DATABASE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 104

• Special opportunities
• Challenges, internal and external
• People responsible for executing parts of the plan
Now let us consider each of these major components and see how it applies to
planning the database project.
Scope and duration. These set the boundaries in terms of geographic and logical
extents as well as in terms of time. You will know who will need data in the future,
what types of data, and when.
General goals. These are broad statements of what the organization wishes to do
in the future. For example, an organization may intend to strengthen certain product
lines and drop a few lines in the future. Or an organization may express a general
theme of cost cuts. It may emphasize an overall improvement in product shipments.
It may underscore progress in customer service. General goals do not come with
definable targets. What can we do about general goals in the database systems? Use
general goals to identify areas of special emphasis and ensure that the database
covers these areas. If improvement of customer service is emphasized as a general
goal, make sure that the database would contain data elements to support this busi-
ness function.
Specific objectives. These take the form of directives with set targets. For example,
a specific objective of an organization may be increasing the market
share by 5 percent within three years or a 6 percent increase in overall sales within
five years. Specific objectives tend to be aggressive and definite. Defined action
items also accompany specific objectives. For example, the objective of increased
market share may be accomplished through expansions in the western and
central regions. Look for specific objectives in the organization's long-term business
plan. These are not like general goals. Those formulating the database plan must
take the specific objectives seriously and ensure that the proposed database system
supports these specific objectives completely. Pay special attention to the action
items. If an expansion in the market in the central region is set forth as an action
item, then plan to have the database include additional stores and offices in that
region.
Special opportunities. The long-term business plan may detect certain trends
and spot opportunities that are likely to result from these trends. For example, if
your organization is a financial institution, the lowering of interest rates is
expected to increase the number of loans that can be offered. Assess the expres-
sion of these opportunities in the business plan and then plan to accommodate the
data requirements in the database system. If the number of loans is expected to
increase, plan to include all data elements that will make loan processing easier and
faster.
Challenges. The proposed database system can help the organization in overcom-
ing some of the challenges the organization faces or is likely to confront in the near