SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DATABASE ENVIRONMENT - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 82

Information Sharing Schemes
To relate users to the database environment in an organization, we suggested above
some ways for dividing them into groups. Users fell into natural groups based on
their responsibility levels, business functions, and locations. Data sharing involves
each group making use of data created by other groups. If a group in the account-
ing division creates data about invoices and stores the data in the database, other
groups in the marketing and planning divisions share this data. When you examine
the contents of the database, you will note that various user groups create specific
segments of the database either by recording or updating data in the course of their
processes.
When each user group needs data from the database to perform its business
processes, the content and format of the data are relevant. Some user groups need
very detailed data; others want summaries. Some user groups require data about
single business objects such as customer, order, or invoice; others must have data
about multiple objects. Data content and format are essential factors facilitating
information sharing.
How does the database enable information sharing? How do data content and
format play significant roles in information sharing? What are the information
schemes? How exactly does information sharing happen? We will go back to the
ways in which we grouped users and consider each method of grouping and note
how information sharing takes place within each set of groups.
Among Functional Departments This is where organizations gain the most
advantage from information sharing. This was also the primary problem area in file-
oriented systems with data files restricted to each functional department. When
information is shared among departments performing distinct functions, all for
carrying out the objectives of the core business, organizations obtain the greatest
benefits.
Let us consider the customer service department—a department crucial for
customer retention. This department, by itself, does not create and enter too much
data into the database. Perhaps the department records basic data on each customer
contact. On the other hand, it needs data created and entered by other departments
to perform customer service functions. Imagine a customer calling the customer
service department to check on his or her orders and to ask other questions
about some specific products. The customer service department must be able to
respond and provide the following types of information: breakdown of sales to
the inquiring customer, product stock, back order status, billing clarifications, and
so on. Some of the information relates to detailed data, and a few other types
of information are based on summary data. Where does the customer service
department get information to serve the customer? The department relies on data
created by other departments. It has to share the information produced by other
departments.
Figure 3-6 illustrates information sharing in a specific case.
Note how the customer service department makes use of data created by other
departments. Also, observe the types of data entered into the database by these
other departments and how the types of data enable the customer service depart-
ment to perform its processes.