The Fact-Finding System
Fact-finding is particularly important in the early stages of the database development lifecycle which involves database planning, definition of the system, as well as the collection and analysis of the requirements (Connolly, 2010). It is during the early stages of developing the database that the developer captures all the important facts required in the process. Fact-finding is also used during the early stages but not as much. The database developer needs to identify facts about the current and the future systems. The major steps in the development of a database system are database planning, system definition, collection and analysis of the requirements, database design, application design, DBMS selection, prototyping, implementation, data conversion and loading, testing, and operational maintenance. Techniques that a database developer is likely to use in the fact-finding process are examining of documentation, interviewing, observing the operation enterprise, research, and questionnaires (Connolly, 2010). The paper analyzes the process of fact-finding to develop a database system for a Book Rental Company.
Applying the fact-finding technique in database development process involves an overview of the Book Rental Company, which whose main activity will be renting out books to registered members. The books are rented at a daily rate, and a member can get up to ten books. The rental system has a return date, and each book is assigned a unique catalogue number. The library has a unique number, and each staff is also assigned a unique number throughout the company (Connolly, 2010).
Data held on the Branch table 1.
| Book Rental Company
Branch No_12__
|
|
Branch Address 31 Wright Rd, Hollister, CA 95023
City __Los Angeles_
State __California___
|
Zip Code__36__
Telephone No_ Telephone (831) 244-1200
|
Data held on the Branch Staff members table 2.
| Book Rental Company
Staff No __L/655/2001____
|
|
Staff Name Richard Keating
Position Held Customer Service Officer
|
Salary___$ 64,345___Annual Base Salary
|
Data held on the Book table 3
| Book Rental Company
Catalogue No _6735489544278___
|
|
Copy No __L/0002/2014___
Title Strategic Management in the Arts
Category - Social Science ( X ), Natural Science ( ), Ficition ( ), Engineering ( ).
|
Daily Rental ___$ 9______
Cost ___$ 33.5________
Status – Available ( X ), Not Available ( )
Name(s) of Author(s) Varbanova, L Publisher Routledge Publishers
|
Data held on the Member table 4.
| Book Rental Company
Member No ___L/M/003445___
|
|
First Name _Stephan_
Address 24 Wright Rd, Hollister, CA 9345
Registration Date __L/M/3445/14__
|
Last Name _Stubner__
No of Rented Books____4____
|
Data held on Rented Books table 5.
| Book Rental Company
Rental No__654/2014__
|
|
Full Name of the Member_Stephan Stubner__
Member’s No ___L/M/003445___
Book No _6735489544278___
Copy No _6735489544278/21___
|
Title Strategic Management in the Arts
Daily Rental Rate ___$ 9___
Rental Date __March 6, 2014___
Return Date __March 13, 2014__
|
To create a mission for the Book Rental Company database system, the first question should be the purpose of the company? The company main purpose in this case is to provide learning materials. The next question would be the why the need for the database? (Connolly, 2010). The Book Rental Company is dedicated to developing a database as a creative initiative that will enhance the sharing and exchange of the books. The mission statement would, therefore, be “To inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and empower our generation through creativity, exchange and sharing”. Connolly (2010) notes that the system also requires mission objectives. In this case, mission statements will include; to maintain data on all branches; to maintain data on staff; to maintain data on books for rent; to maintain data on registered members, and to maintain data on rented books. System definition entails defining the boundary and scope of the database system and its users.
Summary table 6.
| Data |
Access Type |
Director |
Manager |
Customer Service Officer |
| All Branches
Branch |
Branch No |
x |
x |
x |
| Address |
x |
x |
x |
| State |
x |
x |
x |
| City |
x |
x |
x |
| Zip No |
x |
x |
x |
| Telephone Number |
x |
x |
x |
| Branch No |
x |
x |
x |
| Address |
x |
x |
x |
| State |
x |
x |
x |
| City |
x |
x |
x |
| Zip No |
x |
x |
x |
| Telephone Number |
x |
x |
x |
| All Staff
Branch Staff |
Staff No |
x |
|
|
| Name |
x |
|
|
| Position |
x |
|
|
| Salary |
x |
|
|
| Staff No |
x |
|
|
| Name |
x |
x |
|
| Position |
x |
x |
|
| Salary |
x |
x |
|
| Books-All Branches
Single Branch |
Catalogue No |
x |
x |
x |
| Title |
x |
x |
x |
| Category |
x |
x |
x |
| Daily Rental |
x |
x |
x |
| Cost |
x |
x |
x |
| Status |
x |
x |
x |
| Author’s Name |
x |
x |
x |
| Publisher |
x |
x |
x |
| Catalogue No |
x |
x |
x |
| Title |
x |
x |
x |
| Category |
x |
x |
x |
| Daily Rental |
x |
x |
x |
| Cost |
x |
x |
x |
| Status |
x |
x |
x |
| Author’s Name |
x |
x |
x |
| Publisher |
x |
x |
x |
| Member- All Branches
Single Branch |
Member No |
x |
x |
|
| Name |
x |
x |
|
| Address |
x |
x |
|
| Registration Date |
x |
x |
|
| Member No |
x |
x |
|
| Name |
x |
x |
|
| Address |
x |
x |
|
| Registration Date |
x |
x |
|
| Rented Books-All Branch
Single Branch |
Rental Number |
x |
|
|
| Member’s no |
x |
|
|
| Book No |
X |
|
|
| Copy No |
x |
|
|
| Title |
x |
|
|
| Daily Rental Rate |
x |
|
|
| Rental Date |
x |
|
|
| Return Date |
x |
|
|
| Rental Number |
x |
|
|
| Member’s no |
x |
x |
x |
| Book No |
x |
x |
x |
| Copy No |
x |
x |
x |
| Title |
x |
x |
x |
| Daily Rental Rate |
x |
x |
x |
| Rental Date |
x |
x |
x |
| Return Date |
x |
x |
x |
References
Connolly, T. (2010).
Database systems : a practical approach to design, implementation, and management. Addison Wesley.