Systems analysis and design: which of the following is NOT considered a core tool used during the system design phase?

Introduction / Context:
During the system design phase, analysts convert requirements into a structured blueprint for how the information system will be built. The tools used here must help clarify processes, data, logic, and control. Classic design tools include data-flow diagrams for process/data movement, systems flowcharts for overall I/O, storage, and processing relationships, and decision tables for complex business rules. This question asks you to identify which listed item is not a design tool in that sense.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• System design emphasizes modeling processes, data stores, interfaces, and decision logic.
• Data-flow diagram (DFD), systems flowchart, and decision table are standard design artifacts.
• Pie charts are graphical summaries for proportions, commonly used in reporting and dashboards, not in design modeling.

Concept / Approach:
A valid design tool must directly support specification of behavior or structure. DFDs show how data moves between processes, stores, and external entities. Systems flowcharts depict hardware/software components and their interaction. Decision tables encode conditional logic in a complete, non-ambiguous form. A pie chart, by contrast, is a descriptive visualization of distribution (percent shares) and does not specify system behavior, flow, or logic for implementation.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Most SDLC and structured analysis textbooks categorize DFDs, flowcharts, and decision tables as design/analysis tools. Pie charts appear under data visualization/reporting, not design methodology sections.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Decision table: captures complex rule logic precisely.
• Systems flowchart: maps components and flows in the system.
• Data-flow diagram: models process-data interactions.
• None of the above: incorrect because one listed item (pie chart) is indeed not a design tool.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing any diagram with a design model; only artifacts that specify process, data, or control logic qualify as core design tools.

Final Answer:
pie chart