BCS HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFCATIONS

BCS level 5 Diploma in IT

Systems Analysis and Design MARCH 2018

Examiners’ Report

Section A

Case Study for both Sections A and B – ABC Coaches

ABC Coaches is a coach company based near London. They specialise in organising day
trips to various destinations in England. Customers of ABC Coaches include institutions such
as schools, nursing homes etc. They hire coaches with drivers for trips which are
organised/arranged especially for them.
The manager of ABC is responsible for allocation of coaches and drivers to trips. Trip
records are created when trips are arranged. If a customer (for whom a trip is being
arranged) is ‘new’ then the customer’s details are recorded. Otherwise, the customer’s
record is updated.
Customers will typically request that a day trip be organised for them on a specific date. The
number of coaches allocated to a trip depends on the number of seats required. In response
to this request ABC will check to see if the required coaches can be made available on that
date. If the coaches are available ABC will allocate one or more drivers and create a trip
record for the customer. Customers are allowed to cancel a trip before a deposit is paid. The
deposit should be paid within 7 days of the booking for the trip being taken. If a trip is
cancelled after that, the deposit is kept by ABC Coaches. If a trip is cancelled the trip record
will record this. ABC will request full payment for a trip in the week before it takes place.
A cancelled trip is deleted from the system 6 months after cancellation. Other trip records
are deleted 12 months after the corresponding trips were completed.
Section A
General Comments
A reasonable range of marks for this section with most candidates obtaining a pass. None of
the three questions attracted consistently low or high marks. Question A1 and A2 were
equally popular being attempted by 53 and 51 candidates respectively. Question A3 was
less popular being attempted by 41 candidates.
Question A1 Syllabus References
1.3 The characteristics and purpose of systems analysis and design methods and
methodologies…
2.7 Business activity modelling, including the use of data flow diagrams (DFDs).
3.1 Use cases and scenarios
Question A1
a) Using information from the case study description above produce a logical top level
data flow diagram for a Booking System for ABC Coaches system.
(12 marks)
b) Using information from the case study above create a Use Case diagram for ABC
Coaches.
(7 marks)
c) Briefly explain the difference between a high-level DFD and a Use Case diagram.
(6 marks)
Answer Pointers
a) Up to 6 marks for reasonable identification of top-level processes. Up to 4 marks for
dataflows. 2 marks for datastores.
An example DFD for the case study is below. Total 12 marks
b) Up to 6 marks for Use Cases, 1 mark for actors and relationships.

