Week 8: Databases and Data Warehouses

List, Describe and Provide an Example of Each of the Five  Characteristics of High Quality Information

As we progress into what is often called the 'Information Age', the gap between what is considered to be low quality and high quality information is becoming of greater significance. This is particularly true in business where information or poor information can cost an organisation time, money and even reputation.

When it comes to determining what is ‘High Quality’ information, the five characteristics looked for are;

·         Accuracy

·         Completeness

·         Consistency

·         Uniqueness

·         Timeliness



Define the Relationship Between a Database and a Database Management System

For many businesses, the most effective way to store and access information is through the use of a database. In its most basic form, a Database maintains information about various types of objects, events, people and places. To help with the finding of information, the database is also usually given a schema which is a description of the objects and entries represented within it and the relationship between them. These schemas can take many different forms and result in the creation of a variety of data models such as;

·         Hierarchical Database Model

·         Network Database Model

·         Relational Database Model

Closely related to the database, is the Database Management System (DBMS) used to run it. Where the database itself, is the particular information and data stored and accessed, the DBMS is simply the computer program used to manage and query the database.

Describe the Advantages an Organisation Can Gain by Using a Database

From a business perspective, the use of databases as a means of storing and accessing information offers many advantages. The five most prominent of these benefits are;

·         Increased Flexibility

·         Increased Scalability and Performance

·         Reduced Information Redundancy

·         Increased Information Integrity

·         Increased Information Security

 

Increased Flexibility. Like strong business structures, a good database can handle changes quickly and easily. As well as this, they also provide an organisation with flexibility by allowing each user to access relevant information in whatever way best suits their needs or requirements.

Increased Scalability and Performance. In today’s modern business world many organisations are finding that they must support hundreds or thousands of online users, all who want to access and share information at a high performance level. In this way databases benefit business operations because they can scale to exceptional levels and allow all types of users and programs to perform information-processing and information-searching tasks at a relatively fast speed.

Reduced Information Redundancy. The duplication of information often occurs in an organisation because information is stored in multiple locations making it inconsistent and possibly inaccurate. Fortunately, databases can eliminate information redundancy by recording each piece of information in only one place. In this way, databases have the benefit of saving space, making updates easier to perform and improving information quality.

Increased Information Integrity. Databases help ensure the quality and integrity of its information through the use of integrity constraints. These constraints are defined and built into the database design and the DBMS then ensures that users never violate these ‘rules’.

Increased Information Security. To any business, information is one of their most valuable organisational assets. For this reason, a firm’s information must be protected from unauthorised users and misuse. The extensive security features offered in many databases such as passwords, access levels and access controls help organisations achieve this.

Define the Fundamental Concepts of the Relational Database Model

The relational database model is a type of database that stores information in the form of logically related two-dimensional tables each consisting of rows and columns. The fundamental concepts of this model are;

·         Entities

·         Entity Classes

·         Attributes

·         Keys

·         Relationships

Entities. People Places, things, transactions or events about which information is stored

 

Entity Classes. The collection of similar entities such as Customers, Products or Distributors

 

Attributes. Also known as fields or columns. They are the characteristics or properties of an entity class

 

Keys. Used to manage and organise various entity classes within the database and create logical relationships between them. A Primary Key is a field or group of fields that uniquely identifies a given entity in a table such as Customer or Product ID. A Foreign Key  is a primary key of one table that appears as an attribute in another table and acts to provide a logical relationship between the two

 

Relationship. A link between two tables of a database which is created when a foreign key in one references the primary key of another.

Describe the Benefits of a Data-Driven Website
 

A data-driven website is an interactive website that is kept constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its users and customers through the use of a database. In a data-driven website such as Wikipedia, the customers can enter search criteria into an engine and the database then runs a quick query and displays the relevant information. It is particularly useful when a site offers a great deal of products or services. These types of dynamic websites are most beneficial to businesses that display continually changing information such as press releases, new product information and updated pricing. Although they can be more expensive than more ‘static’ websites the advantages of data-driven sites are extensive and include;

·         Development

·         Content Management

·         Future Expandability

·         Minimising Human Error

·         Cutting Production and Update Costs

·         More Efficient

·         Improved Stability

If You Were a Sales Manager in a Multinational Company, What are Some Reports You Would Want to See?

Within Multinational companies management must maintain awareness of the happenings both within and outside of their regional area. For this reason database reports can be extremely useful in helping determine the organisation’s current and future position. For example, a Sales Manager from one of these companies may want to see reports such as;

·         Monthly, Quarterly or Yearly Budgets

·         Projected Earnings

·         Sales By Region

·         Reported Profits of Competitors

·         Monthly, Quarterly or Yearly Profits

·         Projected Versus Annual Sales