Chapter 6 - Databases and Data Warehouses

1.List, describe and provide an example of each of the five characteristics of high quality information:
• Accuracy –Spelling of name? Correct address information such as postcode?
• Completeness – Number of street, type of street, organisation, company
• Consistency – Sum of columns; do totals = true total?
• Uniqueness – What is the differentiation?; primary key, entity etc
• Timeless – Is the information up to date?

2.Define the relationship between a database and a database management system:

A database refers to the upholding of information with regards to things such as:
• Objects (inventory)
• Events (transactions)
• People (employees)
• Places (warehouses)
A database management system however is the management of a database and also queries the database. This system allows us to create query designs and reports through the software of Microsoft Access.



3.Describe the advantages an organisation can gain by using a database:
It allows the organisation to make good strategic business decisions and comprehend website congestion such as customers. It is also a benefit in that an organisation can increase flexibility, scalability, and information security. It is strongly recommended that businesses use databases as if they don’t, they would need to put their data on separate Microsoft Word documents and hence would be time consuming.

4.Define the fundamental concepts of the relational database model:
The relational database model implements information into a two-dimensional table that are in connection to one another through rational means.

5.Describe the benefits of a data driven website:
Benefits include:
• Development
• Content management
• Future expandability
• Minimisation of human error
• Cutting production and update costs
• More efficient
• Improved stability
• Can investigate information easily and confidently
• Increases customer satisfaction

6.Describe the roles and purposes of data warehouses and data marts in an organisation:
Database warehouse refers to the large collation of many types of databases such as sales, markeing, human resources etc whereas a data mart is where there is a smaller subset of database information. Organisations are able to disperse from transferred data and obtain business intelligence on things that are not identical to one another.

Baltzan, Phillips, Lynch, Blakey. 2010. Business Driven Information Systems. McGraw Hill. Sydney, Australia.