Database Design Assessment: Solving Business Problems

Client Brief

The aim of this assessment is to assess the student’s ability to solve business problems using database design tool and software. It also aims to enable students to think about the impacts of using IT in Businesses and communicate key issues through a written report

Many companies depend on the accurate recording, updating and tracking of their data on a minute-to-minute basis. Employees access this data using databases. An understanding of this technology allows business professionals to be able to perform their work effectively.

Database Application

NAM’s executive management based on the result of the cost-benefit analysis recommendation to develop the inventory and sales database management system in house. Currently it has a sample orders spreadsheet that looks like this: 

There are other related spreadsheets being used. Some examples are customer information spreadsheet, sale representative spreadsheet, product information spreadsheet. NAM had to create several spreadsheets because of its inherent size limitations. Increase in their sales and growth continues and they have to split its order data into multiple spreadsheets to fit in new information.

NAM’s employees have difficulty accessing related data. For example, if the sales representative wants to see a customer’s address and the product’s standard price, the employee must open and search other spreadsheets that contain this data.

Having decided to replace its spreadsheet to a database, management has determined that Premiere Products must maintain the following information about its sales reps, customers, and parts inventory: 

• The sales rep number, last name, first name, address, total commission, and commission rate for each sales rep.

• The customer number, name, address, current balance, and credit limit for each customer, as well as the number of sales rep who represents the customer.

• The part number, description, number of units on hand, item class, number of warehouse where the item is stored, and unit price for each part in inventory.

• NAM must also store information about its orders. The figure below shows a sample order: 

The sample order has three components: 

• Heading (top) of the order contains the order number and date; the customer’s number, name, and address; and the sales rep’s number and name

• The body of the order contains one or more order lines. Each order line contains a part number, a part description, the number of units of the part ordered, and the quoted price for the part. Each order line also contains a total (line total), which is a result of multiplying the number ordered by the quoted price.

• The footing of the order contains the order total. 

1. NAM needs a new database designed and implemented given the information provided above.

2. They also need the following forms created:

a. Customer Information Form

b. Sales Representative Form

c. Order Form d. Product Information Form

3. The following are some of the queries that should be answered by the database:

a. List of all products they are selling (product id, product name, category)

b. List of all the customers (customer no. and customer name) who lives in the state of Victoria (VIC).

c. List of all sales representatives with commission rate greater than 5%.

d. List of all customers (customer no. and customer name) and their sales representatives name. e. List of all sales representatives no., sales rep name, product no., product name ordered during the month of May.

4. Priority reports that are needed are the following:

a. List of products (Product, id, product name, category, product price and quantity on hand)

b. List of all customers (customer no., customer name, address) with balances greater than 5000

c. List of sales representatives (sales rep no., sales rep name) and their commission. Report should show in order (from highest to lowest) the sales rep commission.

Students are expected to develop a database given the same organisational brief used in assessments 1-3. Students need to design and implement the database using LibreOffice Base. Additional information is provided below and some tasks will be done during the week you are expected to implement a practical activity.  

The following are the list of requirements:

• Explain why is the organisation needs to use a database.

• Create an E-R Diagrams using Diagram Editor

• Convert the E-R diagrams to tables and convert to Third Normal Form

• Create database tables using LibreOffice Base

• Create queries and forms using LibreOffice Base and SQL

• Identify IT controls needed and ethical, privacy and security issues the organisation might encounter when using databases.