c) DFDs are concerned with the flow of information/data and processes in the system
working with this information/data. It helps in identifying any business processes or
existing business processes. The emphasis is on data flow and how it will be used in
system including where the data will be saved. Something could be said about the
hierarchical structure of these diagrams. (3 marks)
Use cases are concerned with defining what the system has to offer to its users. They
map to goals the user has that the software system will help them to achieve.
Something could be said about Use Case elaboration where the details of a Use Case
are represented in a textual description of the interactions between the User and the
software. 3 marks. (Total 6 marks).
Examiners’ Guidance Notes
This question was attempted by 66% of candidates and attracted an average mark of 15/25.
There is evidence that most answers for part (a) were good although a minority of
candidates made the mistake of representing some dataflows as processes by connecting
process boxes that look more like data stores. Answers to Part (b) and (c) were generally
good.
Question A2 Syllabus References
1.1 Systems development lifecycle and position of SAD within it;
1.3 The characteristics and purpose of systems analysis and design methods and
methodologies (including agile approaches such as Atern/DSDM Dynamic Systems
Design Method, and XP eXtreme Programming);
Question A2
a) The following are four phases in the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). For
each phase identify TWO deliverables, briefly describe each of these deliverables and
identify the techniques used to produce it.
i) Requirements identification (5 marks)
ii) Analysis (5 marks)
iii) Design (5 marks)
iv) Implementation (5 marks)
b) Briefly describe the waterfall method of systems development and briefly explain why
this method is less popular now than it used to be. (5 marks)
Answer Pointers
a)
i) Requirements identification
The requirements phase is concerned with deciding why an information
system should be built and determining how the project team will go about
building it (1 mark). The main deliverables for this are:
• a system request (providing a brief summary of a business need and how
a system addressing that need would provide business value) (2 marks),
• a feasibility analysis which examines key aspects of the proposed project
(e.g. can we build it? Will it provide business value? Will it be used?) (2
marks).
These are the two main deliverables examinees are likely to identify.
Alternatively they might suggest a work plan and/or a project plan. These
would also be acceptable. Total 5 marks.
ii) Analysis
The analysis phase answers the questions of who will use the system, what
the system will do and where and when it will be used (1 marks). The key
deliverables for this stage are an analysis based on requirements gathering
(2 marks) and a high-level initial design – or systems proposal - for the new
system (2 marks)
In addition to naming these deliverables the examinee needs to say a little
about ways in which requirements might be gathered and documented and
how the high-level design will be communicated. Total 5 marks.
iii) Design
The design phase determines how the system will operate in terms of the
hardware, software and network infrastructure that will be in place (1 mark).
There are therefore a number of deliverables that might be associated with
this phase. Acceptable answers would be: architecture design, interface
design, database design or program design. For each of these the examinee
would need to say a little about how they are developed – 2 marks for each of
two identified and discussed. Total 5 marks.
 iv) Implementation
This is the stage in which the software is actually built (1 mark). Again a
number of deliverables could be discussed. Acceptable answers would
include: the software system itself along with documentation, a training plan
or a support plan. For each of these the examinee would need to say a little
about how they are developed – 2 marks for each of two identified and
discussed. Total 5 marks.
b) The key idea that must be communicated is that the waterfall method proceeds
sequentially from one phase to the next (1 mark). Once the work in one phase is
approved the phase ends and the next phase begins (1 mark). It is quite difficult to go
back from one phase to its predecessor (1 mark). The approach has fallen out of
favour as software tools have evolved and a greater importance has been given to
prototyping within an iterative lifecycle (1 mark) – where earlier stages in the lifecycle
are revisited in response to the user interacting with a partially implemented system (1
mark). Total 5 marks
Examiners’ Guidance Notes
This question was attempted by 64% of candidates and attracted an average mark of 13/25.
The evidence shows that several candidates did not focus on deliverables in the answer to
part (a) and focussed instead on a description of the different stages of the SDLC –
sometimes without mentioning any of the deliverables. Part (b) was generally well answered
– most candidates were familiar with the waterfall model and its weaknesses.
Question A3 Syllabus References
1.3 The characteristics and purpose of systems analysis and design methods and
methodologies….
1.4 Adaptation of methodologies to deal with the particular circumstances of a
development or application environment, including adoption/adaptation of existing
software solutions.
2.1 Stakeholder analysis
2.8 Use of prototyping, particularly as a method of requirements elicitation
Question A3
a) What is the difference between systems prototyping and throwaway prototyping
methodologies? Give examples of the application of each approach (10 marks)
b) Identify THREE different ways of involving users in a development project. Comment on
any problems that might arise with each of these. (15 marks)

Answer Pointers
a) The key point that must be made is that systems prototyping generally leads to a
functional system (3 marks); while throwaway prototyping generally leads to
understanding the user requirements (3 marks) and design considerations more
quickly. 4 marks for examples of each type prototyping. Total 10 marks.
b) Users can be involved in the systems development process in the roles shown in the
table below – (5 marks for each to a maximum of 15).
 Role Problems
Full team member Can lose sight of the user
perspective but this can be
overcome by rotating the team
membership.
Consultative and Review No direct influence on the design of
the new system.
Participant in fact finding as Lacks sense of ownership for the
interviewee only new system.
(15 marks)

