A Database a Day, Can Make 1

A Database a Day Can Make Bad Business Decisions Go Away

Colorado Technical University Online

I was just brought into the folds of a great company, as their systems manager. My main

reason for joining this team is take a look at all the data that is scattered throughout the company

in a variety of different formats and come up with a solution that will effectively help to heal this

problem. With years of experience working with databases management systems or DBMS, just

like I doctor I will recommend this solution to help keep the bad data doctors away. A DBMS is

a "software application that is designed to allow for the fast, accurate, and secure storage and

retrieval of data" (CTU Online. (Ed.) Database Management System, 2010). Currently, ELI has

data in a variety of formats, including but not limited to Word documents, spreadsheets,

proprietary databases, and even some individual databases. I will touch on both the reasons that

this system is not working and also on the reasons that a DBMS will best benefit ELI and how it

will make them competitive in the years to come with their business.

Have a companies data in a variety of formats, on many different machines, being

managed by many indivudals is a reciepe for data disaster. This is how redundancy errors,

duplications, erratic and unreliable data, and even security issues can happen. If you have user A

writing up a proposal for a new client, and then they save it to a drive with a copy of the original
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document (the un-finished rough draft version), there becomes a distinct possibility that if

someone pulls this document to become a part of the final package, they might pull the wrong

one. This would result in a poorly put together package and even the loss of business. Being

unpredictable and spontaneous in a new relationship might be fun in high school, but it can be

detrimental in a business setting. Another problem that I have seen in busiesses that do not

implement a DBMS solution, is when a user saves a document to their “logon” in a place that is

not accessible to everyone and then something happens to that person, be it being let go, or even

just sick for a day or so. It always seems that is the time when someone else needs to get the

document at that moment and then no one has access to it, and a lot of time is wasted trying to

retrieve the document (maybe by calling the IT department) or by having to completely redo the

document. Again, this type of situation can cause the loss of business as it is not very

professional having to wait for someone to redo an item that should be prepared and ready. In

the business World, time does equal money, and having documents spread all over the place,

definitely equals loss of time and money. Data integrity and security is another issue that is

currently happening with this setup. The solution to all of these problems is absolutely

implementing a DBMS, it is the data pill that will take away the pain.

A centralized DBMS will give user’s one place where they can retrieve information,

which will elemintate duplicity in data (unless an administrator specifies that duplicate records

can exist). Mulitiple users can access one file and will being seeing the same information no

matter where they are, be it in the same office, a secondary worksite, or on the road (if the

database has access through a virual private network or VPN). A great thing with a DBMS is

that the database administrator can set the who, what, when, where and how data is accessed. If

there is only a need for the sales department and maybe the marketing managers, to access a
 A Database a Day, Can Make 3

certain file, this can be easily implemented with a DBMS. A database will allow however many

users you specifiy to access data and also how many can use it at the same time. It can work like

a library where people “check out” files and then are checked back in for the next person to use.

This prevents errors from happening by making sure that information is updated by one person at

a time.

A properly created and installed DBMS will also elminate the duplication of data. This

happens for the reasons noted above, i.e. not being able to get to a known file when needed, and

also because users might not know that something already exists on a network. If I go to work

for a company, I might not know if there is a master list of clients anywhere, and after looking

around at what I can access with my logon, I then create one. Later into my employment, I

finally note that there was one already created that was much better and more complete then the

one that I have been using and created myself. Data can also be restricted as to how it is entered.

For example, a clients account number should contain four digits and then three alpha character

and then a hypen and the two digit year that the started to work us. Using a DBMS and a

database, will allow you to set this up so that all users have to follow this format, by using

something called a mask. This is another error that can happen in the current setup of ELI. A

centralized DBMS will resolve both of these issues.

A DBMS also provides a company will a secure way to tighten up all the loose ends with

data and ensures data integrity. Every years millions of dollars are lost in a multitude of business

by the loss of data. This can be prevented with a DBMS and the security that can be implemeted

with it. A DBMS protects not only the records within the databases, but also the integrity of the

data. Some of the major components of the security are user authentication (who is logging into

and accessing the databse), user authorization (who can use a file), and encryption of the data
 A Database a Day, Can Make 4

itself (Unk, 2004). The way ELI current has the data spread all over the place, is one of the least

secure ways to work with data. A DBMS will put data in it’s place…the correct one!

In conclusion, the using a DBMS will reduce or elminate data redundancy, error, security

problems, and data inconsistency. All of these issues add up to time and money right now and

this does not give ELI the competitive edge it needs to stay ahead of the game in todays World.

A DBMS will make the team work like a…well a true team. There will be fluidity, security,

many less data errors, no redundancy and data integrity. Any changes in the future can also be

simply added to the existing database solution and will allow ELI to grow into the direction that

it is striving to. This will provide ELI with the future that it is currently striving to get to. By

ELI taking it’s simple medicine and remembering that a database a day can make bad business

decisions go away, they will become one of the next great companies.

Professor Fisher has been one of the best teachers I have had since coming to CTU.

Aside from her being a compassionate person while I was dealing with a MRSA infection, she

really provided GREAT examples on everything (most of which I would consider above and

beyond what most teachers provide at CTU). She made sure that the class environment was set

up to be proactive, with links and files on a vast variety of materials. I also thought that all of the

archived chats were extremely helpful as Professor Fisher went into great detail as to what was

expected for all of the assignments and she also had some great insight about the subject. She is

one of the most valuable instructors (from a students prospective) at CTU for her teaching ability

and also for her foresight as to what her students will need. The class was great! The only thing I

never did fully understand were some of the initial concepts/terminology (from some of the

course materials on the conceptualized components and flow of DBMS creation). I eventually

understood most of it with a bit of outside research. This was in no way Professor Fisher's issue,
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as I had to use just the materials for most of the course with archived chats while I was in and out

of the hospital and never had an opportunity to ask her the questions. On a scale of 1 to 10, I

would click the 11 button if I could…well at least now I can make the button in Access! Thanks

for having such a great Instructor on Staff and for having a wonderful variety of classes.

Bibliography

CTU Online. (Ed.) Database Management System. (2010). CTU Online, Course Materials for

CS251-1002A-01. Retrieved April 2010, 9, from Virtual Campus:

https://campus.ctuonline.edu

Unk. (2004, Feburary 11). Compliance Component. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from Oregon

Institute of Technology: http://oa.mo.gov/itsd/cio/architecture/domains/information/CC-

DBMS_Security080305.pdf