database design our tried and tested approach

Mention "...we are introducing a new database system..." to an employee and see the look of horror. Past experience has probably told them this means: software which is difficult to use; changing the way they work; day to day tasks taking longer than before; complex learning curves.

It doesn't have to be that way and it shouldn't be that way.

How we work:

All too often database developer work aloof from their customers, the result: The system is easy to use for IT experts but difficult for average employees; The customer ends up having to modify the way they work to suit their new database system.

This approach seldom results in a successful and efficient information management system.

Support for Organisations approach is to work WITH customers and wherever practical onsite to fully understand our customers working methods, practices and norms. Our expertise in operational processes mean we often recommend improvements to working practices, but these suggestions are made before database design commences. Once our customers working methods have been fully understood we begin the database design stages, again we work hand in hand with our customer. Over the last nine years we have learned that involving our customers during the development results in databases they are comfortable using.

Some of the key stages are shown below:

Understand the customers working practices, methods and procedures including existing database systems
Agree key performance measures (metrics) and data required for management reporting
Agree and Document the database design specification
Design the data structure and database backend
Where applicable import existing customer data
Design the user interface in conjunction with the customer.
Conduct extensive testing and debugging
Beta launch for final testing involving the customer
Refine the database design in conjunction with the database testing
Launch database (final installation and commissioning)
Provide training to our customers management and employees
Provide ongoing support

Technical Capability:

Database platforms supported

We are able to work with virtually any database backend which is ODBC compatible. The principal databases we support include:

Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Server Express.
MySQL
Microsoft Access

User interface design:

All our database designs apply a split design methodology. The backend databases supported are shown above. We design database front ends (user interfaces) using either Microsoft Access combined with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Alternatively we can design a website interface using either PHP or ASP as the interfacing language.

There is an increasing trend towards web interfaces since this enables data to be used external to an organisation. Where there are specific style requirements, we work in conjunction with our web design group Foremost Web Design.