Examiners’ Guidance Notes

This was the least popular question in section A being attempted by 51% of candidates. The
average mark obtained for this question was 13/25. There is evidence that most candidates
made a good job of part (a). Several candidates interpreted Part (b) in an open-ended way
with answers ranging from diagramming techniques that help users understand the
architecture of the system to advice on how to run Application Development Workshops.
This range of answers seemed reasonable for a question of this type which gave candidates
an opportunity to focus on aspects of the course that they were most comfortable with.
Section B
General Comments
Questions B4 and B5 were much more popular than Question B6. The best results were
achieved for Question B4. The Question B5 and Question B6 results were substantially
worse.
Question B4 Syllabus References
4.1 Conversion of ERM to a relational schema
4.2 Normalisation and denormalisation
3.4 Entity relationship modelling (ERM)
Question B4
This question refers to the case study described above – ABC Coaches. The table below
shows an example of a list of coaches, trips to which the coaches are allocated and the
corresponding customers.

Coach No.: No of seats:

DV16PPS 50
Trip destination: Cust No: Cust name:
Trip No: Trip date:
Windsor 12 Sunrise Home
6/5/17
23/17
Trip destination: Cust No: Cust name:
Trip No: Trip date:
Brighton 19 Ethelburga School
4/6/17
35/17
.....
.....
No of seats:
Coach No.:
56
RS15VVX
Trip destination: Cust No: Cust name:
Trip No: Trip date:
Oxford 23 Sutton High
18/5/17
28/17
....
.....
No of seats:
Coach No.:
62
TD16BBD
Trip destination: Cust No: Cust name:
Trip No: Trip date:
Windsor 8 Pines Home
2/3/17
11/17
Trip destination: Cust No: Cust name:
Trip No.: Trip date:
Hastings 14 Croydon High
5/6/17
36/17
…… …….

a) Normalise the table to produce a set of relations in the Third Normal Form. You must
show all of your working explaining each step.
18 marks

b) Draw an entity relationship diagram (ERD) based on the relations produced in part
a).

7 marks
 Answer Pointer

a) The steps of normalisation are shown below:

UNF 1NF 2NF 3NF Relations

Coach No Coach No Coach No Coach

Coach No
No of seats No of seats No of seats
No of seats

Coach No Coach No Coach no Coach/Trip

Trip No
Trip No Trip No Trip No
Trip date
Trip date
Trip destination
Trip destination Trip No Trip No Trip
Cust No
Cust No Trip date Trip date
Cust name
Cust name Trip destination Trip destination
Cust No Cust No*
Cust name

Cust No Customer
Cust name

For correct 1NF with explanation (remove repeating groups) 5 marks

For correct 2NF with explanation (remove part key dependencies) 5 marks
For correct 3NF with explanation (remove non-key dependencies) 5 marks
For correct relations 3 marks
Total 18 marks
b)

Customer

Coach/Trip
Coach Trip

For correct relationships and their multiplicities 5 marks

For correct entities 2 marks
Total 7 marks

Examiners’ Guidance Notes

Nearly all candidates attempted this question and the majority of them achieved a pass mark
for their answers. There is evidence that many answers for part (a) were very good and the
majority of candidates were able to practically demonstrate the normalisation process. Some
candidates however did not provide proper explanations. Part (b) was answered generally
well. Some candidates had problems with relationships (with cardinalities of relationships in
particular). Some candidates produced ERDs which were inconsistent with the normalised
relations/tables.
 Question Number B5 Syllabus References
5.1 OO concepts: classes and objects; encapsulation, interfaces, inheritance,
polymorphism, message passing
5.2 Relating objects; associations and aggregations
Question B5
a) Consider the following extra information about the ABC Coaches system described
above:
“There are two types of coach drivers: full time drivers and part time drivers. The
following data should be stored about each full time driver: Driver name, Date of birth,
Contact details, Salary. The attributes of each part time driver are: Driver name, Date
of birth, Contact details, Hourly rate, Hours worked.
All drivers are required to submit their CVs. A CV consists of a header, a number of
CV lines, a driver’s signature.”

