Analyzing the Current Database

   

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Defining a Mission Statement and Mission Objectives

The first phase in the database-design process involves defining a mission statement and mission objectives for the database. The mission statement establishes the purpose of the database and provides you with a distinct focus for your design work.

Every database is created for a specific purpose, whether it's to solve a specific business problem, to manage the daily transactions of a business or organization, or to be used as part of an information system. You identify the purpose of your database and define it within a mission statement . This will help ensure that you develop an appropriate database structure and that you collect the data necessary to support the intended purpose of the database.

Along with the mission statement, you'll define mission objectives in this phase. Mission objectives are statements that represent the general tasks your users can perform against the data in the database. You use these objectives to support your mission statement and to help you determine various aspects of the database structure.

There are two separate groups of people who will be involved in defining the mission statement and the mission objectives. The first group, which includes the database developer (you), the owner or head of the organization, and management personnel, is responsible for defining the mission statement. The second group , which includes the database developer (you again), management personnel, and end users, will be responsible for defining the mission objectives.

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