Database Reference
In-Depth Information
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Observe how data are used in a business process. Use a lowchart to document the transac-
tions of data in the business process. Data transaction lowcharts are helpful in implement-
ing database activities later.
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Examine the company's documents about its business process. For example, the currently
used forms and reports are a good source. he company's documents also provide informa-
tion about the business rules. You can also ind useful information from existing spread-
sheets, database backups, and security measures imposed on the business process.
To illustrate the information collection process, a case study on information collection is given
below.
2.2.1 Interview Key Players
As an example, let us consider the class registration process for Jackson University. Currently,
Jackson University's registration oice is still using the traditional way for class registration. he
oice is planning to provide an online registration system to replace the current paper-based reg-
istration system. To keep track of student and class information, a database must be developed to
support the online registration system. As a database designer, you are asked to collect the require-
ments for the future database.
he investigation starts with interviewing key players: students, registration clerks, registration
director, and faculty members involved in the business process. he following are the key players'
responses.
Registration Director
: Currently, students have to drive to campus to register for classes.
Jackson University is located in a rural area. Some students may have to travel over 100 miles for class
registration. An online registration system will greatly help those students. he registration records
are currently stored in a ile cabinet. he registration information is also partially stored in an Access
database, which is created on a personal computer. he Access database is less secure and does not
have enough room to hold a lot of information. Each semester, we need to print thousands of copies
of new class schedules; this costs us a lot of money. We want the new database to be able to support
online registration, to be more secure, and to store all the information we want to keep track of.
Registration Clerks
: he paper-based registration is not eicient. Manually entering tons
of students' information into the personal computer is tedious. We would like to have electronic
forms so that information entered by students can be directly saved to the database. Our current
Access database can only store limited student information. We would like our next database to
store all the registration-related information, including courses, classes, classrooms, class sched-
ules, students, and professors.
Students
: he current registration system is not convenient for us. Some of us have to drive for
hours for registration. We have to search for class information through various printed materials
that are only available on campus. On registration days, there could be hundreds of students wait-
ing in line for registration. An online registration system is really what we need.
Faculty Members
: We would like to use the online registration system to obtain information
about our advisees and the settings of our classes.
2.2.2 Observe How Data Are Used in Business Processes
First, a student needs to ind a class that is ofered next semester by searching the class schedule.
he student may also need to check the course catalog to learn about the course content and
