Microsoft® Access® Small Business Solutions: State-of-the-Art Database Models for Sales, Marketing, Customer Management, and More Key Business Activities

Appendix BB. Gathering Requirements

Often overlooked or short-circuited, the initial planning phase of database development should include a significant focus on clearly defining both the overall purpose of the database and the specific needs and requirements of the users. This information will become the blueprint for building a solid foundation for the final product: an efficiently working and useful database.

Because the Access interface is relatively easy to use and changes can easily be made, it is very tempting to jump into actually building the database before all of the requirements are fully understood. No one would consider constructing any sort of building without a thorough plan or specification, but when it comes to computer applications, especially databases, blind construction happens more often than you might imagine. The penalty for failure to plan includes significant overruns in cost and development time, a less than optimal resource from the user's perspective, and time-consuming repairs and modifications. Indeed, a lack of planning may even result in designing yourself into a corner whereupon you need to substantially rework the database, while preserving the live data in it.

Proper planning, while somewhat time-consuming, pays a handsome return in ease of development, reduced overall development time, and customer satisfaction. Whether the person requesting the database is your boss, your co-worker, a third party, or even yourself, that person is the customer ...