Designing robust information systems

The authors discuss how traditional information system analysis and design techniques might be enhanced by coupling them with simulation modeling and analysis techniques. They propose a simple enhancement to data flow diagrams (DFDs) to capture dynamic and probabilistic system information in the system model and suggest simulating and evaluating alternate system designs based on the enhanced DFD. To further enhance this process they propose an experiment design strategy that permits robust information system designs to be determined. They illustrate the proposed experiment design strategy to determine the resource capacity appropriate for an order entry information system. Another more complex objective for which the proposed strategy should prove beneficial is process design or redesign