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Upon
initial client contact we work with our client to develop a project
definition. The project definition attempts to define the purpose of
the database, its major components and the type of environment in
which the database will be used. Before either party begins to spend
time and resources in developing software based solutions, it is
important to determine if development of the project is feasible. In
today’s world of high tech solutions, almost any set of requirements
can be programmed and turned into a fully functional product. The
feasibility of these products is almost always limited to the cost
of development.
The cost of database development is dependent on a multitude of
factors:
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What is the
purpose of the database?
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What type of
environment must it support?
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Will there be
a single user or multiple users?
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Will the
database be residing on a server or on a stand-alone personal computer?
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Will there be
a need for remote database entry?
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Is our client
seeking a web-based solution?
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Does the
database need to have built in security protocols?
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What type of
data maintenance will be performed?
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What are the
reporting requirements?
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The Pre
Requirements Assessment focuses on these types of questions in order
to clearly define the scope of the project.
The more questions asked during the Pre Requirements Assessment, the
better. We employ a standard set of questions formulated to provide
us with a brief and detailed sample project scope. These questions,
and their answers, help us define the initial requirements for a
proposed database solution. A general picture or flowchart that
outlines the proposed functions of the database is developed and
examined so that we can determine which business entities and/or
processes require further definition or explanation. We gather as
much information as possible during this initial contact so that we
can discuss all the projected requirements for the database with our
entire development team. Once the general functionality of a
proposed database solution is reviewed, we develop a proposal that
estimates the time needed to perform a full assessment. The proposal
includes a cost summary specifically geared towards each specific
client
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