process in the swimline of the first activity
8. Draw the oval of the first activity
9. Draw line to the location of the second activity
10. Draw subsequent activities, while inserting decision points and synchronization bars where appropriate
11. Draw the end point after the last activity.
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

12. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
How to create AD (cont.)
To present a description of process in an AD
While reading the description, mark who/what performs activities
Activities
Decision points
Parallel activities
Tabulate your picks as shown below 
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica

13. 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
How to create AD (cont.)
Who/What
performs
Activity
Decision Point
Parallel
Activity Order
3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica