Rich Pictures

1
Rich Pictures

• COMM1B
• Information Systems Analysis
• Unit 4
• (This is based on the Jeremy Rose handout)

2
Overview

• Objectives of Session Coverage
• SSM (Soft Systems Methodology)
• Rich Pictures and How to Construct Them.
• Example Icons and Rich Picture Example
• Root Definitions
• Format of Root Definitions
• What Does it Mean?
• CATWOE Analysis
• Any More?

3
Objectives of Session Coverage

• To provide a context for understanding the use of
  rich pictures
• To outline the manner in which these are
  supported by
• root definitions and
• CATWOE analysis

4
SSM (Soft Systems Methodology)

• SSM systems thinking approach
• SSM has seven steps
• In step 2 problem situation expressedrich
  pictures are used.

5
Rich Pictures

• In reviewing a situation or examining a system
  the analysts first task is to
• 'express' the problem situation i.e. to form a
  rich picture.
• Rich picture 'thorough, but non-judgmental
  understanding
• this understanding is acquired through normal
  investigative techniques see unit 3.

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Rich Pictures

• Usually free form diagrams or cartoons
• Pictures provide an excellent way of sorting out
  and prioritising complex problem areas.
• Pictures display relationships
• the way business functions work together.
• They may include elements of
• structure (e.g. the departments of a university)
• process (e.g. studying, examining),
• issues, concerns, or developments (e.g.
  implementing a quality service).

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How to Construct Them?

• They show what is considered important in the
  situation. But there are no rules
• Matchstick men and women are common,
• sometimes bubbles coming out of their mouths
  indicate important issues,
• crossed swords for conflict,
• eyeballs indicate something being overlooked,
  inspected or supervised
• you can make up your own icons as you go along.

8
Example Icons
The idea is simply to get something on paper
often working with others even where they have
different, even conflicting, ideas.
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Rich Picture Example

• Here is an example of a rich picture what does
  it tell you?
• source P.J. Lewis, 'Rich Picture building in the
  SSM,' European Journal of Information Systems

10
Rich Picture Example (from Avison and
Fitzgeralds IS Developemnt Methodologies,
Techniques and Tools. McGraw-Hill, 2nd Edition,
1995.

• The Secretary of a growing Professional
  Association believed many of its operations could
  be computerised including membership,
  examination, and tuition administration. Before
  commissioning any new systems she wanted an
  overview of where potential benefits would be
  found and what problems might exist.
• A consultancy looked at what was going on in the
  organisation and created an initial rich picture
  of the situation.

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Rich Picture for the Scenario

• This picture demonstrates a for instance
• conflict between the secretary and the education
  secretary about the how and what to computerise
• Worries of the education assistant about the
  thought of automation - should alert to the
  potential for poor usage and user resistance,
  therefore also the need for training and support.

12
Rich Picture Example
(from Linda MacAulays Requirements
Engineering, Springer-Verlag London Ltd).

• A vehicle rental company (VCR) rents cars and
  vans to private and business users. They have
  had a significant rise in the level of business
  rentals and predict that this will be the fastest
  growing market sector over the next five years.
  VCR is trying to decide whether to establish a
  separate corporate service operation to target
  medium to large organizations. VCRs aim is to
  become a sole supplier of vehicle rentals to its
  corporate customers.

13
Rich Picture for the Scenario
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Detail of Rich Picture
Area of agreement denoted by handshake
Area of conflict denoted by crossed swords
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Root Definitions
Root definitions follow rich pictures.

• A root definition is
• a short textual definition of the aims and means
  of the system to be modelled.
• It is not the real world that is being modelled,
  but potential or 'virtual' systems that are
  logical and coherent

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Format of Root Definitions

• A system to do X, by (means of) Y, in order to Z
• telling us
• what the system will do,
• how it is to be done, and
• why it is being done (its long term aims).

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What Does it Mean?

• A university owned and operated system to award
  degrees and diplomas to suitably qualified
  candidates (X), by means of suitable assessment
  (Y), (in conformance with national standards), in
  order to demonstrate the capabilities of
  candidates to potential employers (Z).
• This is not everything a university does
• The root definition is talking about one part of
  a much wider system
• Opinions may differ as to the validity of various
  parts of the statement.
• But it is not supposed to be a description of
  what assessment actually does in the university,
  but a well-defined concept
• 'if this is what assessment is supposed to be,
  how would we go about doing it?'

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CATWOE Analysis

• Rich pictures and basic root definitions are
  supplemented by CATWOE analysis.
• To build coherent and comprehensive root
  definitions.
• CATWOE analysis for the assessment system results
  in

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Any More?

• There is a lot more to SSM than this but for
  the purposes of this module we go no further.
• Rich pictures and their accompanying root
  definitions and CATWOE analysis provide a
  mechanism for
• mapping out a problem situation,
• identifying conflicts, issues and opportunities
• clarifying the central focus of the systems
  analysis being undertaken (in the root
  deinfition) and
• providing some clear structured way of expressing
  the elements within the system (CATWOE analysis).