| When business owners discover that a better | | | | The requirements can be housed in record layouts that |
| database design gives them greater voice in | | | | allow for multilayered tiers of details and still maintain |
| embedding their desired business rules into their | | | | an organized high level approach for continuous |
| application software also find out that this approach | | | | reporting at various user levels. Reports for the |
| contributes significantly to cost savings - their interests | | | | programmers can help them ascertain their progress |
| are spurred into an accelerated project acceptance | | | | while other reports at other levels can help clerical |
| mode. | | | | personal and management contributors envision the |
| This truism comes to fruition quickly. Because when a | | | | development of the application to its conclusion. |
| development team begins their requirements analysis | | | | The specifications can be collected during the |
| with tables and record layouts that portray the | | | | requirements and prototyping phases and used |
| business owner's needs in terms they can more | | | | effectively as guidelines for project control. Each |
| readily work with, they reveal a more accurate picture | | | | itemized specification can be examined by any number |
| of the end product. This in turn tends to contribute to | | | | of project team members. This keeps them informed |
| the developer's ease of picturing the outcome and | | | | as to the performance results. Each and every test |
| therefore spends less time in wrong design directions. | | | | employed can now verify and validate the main |
| All of the activities described above ultimately lead to | | | | contributing components of the business plan. |
| less time, more cost savings and a better application | | | | And there is no doubt that careful storage and control |
| that business owners can be happy about. | | | | of the numerous comments that come with the normal |
| If you are a developer or consultant working in the field | | | | development process can greatly improve the |
| of computer software design for business owners it | | | | accuracy and full roundness of structural integrity |
| might be to your advantage to consider beginning all of | | | | making the system fully operational to everyone's |
| your projects from the database and work out toward | | | | satisfaction. |
| the business reporting and information gathering needs. | | | | Along with all of this, keep in mind, that new features |
| There are several reasons why this approach is sound | | | | and expanded functions can easily be incorporated |
| but the one overwhelming reason is captured by the | | | | because the database is an open book to everything |
| idea that your database design can concurrently | | | | included in the final automated business system. |
| contain the requirements, specifications, and comments | | | | This again is why it is wise to hold closely to the idea |
| you will need to install a fully functioning set of | | | | that your database can return cost savings and richer |
| computer programs whose performance satisfies | | | | performance to you if you incorporate these design |
| your customer. | | | | principles briefly outlined in this article. |