Explain the following relationships between classes using examples from the Golden
Racquet system to illustrate your answers:
(i) Association,
(ii) Aggregation or Composition, and
(iii) Generalisation/Inheritance.
The examples should show relevant fragments of a class diagram.
15 marks
b) There are many characteristics/attributes of a good software design. One of them is
usability. Explain the meaning of usability and give five examples of poor software
system usability. 10 marks
Answer Pointers
a) Explanation of association 2 marks
Example of association (e.g. between Coach and Driver) 3 marks

Explanation of aggregation 2 marks

Example of aggregation (e.g. object of class CV ‘consists’ of Header, iteration of CV
lines, Signature) 3 marks

Explanation of inheritance/generalization 2 marks

Example of inheritance/generalization (e.g. Driver – superclass with two subclasses:
Full time and Part time) 3 marks

For each example a proper fragment of a class diagram should be produced.

Total 15 marks
b) One of the definitions of usability states: ‘The extent to which a product can be used
by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and
satisfaction in a specified context of use.’ In software industry the main aspects of
usable software are: ease of use, ease of learning, satisfying user requirements,
efficiency, etc.

All main aspects of usability should be briefly explained 5 marks

Examples: poor interface design, inappropriate data entry, incomprehensible error
messages, some functional requirements are not provided/implemented, poor
response time. 5 marks
Total 10 marks

Examiners’ Guidance Notes

This question was attempted by approximately 83% of candidates. The evidence shows that
part (a) was answered reasonably well. Some candidates however were unable to give
proper and correct examples of relationships between classes. A small number of
candidates also had problems with definitions/explanations of relationships between classes
(association and aggregation in particular). Also a small number of candidates did not draw
relevant fragments of class diagrams.
Part (b): Some candidates provided reasonable answers, but there were also some
irrelevant answers e.g. some candidates discussed different software quality attributes –
such as reusability, flexibility, etc. Many candidates did not give proper examples of poor
software usability.
Question B6 Syllabus references
5.3 Static modelling, including UML class diagrams;
5.4 Dynamic modelling: including UML interaction diagrams (e.g. sequence,
communication/collaboration diagrams) UML statecharts

Question B6

a) UML statecharts/state machines and activity diagrams are based on a similar notation.
They have however completely different meaning. Discuss the main differences
between these diagrams.

(5 marks)

b) Produce a sequence diagram for the use case ‘Allocate coaches to trip’ in the ABC
Coaches system described above. A brief description of this use case is given below.

“ A manager enters the trip number and the system displays the trip details. Next the
system displays a list of all available coaches. The manager selects one (or more)
coach(es) and the system allocates this (these) coaches to the trip and displays the
confirmation message“.
(8 marks)
c) Produce a state machine/chart for the class Trip in the ABC Coaches system
described above. (12 marks)
Answer Pointers
a) A brief explanation of both diagrams
Differences
Total 5 marks
b) The sequence diagram should have the following elements:
Actor – Manager 1 mark
Classes/Objects: Trip, Coach, possibly Allocation. 3 marks
Right messages/operations 3 marks
Loops (to show lists displayed by the system) 1 mark
8 marks
An example of a possible simplified sequence diagram is given below.

: Allocate :Trip :Coach :Allocation

coaches
Manager trip
getdetails(tripNo)

gettrip(tripNo)

*getcoach

*allocatecoach

updateStatus

allocate create
newAllocation
:Allocation

N.B. Allocatecoaches object combines both the control object and the
boundary object for this use case.
*getcoach and *allocatecoach represent iterations of messages/operations
c)

arrange

Cancelled
Arranged
creat cancel

pay deposit cancel delete

Confirmed
delete
Completed
final payment paid complete

delete
Ready

correct state nodes 5 marks

initial and final states 2 marks

correct transitions 5 marks

Total 12 marks

Examiners’ Guidance Notes

Only a small number of candidates (33%) attempted this question. There is evidence that
part (a) was answered reasonably well. Most candidates who answered part (b) identified
the right actor, but only a few candidates identified the right classes/objects and messages.
Part (c): some candidates produced reasonable state charts/state machines, but many
candidates produced ‘activity’ diagrams instead.