Questions to ask when creating someone a database

[YNWA]

I have to go to a meeting and find out what a group of people want from their database which will most likely consist of a few tables and a form(s).

Do people have any good questions that I should be asking them about their requirements, goals, aims, expectations etc...?

Any help is good help
Cheers
Will

 

[DCrake]

The first thing you must do is if not already aware of the company is to research them. See what they do, see if you can guestimate what they want. By offering them suggestions that are akin with their organisation can give you good brownie points.

Talk about what they want the final solution to do, how many people do they expect to be using it. What infrstructure do they have in place. Do they have their own IT dept that looks after users and restrictions. How many records do they envisuage they will have in 3 years time. This will help in determing the life span of the product.

Do they need to "talk" to other systems, such as Excel, Word. What have they got in place now and why are they taking this step. Can the data be migrated form the legacy system.

What is their budget and time scales. Basically you come up with a feasability report. This covers the Technical, Financial & social aspects. Can it be done? Can we afford it? will the end users actually use it?

Importantly ask them to set up a working group that will include ast least one end user. Managers do not know the day to day workings, whereas end users do. They will be the most inspirational people. Get them on your side and you are laughing.

There are lots of other things but these are the most important issues. If I have left anything out then its not that I don't consider it important, it's just that it has not jumped out at me.

David

 

[YNWA]

Ok cheers.

This meeting is for a department at work, basically for end users to enter info into the form, store it in a DB for analysis and later use if need be, Will basically be storing patient records.

We have no budget as its all done under my salary and job description.

They currently have a DB in place with a load of old records, they then have another DB with new records and another DB with both records, which will consist of duplicate entries etc...

So they need a single DB to store all old data, current data and new data without creating keeping duplicates etc... and also give them a single DB to use instead of flicking between 3.

I currently have these questions...

1. What does the current database store and what user requirements does it cater for?
2. Why is it being replaced?
3. Does new database have to cater for ALL the processes in the current database?
4. If not, then what processes MUST it cater for?
5. What additional requirements will the new database need to meet?
6. Does it require a user form? What data will users be entering and what data MUST users be entering?
7. Timescale for completion?

Any good?
Cheers
Will

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Get them to agree a complete specification/scope before you start work.

You can thrash that out at the meeting, but make sure it's all written down and signed off - all too often, a project will be kicked off based on a general description of requirements and at every progress update along the way, the end users (or whoever) will ask for more features and functionality. This can turn a straightforward project into an impossible, never-ending task.

Probably worth asking how the function is being handled at the moment - you might want to base some of your data structures (or at least the presentation in some forms) on hard copy documents or spreadsheets that they are currently using.

Who (individual or department) will 'own' the system when it is released? (who will be responsible for enforcing any data entry policies, etc.

Will all of the users be on board with the idea of changing to a new system (up to you if you ask that one, but be aware that releasing an application to a willing userbase is much simpler than to a reluctant group - because they will not care about using it properly, or may purposely try to break it)

What do they expect to put into the system (how much, and what kind of data)
What do they want out of the system (reports, analyses, exports)