Imagine that you work for a consulting firm that offers information technology and database services. Part of its core services is to optimize and offer streamlined solutions for efficiency. In this scenario, your firm has been awarded a contract to implement a new personnel system for a government agency. This government agency has requested an optimized data repository for its system, which will enable the management staff to perform essential human resources (HR) duties along with the capability to produce ad hoc reporting features for various departments. They look forward to holding data that will allow them to perform HR core functions such as hiring, promotions, policy enforcement, benefits management, and training.
Instructions
Using this scenario, write a 3–4 page paper in which you:
Determine the steps in the development of an effective entity relationship model (ERM) diagram and determine the possible iterative steps and factors that one must consider in this process, with consideration of the HR core functions and responsibilities of the client.
Analyze the risks that can occur if any of the developmental or iterative steps of creating an ERM diagram are not performed.
Select and rank at least five entities that would be required for the development of the data repositories.
Specify the components that would be required to hold time-variant data for policy enforcement and training management.
Diagram a possible 1:M solution that will hold salary history data, job history, and training history for each employee through the use of graphical tools. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.
Plan each step of the normalization process to ensure the 3NF level of normalization using the selected five entities of the personnel database solution. Document each step of the process and justify your assumptions in the process.
Diagram at least five possible entities that will be required to sustain a personnel solution. (Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.) The diagram should include the following:
Dependency diagrams.
Multivalued dependencies.
The process is iterative. Factors to consider include:
User Feedback: The ERM should be reviewed with stakeholders to ensure it accurately reflects their needs.
Data Integrity: We must consider how to enforce data accuracy and consistency, for example, by ensuring that every employee record has a unique ID.
Scalability: The model should be designed to handle future growth in the number of employees and the complexity of HR functions.
Performance: The design must be optimized for efficient data retrieval to support ad hoc reporting without significant delays.
Risks of Skipping Developmental or Iterative Steps
Failure to perform any of the developmental or iterative steps can lead to significant risks. Skipping a thorough requirements analysis could result in a database that doesn't meet the agency's needs, leading to wasted time and resources. For example, if we fail to understand the specific data needed for benefits management, the system may be unable to track employee benefit elections, requiring a costly redesign. Neglecting to identify all necessary entities and relationships could lead to a fragmented system where data for a single employee is stored in multiple, disconnected tables, making reporting and core functions like promotions and training difficult to manage. A lack of an iterative review with stakeholders risks misinterpretation of requirements, resulting in a system that is confusing to users and ultimately rejected. This can lead to decreased productivity, data inconsistencies, and a higher potential for human error.
Sample Answer
Steps in Developing an Entity Relationship Model (ERM) Diagram
The development of an effective Entity Relationship Model (ERM) diagram is a foundational step in designing a robust database. For this government agency's new personnel system, the process would begin with a thorough requirements analysis, where we would work closely with HR and management to understand their needs for hiring, promotions, benefits management, and reporting. The next step is to identify entities, which are the core objects in the database, such as "Employee," "Department," and "Job." Following this, we identify relationships between these entities, such as an "Employee works in a Department." We then define attributes for each entity, like an "Employee's Name" or a "Department's Budget." Finally, we create the ERM diagram using standard notation to visualize the entities, their relationships, and attributes