THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF KENYA

SCHOL OF SURVEYING AND SPATIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF GEOINFORMATION AND EARTH
OBSERVATION
BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE (GEO-INFORMATICS)
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
GROUP ASSIGNMENT.
GROUP 4:

MEMBERS

o YVONNE NEKESA ESEQ/01661/2019

o CASPER INDOKO ESEQ/01670/2019

o OSCAR JUMA ESEQ/01669/2019

o COLINS CHERUIYOT ESEQ/01666/2019

Question: With the aid of diagrams, explain purposes of data flow diagrams,
normalization, entity-relationship.

Data flow diagram.

A data flow diagram is a graphical representation of the flow of data through a system
or a process in terms of inputs and outputs. A data flow diagram maps out the flow of
information for any process or system. It uses defined symbols like rectangles, circles
and arrows, plus short text labels, to show data inputs, outputs, storage points and the
routes between each destination. Data Flow Diagrams can be used to analyze an
existing system or model a new one.

A data flow diagram is important because:

 It visually displays the sequence and flow of activities in a process.

 It helps in understanding the process or system operation in order to monitor and

discover potential problems.

 It improves efficiency.

 It helps to develop better processes.

Normalization

Normalization is the process of designing a relational database in conformity with a

series of ‘normal forms” in order to eliminate data redundancy and improve data
integrity. A poorly designed database may experience issues during deletion, addition or
updating data.
Normalization in a database is important for reasons stated below.

 Eliminate redundancy of data. Insertion and storing the same data multiple times
results in data redundancy. The normalization process checks and ensures that
cases of redundancy are minimal.

 Data Dependency. Normalization ensures data is gets stored in the correct table

 Isolation of Data. A well-designed database that adheres to the normal forms

ensures that the changes in one table or field do not affect other.

 Data Consistency. While updating if a record is left, it can lead to inconsistent

data, normalization resolves it and ensures data consistency.

 Improves database security and general database organization.

Entity-relationship diagram.

An entity-relationship (ER) diagram is a graphical representation of the relationship

between entities in a database.
Objectives of an ER diagram are:
1) Provide a unified view and visual representation of the entities, attributes, and
relationships that comprise the overall data structure of the database

2) An efficient communication tool during database design that enables designers

and users of data to view and understand relationship among different fields.
3) A blueprint for generating a relational database using SQL. It provides a set of
commands that can be used to add data to a database, retrieve that data, and
update it.
4) Documentation for the duration of the DBLC, serving as a reference should
structural changes to the database become necessary.
5) High flexibility and easy understanding to concerned parties.
Question 6A

What is a precedence network?

It is a technique for creating a project schedule network diagram that connects boxes,
known as nodes, to represent tasks and arrows to demonstrate dependencies between
them.

Examples of precedence networks are:

Finish-to-Finish (FF): In this situation, task B must be finished before task A may be
finished.

start-to-Finish (SF): Here, task B cannot be finished before activity A begins.

The most important information to be included in a precedence network is the

operational structure that consists of processes like events and organizational
relationships.
Question 6B

With your scheduled activities, the critical path technique determines the longest path
that is possible while determining the time limitations that each activity is subject to.

Example of a critical path is:

If you had to create a short recipe for making an omelet, it would look something like
this:

Beat 2 eggs

Heat a pan, add butter/oil when hot

Pour in the beaten eggs and cook for 5 minutes

Question 6C

Advantages of PERT:

PERT charts' key benefit is that they provide a clear, straightforward overview of a
project. As a result, it is simpler to recognize crucial success elements including the
essential path, significant activities, and potential bottlenecks.

PERT makes planning and decision-making better.Your comprehension of projects and

their effects on various departments can be improved by combining data from various
sources. Those making decisions regarding ongoing projects and upcoming initiatives
can benefit from this understanding.

Disadvantages of PERT

Subjective analysis.Charts that project the time and cost of future projects can be made
with the PERT method's assistance. Because they depend on the activity or series of
activities you choose, these estimations can occasionally be arbitrary.

Resource Intensive.Due of its labor-intensive nature, this procedure can be difficult for
project managers to use. Because of this, some people could decide not to utilize it,
particularly if they are really busy.
Questio 6D

Types of task dependency relationships as used in precedence networks.

Finish-Start: In this dependency, an activity cannot start before a previous activity has
ended. This is the most commonly used dependency.

Start-Start: In this dependency, there is a defined relationship between the start of

activities.

Start-Finish: In this dependency, there is a defined relationship between the start of one
activity and the end date of a successor activity. This dependency is rarely used.

Question 6E

Earned value project implementation is a strategy for project performance management

that incorporates cost, timeline, technical scope, and risk to gauge progress against a
baseline, spot issues, and project cost (and, to some extent, schedule) upon completion.

Schedule Variance (SV)

Project managers can determine how much they are ahead of or behind schedule by
looking at the schedule variation using the formula

Schedule Variance (SV) = Earned value (EV) – Planned Value (PV)

Cost Variance (CV)

The difference between the project's actual cost at the time it is determined and the
budget cost that was anticipated in the project plan for that time period is known as the
st variance using th formula

Cost Variance (CV) = Earned value (EV) – Actual Cost (AC)

Schedule Performance Index (SPI)

A subset of EVM called schedule performance index reveals if a project is on time or not.
It determines the proportion of completed work to that which was planned.using the
formula:

Schedule Performance Index (SPI) = Earned value (EV) / Planned Value (PV)

Cost Performance Index (CPI)

A project's cost effectiveness is gauged by the cost performance index. The ratio of
earned value to real costs is displayed. And is calculated using the formula:

Cost Performance Index (CPI) = Earned Value (EV) / Actual Cost (AC)

Estimated At Completion (EAC)

Estimated at completion is the current expectation of what the total costs will be for the
project when it is done.

Estimated at Completion (EAC) = Budget at completion (BAC) / Cost performance index

(CPI)