MGT300 - Chapter 7

STORING ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

What is Information?

Information is everywhere in an organization. Information is stored in databases. A database is to maintain information about various types of objects(inventory), events(transactions), people(employees), and places(warehouse).

Database models include:

Hierarchical database model

Information is organized into a tree-like structure(using parent/child relationships) in such a way that it cannot have too many relationships-organizational charts

Network database model

A flexible way of representing objects and their relationships

Relational database model

Stores information in the form of logically related two-dimensional tables

What is Entity?

A person, place, thing, transaction, or event about which information is stored

The rows in each table contain the entities
In Figure 7.1 CUSTOMER includes Dave's Sub Shop and Pizza Palace entities.

What is Attributes?

It is fields, columns. Characteristics or properties of an entity class

The columns in each table contain the attributes
In Figure 7.1 attributes for CUSTOMER include Customer ID, Customer Name, Contact Name.

Keys and Relationships?

Primary keys and foreign keys identify the various entity classes(tables) in the database.

1. Primary Key - A field(or group of fields) that uniquely identifies a given entity in a table

2. Foreign Key - A primary key of one table that appears an attribute in another table and acts to provide a logical relationship between the two tables.

Potential relational database for Coca-Cola

Advantages?

Database advantages from a business perspectives include

Increased flexibility
Increased scalability and performance
Reduced information redundancy
Increased information integrity(quality)
Increased information security

1. Increased flexibility

A well-designed database should:

Handle changes quickly and easily
Provide users with different views
Have only one physical view // Physical view - deals with the physical storage of information on a storage device
Have multiple logical views // Logical view - focuses on how users logically access information

2. Increased scalability and performance

A database must scale to meet increased demand while maintaining acceptable performance levels.

Scalability - refers to how well a system can adapt to increased demands
Performance - measures how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction.

3. Reduced Information Redundancy

Database reduces information redundancy // Redundancy - the duplication of information or storing the same information in multiple places.
Inconsistency is one of the primary problems with redundant information

4. Increased Information Integrity

Information Integrity - measures the quality of information

Integrity constraint - rules that help ensure the quality of information

⇒ Relational integrity constraint

It is used to ensure accuracy and consistency of data in a relational database.

Users cannot create an order for a nonexistent customer.

An order cannot be shipped without an address

⇒ Business-critical integrity constraint

In database management, business-critical integrity constraints enforce a company's rules
For example, a company can code a constraint that prevents a checkout counter from giving a customer a discount greater than 25% or refuses returns of produce purchased more than 15 days ago.

5. Increased Information Security

Information is an organizational asset and must be protected

Databases offer several security features including:

Password - provides authentication of the user
Access level - determines who has access to the different types of information
Access control - determines types of user access, such as read-only access.

What is Database Management Systems(DBMS)?

A computer software through which users and application programs interact with a database.

What is Data-driven Web sites?

An interactive Web sites kept constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its customers through the use of a database. A data-driven Website invites visitors to select and view what they are interested in by inserting a query, which the Website then analyzes and custom builds a Web page in real-time that satisfies the query.

Data-Driven Web site Business Advantages?

Development
Content Management
Future Expandability
Minimizing Human Error
Cutting Production and Update Costs
More Efficient
Improved Stability

What is Data-Driven Business Intelligence(BI)?

BI in a data-driven Website - Website can offer insight into the business, such as items browsed, frequent requests, item bought together, etc.

Integrating Information among Multiple Databases

Integration - allows separate systems to communicate directly with each other; enter information into the systems once and it is automatically sent to all of the other systems throughout the organization.

Forward integration - takes information entered into a given system and sends it automatically to all downstream systems and processes
Backward integration - takes information entered into a given system and sends it automatically to all upstream systems and processes.