AmeriComp

Background

AmeriComp industries manufactures specialized PC components and sells

them to other businesses. Customers may send Purchase Orders using

either the Web or the regular mail. AmeriComp processes these identically.

The following narrative describes their order-entry process.

Narrative

  1. The order-entry clerk at AmeriCompreceives a purchase order (PO) from a customer. (1st)[1]
  1. The (order-entry) clerk enters the customer number into an online terminal (i.e., the computer).(2nd)
  1. The (order-entry) clerk then enters the quantity and item numbers requested. (3rd)
  1. The computer checks the inventory file and (4th)
  2. (The computer) prints a Sales Order Header on the printer in the order-entry clerk's office. (5th)
  1. The order entry clerk reconciles the Sales Order Header to the PO and (6th)
  2. (The order entry clerk) forwards the Sales Order Header to Accounts Receivable. (7th)
  1. The clerk in Accounts Receivable (i.e., the Accounts Receivable clerk) reviews the Sales Order Header and (8th)
  2. (the Accounts Receivable clerk) checks the customer file. (9th)
  1. The Accounts Receivable clerk then approves the Sales Order Header(by initialing the approval box - the approved Sales Order Header is now called a Sales Order).[2] (10th)
  1. The Accounts Receivable clerk copies the approved Sales Order and (11th)
  2. (The Accounts Receivable clerk) forwards the copy to the Shipping department. (12th)
  1. The Accounts Receivable clerk forwards the original Sales Order to the order-entry clerk. (13th)
  1. The order-entry clerk prepares a vendor acknowledgement and (14th)
  2. (The order-entry clerk) sends it to the customer. (15th)
  1. The (order-entry) clerk then files the Sales Order and Purchase Order together in a Sales-Pending File. (16th)

Legend

Internal Entity Name - Boxes with dotted outlines. Note: Symbol should use rounded boxes

Data Store- Two horizontal lines. Note: Symbol should have the top line above the text rather than through it.

External Entity - Solid Box

______- Underline indicates an action. Note: Sometimes the subject of the action is not explicit.

AmeriComp

Background

AmeriComp industries manufactures specialized PC components and sells

them to other businesses. Customers may send Purchase Orders using

either the Web or the regular mail. AmeriComp processes these identically.

The following narrative describes their order-entry process.

Narrative

Order Entry

  1. The order-entry clerk at AmeriCompreceives a purchase order (PO) from a customer. (1st)
  1. The (order-entry) clerk enters the customer number into an online terminal (i.e., the computer). (2nd)
  1. The (order-entry) clerk then enters the quantity and item numbers requested. (3rd)
  1. The order entry clerk reconciles the Sales Order Header to the PO and (6th)[3]
  2. (The order entry clerk) forwards the Sales Order Header to Accounts Receivable. (7th)
  1. The order-entry clerk prepares a vendor acknowledgement and (14th)
  2. (The order-entry clerk) sends it to the customer. (15th)
  1. The (order-entry) clerk then files the Sales Order and Purchase Order together in a Sales-Pending File. (16th)

Computer

  1. The computer checks the inventory file and (4th)
  2. (The computer) prints a Sales Order Header on the printer in the order-entry clerk's office. (5th)

Accounts Receivable

  1. The clerk in Accounts Receivable(i.e., the Accounts Receivable clerk) reviews the Sales Order Header and (8th)
  2. (the Accounts Receivable clerk) checks the customer file. (9th)
  1. The Accounts Receivable clerk then approves the Sales Order Header (10th)
  2. The Accounts Receivable clerk copies the approved Sales Order and (11th)
  3. (The Accounts Receivable clerk) forwards the copy to the Shipping department. (12th)
  1. The Accounts Receivable clerk forwards the original Sales Order to the order-entry clerk. (13th)

Use the grouping above to generate the physical DFD.

Use the grouping below to generate the logical DFD (i.e., look for “natural” grouping of activities). It might also be helpful to examine the original narrative.

Order of activities: 1 2 3 9 10 4 5 11 12 13 14 15 16 6 7 8

Order of activities: 1 2 3 9 10 4 5 |11 12 13 14 15 16 | 6 7 8

[1] Order of activities indicated by the number in (parentheses)

[2]Don't diagram the information in the parentheses.

[3] Non-“flow” activities in bold