a) Case study. Write a case scenario, describing a situation that requires a relational database for fresh, operational data capture. Case requirements: • The case must reflect a real-life situation rather than being merely contrived. It may be based either on a setting you are already familiar with (e.g., a past job, a personal or family business, a charitable cause you care about, etc.), or alternatively it might be more speculative (e.g., related to a new startup enterprise). The topic may be on anything from tracking customers, to managing work processes, to selling products or services, to controlling inventory, and so on. • The case must include a thoughtful opening paragraph. The opening paragraph clearly identifies a specific decision maker (you or another person), and convincingly explains why a new database is needed. • The case must be engaging and readable. Feel free to employ drama, humour, adventure or other writing elements. Be sure to include citations to any sources you have used, (websites, articles, books, etc.). • The case must introduce and explain critical concerns/issues/needs. The issues should be described from the case subject’s point of view, and they must be potentially answerable through data and analyses. • The case must provide sufficient written details. Using the written case, the reader must be able to construct a relatively complete data model, with something in the range of 10-20 entities. b) Data model. Provide a complete, one-page graphical entity-relationship data model for the situation you have described, using the Barker data modelling technique covered in class.
