Unit 3 Assignments

Please read all 3 before attempting your individual and group assignments.

1.  Short DFD description

2. Read this literature on Swim Lane Diagrams

3.  Read the chapter on Databases  See chapter 4

Finish the readings in Assignment 1 above before proceeding to work on this assignment.

Practical Databases

You may need to research personal vs enterprise DBMS so you can answer the last part of each question.

A. Suppose you are a logistics planner for a consumer electronics company.  You are responsible for delivery of materials needed to the sites for trade shows. Trade shows happen though out the year and you keep a calendar of each one your company participates in.  Generally, four weeks before each show, you meet with the marketing managers and determine what displays and equipment they will need on site for each upcoming trade show.  Your job is to identify each of the components that needs to be shipped and schedule a shipper to deliver them to the trade show site on time for assembly into a booth. Once the show is over, the booth materials and all equipment is shipped back to your home office. When the equipment arrives, you check it into your warehouse to ensure that all pieces of the booth and all equipment are returned. If there are problems due to shipping damage or loss, you handle those problems.  The shipments include both the booth components and the equipment that will be displayed in the booth.  (Booth components are the walls, carpet display racks, monitors that make up the trade show booth.)

1. You will need to track data about booth components, equipment, shippers, and shipments. List the tables you would use in a relational database application and identify typical fields for each type of data (include primary and foreign keys.)
2. Could you use a spreadsheet to keep track of this data? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
3. Using your answer to question 1, give an example of two relationships that you need to track. Show the keys and foreign keys for each.
4. Which of the following components of a database application are you likely to need: data entry forms, reports, queries, or application program? Explain one use for each that you will need.
5. Will your application be for one user or for multiple users? Will you need a personal DBMS or an enterprise DBMS? If a personal DBMS, which product will you use?

B.  Your neighbor Bob is a tree expert. After years of working for a large company, he has decided to go into business on his own, Bob’s Trees. He asks you to help him understand what data he needs to keep about his customers and work and how to store it.  Initially, he thinks his business will consists of many one-time operations (e.g., removing a tree or stump), as well as recurring services (e.g., trimming customers’ trees every year or two). When business is slow, he will want to call former clients to remind them of his services and of the need to trim their trees on a regular basis.

1. Name and describe tables of data that Bob will need to run Bob’s Trees. List the tables you would use in a relational database application and identify typical fields for each type of data (include primary and foreign keys.)
2. Could Bob use a spreadsheet to keep track of this data? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
3. Using your answer to question 1, give an example of two relationships that Bob needs to track. Show the keys and foreign keys for each.
4. Which of the following components of a database application is Bob likely to need: data entry forms, reports, queries, or application program? Explain one use for each that she needs.
5. Will this application be for one user or for multiple users? Will he need a personal DBMS or an enterprise DBMS? If a personal DBMS, which product will she use?

Assign a group project here that looks at how orders are placed and fulfilled based on Inventory availability, Credit available, and need for special terms. Cover inventory and credit allocation and deallocation.  Groups should be able to decompose a process at this point.