Specification of management information systems combining data modeling and structured analysis

A method for specification of management information systems and a computer-aided tool for its implementation are presented. The method combines two dominant approaches, representing two different points of view of the specification process: data modeling, as reflected in the entity-relationship approach, and structured analysis. The method is implemented with a computer-aided tool, the Combined Specification System (CSS). CSS has the following goals: (1) supporting and guiding the system analyst in the steps of the specification process, while managing a user (system analyst)-system dialog; (2) organizing the accumulated information systematically, while cross checking for preciseness, completeness, consistency, and nonredundancy of the data; and (3) producing documentation that is simple and understandable by the end-user of the information system, yet comprehensive and concise for the system implementation. The method has been tested in the framework of an academic course on developing management information systems