Questions to Ask When Designing a Database

The following are some questions to consider when designing a Notes database. These questions are intended to be a starting point to help facilitate communication and ultimately start the design process. After the project has been initiated, you'll want to have a meeting to discuss or review the project requirements.

Project Questions

1.	What's the purpose of the application?
2.	Who are the stakeholders, or users, of the application?
3.	How much will the application cost to develop?
4.	How much funding is available?
5.	What are the project requirements?
6.	What is the timeline for implementation?
7.	How will project success be defined?
8.	Where will the application reside (e.g., on which server)?
9.	How will the application be implemented (phased approach or straight cutover)?
10.	What tools will be used to manage the project?
11.	What is the backup and restore procedure?
12.	What is the backup frequency?
13.	Are there any country- (or culture-) specific requirements (such as date, phone, and postal code format)?
14.	Who will support the application after it is deployed?
15.	What are the application support hours?

General Application Questions

1.	How many forms will be created?
2.	Are there sample forms?
3.	What information needs to be captured and stored?
4.	Who will use the forms?
5.	Will some users have more authority than other users?
6.	Will some information be visible to some users and not to others?
7.	Will the document need approvals? If so, what's the approval process?
8.	Will the application be accessed from Lotus Notes, a Web browser, or both?
9.	Who will have access to the database application?
10.	What type of reports can be generated?
11.	Is there a feedback or problem-reporting mechanism for the tool?
12.	Who will have "Admin" authority?
13.	Is this an internal or external customer application?
14.	Are there additional implications if this is an external application?
15.	Are there confidential fields that are visible internally but hidden to external customers?
16.	Are there corporate business or security guidelines that must be met?

Workflow Application Questions

1.	Are there fields that need to be locked based on the status of the document?
2.	What is the workflow process?
3.	Who can create documents?
4.	Who can approve documents?
5.	Is there a process to "reset" the status of a document?
6.	If workflow includes a "cancel" status, can the document be reopened?
7.	Does the application require a history or log file to track status changes and approvals?
8.	Are there multiple levels of approvals?
9.	What are the roles, or levels of authority, for the tool?
10.	Does the administrator have the authority to override changes?
11.	What happens if an approver is out of towncan you specify a backup approver? Can the administrator approve?

Web Application Questions

1.	How will users log in to the application (Windows Active Directory or Domino login)?
2.	Is there a default browser for the company?
3.	Will this be purely a Web-based application, or will the application be accessed from both Web browsers and Lotus Notes clients?
4.	Can the customer attach documents via a Web browser?
5.	Who will manage the creation of user IDs and passwords?