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Editing and Adding Connectors. It is likely that editing and adding connectors is the most significant weakness of presentation and drawing software. In situations in which the IT auditor has connected two shapes with a simple direct line, it is likely that moving one of the shapes leaves one end of the connecting line connected with nothing, or else connected with another item in the diagram. This situation is illustrated in Exhibit 31-10.
Compatibility with Other Software. The mainstream presentation and drawing software applications may have their own proprietary file formats for storing data in files, but they also have extensive import and export capabilities to facilitate an auditors use with other industry standard formats. In a situation in which no export or import path exists to transfer diagrams, the IT auditor should be able to accomplish, at least, a basic transfer using clipboard functions in the appropriate personal computer operating system software. This capability represents a slight advantage for presentation and drawing software over its alternatives.
Technical Design Software
Technical design software is most often sold as an independent product that is directly marketed to the technical community. Examples of this software include AutoCAD and ProEngineer. These applications have been oriented toward very specialized use primarily for architects, engineers, and related fields in which it is critical to produce precise drawings for manufacturing, construction, or other similar purposes. Originally, it was unusual to find anyone using this type of software for diagramming, due to the complexity of the product and its specialized focus. Over time, most of these applications have retained their function capabilities while becoming SACA much easier to use.
Exhibit 31-10. Moving Shapes in a Workflow Diagram
Creating the Initial Diagram with Technical Design Software. The process of creating a new workflow diagram is relatively simple. This process begins when the IT auditor selects and creates the appropriate shape or shapes, continues with the addition of appropriate text (either as the shapes are being created or all at once when all of the initial shapes have been diagrammed), and concludes as connectors and process flow lines are added. The final step occurs when the workflow diagram is printed or transmitted.
Creating Shapes. Creating shapes with technical design software is relatively easy because a wide variety of shapes are available from which to choose. It is also possible to find that basic technical design software may only include simple shapes, under the assumption that the designer will create whatever is needed based on lines and boxes.
Adding Text. Adding text within the shapes is difficult because the text and the shape represent two separate items within the diagram, similar to the same weakness in some presentation and drawing software applications. Adding text alongside a shape is likely to be easier, although the IT auditor will probably need to join the two items into one, which must be done individually for each shape with text on the diagram. The IT auditor also must consider the amount of text to placed within the workflow diagram shapes. Technical design software is not likely to provide for automatic shape sizing or, for text, to wrap automatically at the edge of a shape. The lack of either or both of these features is likely to increase significantly the amount of time required to create the initial workflow diagram.
Connecting Diagram Shapes and Indicating Process Flow. The IT auditor must connect shapes on the diagram to indicate the sequence of activities, to illustrate the possible outcomes at a branching or decision point, and to guide users of the workflow diagram through the activities in which the auditor is most interested. The lines should be straight whenever possible, or take the simplest path when straight lines cannot be used. Workflow diagram lines may cross each other, but there should be a break in one of the lines to indicate clearly that the process flows do not merge or overlap at the point of the crossover.
Technical design software is likely to be similar to presentation and drawing software when creating connections. Technical design software is also likely to require that the IT auditor to plan the routing of each connecting line and either create the line following that path or create a line directly connecting the endpoints and then dragging the appropriate miIToints of the line to move it into the correct position. Unlike presentation and drawing software, technical design software is likely to recognize that a connecting line must remain connected to the shapes to which it is attached. Although this is an improvement, the software is not likely to have the capability to reroute a line after a change is made to the diagram, whether that change directly or indirectly affects the connecting line.
Printing the Diagram. Technical design software is likely to have advanced printing capabilities. This is based on the need for designers to produce blueprints and other high-quality documents. The most significant capability that is unlikely to exist in technical design software applications is the ability to create automatically connecting shapes with appropriate references at page breaks within a diagram.
Maintaining an Existing Diagram. The IT auditor should plan to review draft workflow diagrams with the appropriate personnel to ensure their accuracy. The current review, combined with the passage of time, is almost guaranteed to create a need to change the diagram. The process of changing the workflow diagram is essentially the same, regardless of whether the change is being done to correct a draft diagram, to make the diagram clear, or to reflect process changes that have taken place over time.
Editing and Adding Shapes. Technical design software is normally designed to accommodate changes, which are an expected element of the design process. Inserting additional shapes should also be handled efficiently because spaces can be created by blocking existing shapes, text, and connections and moving the blocked area to a new location.
Editing and Adding Text. The capability to add or edit text should not be any different from placing the original text on the workflow diagram. The IT auditor should expect that the text functionality of technical design software in a maintenance situation will have the same advantages and disadvantages as when creating text.
Editing and Adding Connectors. Technical design software is more efficient in this activity than presentation and drawing software. The IT auditor should expect that the text functionality of technical design software in a maintenance situation will have the same advantages and disadvantages when creating connections.
Compatibility with Other Software. The technical design software applications are likely to have their own proprietary file formats for storing data in files, but they will also have import and export capabilities to use other industry standard formats. In a situation in which no export or import path to transfer diagrams is available, the IT auditor should be able to, at least, make a basic transfer by using the clipboard functions in the appropriate personal computer operating system software.
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