This is a simplified data flow diagram (DFD) for a car rental system, focusing on the core processes. It represents the flow of data between different parts of the system.
External Entities:
* Customer: Represents the person renting a car.
* Car Supplier: Represents the company providing cars for rental.
* Financial Institution: Handles payment processing.
Processes:
* Process 1: Car Availability Check: Takes customer request (car type, dates, location) and checks car availability.
* Process 2: Reservation: Creates a reservation for the customer, holding the car.
* Process 3: Rental Agreement: Generates a rental agreement based on the reservation details and customer information.
* Process 4: Payment Processing: Processes the payment for the rental, interacts with the financial institution.
* Process 5: Car Pick-up: Handles the customer picking up the car, including paperwork, inspection, and key handover.
* Process 6: Car Return: Handles the customer returning the car, including inspection, fuel check, and rental period calculation.
* Process 7: Invoice Generation: Generates the final invoice for the rental, including details like rental period, mileage, and any additional charges.
* Process 8: Maintenance & Repair: Handles car maintenance and repair requests.
Data Stores:
* Customer Database: Stores customer information, reservation history, and rental history.
* Car Inventory: Stores information on all cars available for rental, including model, availability status, location, etc.
* Rental Agreements: Stores rental agreements for each rental.
* Financial Records: Stores payment information and transaction details.
* Maintenance Records: Stores car maintenance history and repair records.
Data Flows:
* Customer Request: Customer requests car information (type, dates, location) to the system.
* Availability Check: System checks car inventory for availability.
* Reservation Details: System sends reservation details to the customer.
* Customer Information: Customer provides personal details and payment information.
* Payment Information: Payment information is sent to the financial institution for processing.
* Payment Confirmation: Financial institution confirms payment to the system.
* Rental Agreement: System generates and delivers the rental agreement to the customer.
* Car Pick-up Details: System sends details about the rental to the customer.
* Car Return Information: Customer returns the car and provides return information.
* Invoice: System generates and sends the final invoice to the customer.
* Maintenance Request: Car maintenance requests are sent to the maintenance system.
Note: This is a basic representation. A real-world system would have more detailed processes, data stores, and data flows depending on the complexity and features of the system.
Example DFD:
```
+----------------+ +----------------+
| Customer |----->| Process 1: |
+----------------+ | Car Availability|
| Check |
+----------------+
|
| Customer Request
+----------------+
| Process 2: |
| Reservation |
+----------------+
|
| Reservation Details
+----------------+
| Process 3: |
| Rental Agreement |
+----------------+
|
| Rental Agreement
+----------------+
| Process 4: |
| Payment Processing |
+----------------+
|
| Payment Information
+----------------+
| Financial Institution |
+----------------+
|
| Payment Confirmation
+----------------+
| Process 5: |
| Car Pick-up |
+----------------+
|
| Car Pick-up Details
+----------------+
| Process 6: |
| Car Return |
+----------------+
|
| Car Return Information
+----------------+
| Process 7: |
| Invoice Generation |
+----------------+
|
| Invoice
+----------------+
| Process 8: |
| Maintenance & |
| Repair |
+----------------+
|
| Maintenance Request
+----------------+
| Car Inventory |
+----------------+
|
| Availability Information
+----------------+
| Customer Database |
+----------------+
|
| Customer Information
+----------------+
| Rental Agreements |
+----------------+
|
| Rental Agreement Details
+----------------+
| Financial Records |
+----------------+
|
| Payment Details
+----------------+
| Maintenance Records|
+----------------+
```
This DFD can be further expanded to include more detailed processes and data flows, depending on the specific requirements of the car rental system.
