Benefits of a Database and Information-Gathering Techniques
CIS111
July 27, 2013

I am being interviewed by ACME Global Consulting services as a potential new employee to its growing work force of world-class systems analysts and requirements engineering group. Through a tip, I found out that they will be asking several questions relating to planning for a new database for one of their national restaurant chains. I found out that one of the executives at the restaurant chain only believes in using Microsoft Excel for running reports. For this assignment I will be focusing on 3 main topics. First, I will describe the benefits of using a database management system and how it supports this restaurant chain. Second, I will propose how I would address the issues with flat file systems, such as Excel and Text files, for storing data. Lastly, I will list and describe three tools, techniques, or methodologies for eliciting and documenting requirements related to the development of a new database. So, as you see, you have your plenty of things to get ready for. A Database Management System (DBMS) is the software system that allows users to define, create and maintain a database and provides controlled access to the data provided by your database administrator(s). DBMS is an intermediate layer between programs and the data. Programs access the DBMS, which then accesses the data. There are different types of DBMS ranging from small systems that run on personal computers, corporation window servers, large mainframes, etc. Let’s look at some of the benefits from have a DBMS. 1) Controlling Redundancy: In file system, each application has its own private files, which cannot be shared between multiple applications. This can often lead to considerable redundancy in the stored data, which results in wastage of storage space. By having centralized database most of this can be avoided. 2) Integrity can be enforced: Integrity of data means that data in database is always accurate, such that incorrect information cannot be stored in database. In order to maintain the integrity of data, some integrity constraints are enforced on the database. 3) Inconsistency can be avoided : When the same data is duplicated and changes are made at one site, which is not propagated to the other site, it gives rise to inconsistency and the two entries regarding the same data will not agree. 4) Standardizing can be enforced for all users, control who can access the DB, data can be shared, can encrypted the DB, DBMS has the responsibility to backup and recovery, etc.
Deploying a centralized DBMS increases speed, improves data management, and over the course of time, decreases costs. Any business starts up to maximize profit and the DBMS will give you that flexibility. As all business owners and managers know, accuracy and consistency is essential for maintenance of company records. For example, the restaurant business, it can track pattern of the VIP customers, spending habits, your sales, input customer physical address (if they approve) for advertisements and coupons, if customers calls in for a reservation (assign table and waiter ahead of time), etc. A flat file database is a database that stores data in a plain text file. Each line of the text file holds one record, with fields separated by delimiters, such as commas or tabs. While it uses a simple structure, a flat file database cannot contain multiple tables like a relational database can.
Here are some of the limitation with using flat files: potential duplication, harder to read and update, Non-unique records, harder to change data format and running complex queries. For example, the restaurant wants to locate 4 items and see the data in a useable output form in a flat file, it’s almost impossible and very time consuming. You have to go to rows and columns intersections, over and over until you get your information and overlay that with other data to get the information. Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) packages include various tools for system analysis, project management, and design that can be very useful in the database design process. They are helpful for collecting and analyzing data designing the data model, designing applications, and implementing the database (Ricardo 2012). Project management software is another type of tool that can be applied effectively to database development. A data model is a collect of tools often including a type of diagram and specialized vocabulary for describing the structure of the database along with a description of DB, relationship, constraints, and sometimes data semantics or meanings (Ricardo 2012). Entity-Relationship model is an example of semantic model as we learned earlier in the book. Object-relational model extend the relational model by adding complex data types and methods as well as other advanced features. This model allows attributes to be structured and have sets or arrays of values. You used this type of model for object-oriented databases. For any input into developing a database, you must understand what that organization is doing and what they plan on using the data for. So, it’s great to see their process models or interview the employees so the DB personnel can get a clear understanding on how to design the database once all stakeholders agree. In conclusion, you can see that correctly implementing a DMBS takes some time; however, the benefits it can better positioned our chain of restaurants. The time to train the employees and staff/management is very minimal. References
Baron, Robert A., & Kalsher, Michael J.(2008). Introduction to Psychology Third Custom
Edition taken from Psychology: From Science to Practice, Second edition. Major Subfields of Psychology Table 1.2. 11, 50.