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.

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