About Boundary Diagram

A boundary diagram defines the scope of system design or analysis to be included in the project charter. It also defines the most important external interfaces that must be considered. A boundary diagram should be used whenever the scope of an analysis can be described by means of system elements.

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Determine the scope of system design or analysis and its external interfaces.

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The output of the boundary diagram is a clear project scope and list of Interfaces.

How to insert the Boundary Diagram component

The Boundary Diagram template can be used to start new projects or to extend existing projects. Please read chapter "The Templates" to learn more about how to start new projects.

In order to extend your project:

  1. 1
    Activate the Home Ribbon Home Ribbon
  2. 2
    Click the Add Tool button on the Home ribbon
  3. 3
    Click the Boundary Diagram icon in the template catalog

In order to find the Boundary Diagram component within the template catalog, you have to choose a cycle name on the first line of the screen and a phase name at the left of the screen. The Boundary Diagram component is located in this cycle/phase combinations:

  • DFSS DMADV: DEFINE
  • DFSS IDOV: IDENTIFY
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The implementation of the Boundary Diagram is more than just drawing the cards on screen. All components are stored in the Design Elements tree. This tree is re-used by many other modules. This avoids the need of editing the system structure more than once.

The main worksheet of the Boundary Diagram component is a diagram where you can place design elements inside or outside the system boundary. Design elements can be connected by relation lines standing for 4 major interface types:

  • Physically Touching
  • Information Exchange
  • Material Exchange
  • Energy Transfer

A sub-worksheet can be used to change those 4 default interface types or add new ones.

Worksheets

Boundary Diagram

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Placing Cards

New cards (design elements) can be placed on the diagram by dragging them from the gallery bar into the diagram. A gray box in the diagram represents the project focus. Items placed inside this box are considered as in scope, items outside the box are considered out of scope. The box can be resized according to the complexity of the system: Move the mouse cursor to the edge of the boundary, push the mouse button and resize the frame.

  1. 1
    Dragging from here into the diagram creates new design elements / components
  2. 2
    Drag already existing design elements from here into the diagram. Elements that are already in the diagram are appear bold
  3. 3
    Drop new or existing items from the gallery here, if they should be part of the project focus
  4. 4
    Drop new or existing items from the gallery here, if they should not be part of the project focus but interact with components in the project

Drawing Lines

After the components have been placed on the diagram, interactions between those components have to be defined.

  • First choose one of the basic interface types in the gallery
  • Drag from one edge of a card to another card
  • Click onto the label and edit the detailed description, e.g. Electricity for Energy Transfer
  • You may also drag the description to a better place
  • Click on a connection line to change the relation strength

Need more information? Open questions? Please let us know.

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