DATABASE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 97

In the rest of this chapter, we will be studying each step or phase of DDLC
in sufficient detail. However, at this point, let us highlight the objective for each
step.
Planning. Review the organization's long-term plan; plan specifically for the data-
base system.
Feasibility study. Study the state of readiness; establish the costs and benefits.
Requirements definition. Define the business objects or entities; determine data
requirements.
Design. Complete logical design; transform it into physical design.
Implementation and deployment. Populate database; train users; get database
ready for applications.
Maintenance and growth. Perform ongoing maintenance; plan for growth of the
database system.
Roles and Responsibilities
Who are the people responsible for database design and development? Who are the
people doing the design and implementation phases? Who gathers the data
requirements? What are their roles? What types of specialized skills are needed in
the major design and development effort? To a limited extent, we have already
looked at the roles of database practitioners and database users. Now, we will define
the roles more precisely. First, a few points about the specialized skills that are nec-
essary in a database project.
Specialized Skills For a company, the launching of a database system for the first
time is a major undertaking. The transition is from a file-oriented data system to a
completely different approach to storing, accessing, and using data. The company
needs to modify its very attitude and practices about data usage. The people respon-
sible for designing and developing the database system need a whole new set of
skills for proceeding through the DDLC phases. Database design and development
demands different techniques and poses greater challenges.
Here is an indication of specialized skills needed for the various phases:
Planning. Ability to interpret the organization's long-term plan and apply it to the
database plan.
Feasibility study. Skills to assess the resource requirements, calculate costs, and
determine tangible and intangible benefits.
Requirements definition. Analytical skills to identify business objects and related
data, knowledge of interviewing techniques, and ability to collect and present
requirements in a complete and correct way.