Situation / Environment
You are the DBA (department manager) of a medium sized enterprise that
has an existing data base system and the beginnings of an enterprise
Data Warehouse. The current system has dozens of RDBMS tables,
several dependent Data Marts well as several legacy HDBMS data bases
and many independent files. There is a data dictionary, but no
complete metacatalog. There are many application programs that
support the various functional departments. The business users are
familiar with the system, and have their own ad-hoc queries. Thwew is
a central corporate data base that supports the central enterprise
organizations, and the remote locations (distribution centers and
sales offices).
Upper management has decided to extend their existing Data Warehouse
to support a planned e-commerce capability, and has expressed concern
that the existing RDBMS system will not adequateky support the demands
of a distributed data base environment, and a new web-based portal
that will allow the customer to access the product catalog (with
pictures and other relevant product information).
Your team is to evaluate the two following technologies and recommend
whether the enterprise should install this proposed technology in
adition to / or replace the existing DBMS.
1. Client / Server Data Base
2. Star Schema
Since you should assume that Executive Management is not familiar with
these technologies, you need to address both business and technical
considerations.
Following is a suggested outline, which should be used for EACH of the
evaluations SEPERATELY.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guidelines - Outline for Technical Report to CTO / CIO
Executive Summary
Briefly (about one page) describe the technology in non-technical
terms - What is it, and how is it different from, and how will it
integrate with, the current system.
Summarize the key benefits from implementing the technology.
Summarize your recommendation, including the implementation plan
(required resources, schedule, costs, etc.) Evaluate relevant
alternatives.
Discussion
Expand upon the exec summary
Problem definition,
Pleanning assumptions
Any modifications to current business practices
Benefits - Impact (tangible, intangible)
Critical success factors risks
Indicate if the system must be implemented in more than one phase, or
project. The appendix should provide a proposed schedule with
resource requirements. Define the phases, and indicate when the first
phase will be implemented, and the initial benefits.
Indicate if the company should implement any short term and long term
strategies to minimize the impact of the new system and to exploit the
opportunity within the company. Your recommendations should address
the following.
1. The technical infrastructure (changes to the existing structure)
2. The new data base architecture
3. Development and Implementation of new software . . . .
Indicate the benefits from implementing the recommendations
(financial, qualitative, legal, organizational, competitive).
Briefly describe and evaluate any feasible alternatives, and summarize
their advantages and disadvantages, and why they are not the preferred
recommendation. Ex.
1. Completely redesign / replace our current system to install the
new technology
2. Integrate the new technology with the current system
3. Outsource our system to an ASP, who will be responsible for
developing and operating it. Other firms in our industry have done
so, at an annual cost of $$
4. Make the following minimal changes to our system. This will
provide the basic benefits at minimal cost.
Estimate the first year and subsequent annual cost of the recommended
plan. This should include any increased HW and SW licene costs, and
costs of additional skills and people.
There are intangible and qualitative costs. These might incluse
1. The cost of lost customer good will
2. Lower employee morale
Recommend the preferred vendor. State if it has to be customized /
adapted to interface with the existing system, and any bridge software
that will have to be developed in-house (or hire a consulting firm).
State the reasons for the recommendation: Ex. because it is
compatible with our existing systems...because they are recognized as
being one of the leading vendors...because it is the best combination
of function and price
Conclusion and rcommendations
sumarize the recommendation
Appendix
The appendix contains the supporting data and lists the relevant
information sources (technical articles, vendor's supporting
literature, any internal department positions, etc.) |
