Athabasca Assignment
Assignment 1: Using a Database for Strategic Business Development Assignment 1 is worth 5 percent of your final grade for this course. Answer all questions in the Hands-on MIS project “Improving Decision Making: Using a Database to Clarify Business Strategy” on pages 92–93 of the textbook. Read the assignment instructions in the textbook carefully and follow all instructions. Background: Relational databases are not new technology. Commercially, they gained importance in the early 1980s with the introduction of Oracle’s relational database, and since then they have been an essential tool for most businesses.
Databases are critical tools that help to support various business functions in an organization. These information systems help a business to build and maintain competitive advantage. Databases not only support the operational levels of business—they are also used to support the activities of managers. For this assignment, you will be analyzing the data in a simple, one-table database by creating queries and reports in Microsoft Access. The system you are “developing” will be used by The Queen’s Inn in St. John’s, Newfoundland for strategic business development purposes.
Remember that Access, Excel, and even FrontPage, are all tools. This assignment will help you discover how to use a database tool to support a business. You will be analyzing the data in the database and answering the questions in the exercise to create the queries and reports that are necessary to determine what the Inn’s current business situation is. Instructions: * If you have not yet set up your access to MyMISLab, go to the Learning Materials page for the proper steps and codes. It is vital that you set up MyMISLab correctly to ensure you have access to the resources for CMIS 351. Go to MyMISLab and download the Exercise Data File: MIS11ch03 for this assignment from the Assignment 1 folder (after logging in, click Course Content, choose View All Content, then scroll down to the Assignment 1 folder that appears after the 15 Lesson folders). You may download either the 2003 or the 2007 database file. If the data file doesn’t open, check your browser’s pop-up blocker settings or try holding down the Ctrl key when clicking the file name. * After you have downloaded and opened the file, click FILE> SAVE AS>, then SAVE the file to your hard drive according to the following assignment naming standards: ourlastname_CMIS351_assign1. mdb Once the file has been saved, you can open it and start working on your assignment. * Analyze the data in the database and in the application exercise. * To complete this assignment, you will need to do data calculations. Remember to follow good database practice here by not saving your calculations as part of the data table itself (they should appear only in your queries). * Create queries and reports that will provide information to help management at the Queen’s Inn to be more competitive and profitable.
If you look at the original database you downloaded, you will see that it provides suggestions for the three reports that should be created for The Queen’s Inn. These empty templates will give you an indication of what queries and reports you must create for this assignment. * If you need a refresher on using Access databases, see the resources on the Supplemental Information for Access Assignments page. * Write a brief report (1-2 pages) describing what database information (from your analysis) would make the business more competitive and profitable.
Your report must include, at a minimum, answers to the four questions in the last paragraph of the exercise on page 93 of the textbook. For this assignment you must hand in: * an Access database with reports and queries as described above (the number of queries and reports will be up to you) OR * if you do not have access to a computer on which you can install Microsoft Access, you may use another database tool. If you do this, you must also submit the following: * an E-R diagram of your database that clearly shows the primary and foreign keys for each table. a screen shot of the first page of the contents of each table. Alternatively, you may create a report that dumps the contents of a table and submit a single page of that report. * queries that you designed to create each report. Show both the query design and the query output. * the reports required in the assignment In either case, you must also submit a Word document containing a report as described in the assignment instructions on page 93. When you are ready to submit your assignment, listen to this message from your Course Coordinator.
Marking criteria: You will be marked according to the following criteria. Database| 4 marks| | * implemented correctly * queries are correct| | Reports| 3 marks| | * provide required information * comprehensive * readable (accurate spelling and grammar)| | Written report| 3 marks| | * professional, business-like * relevant * correct (covers required information) | | Once you have completed the assignment, you must return to this Web page and follow the instructions on the right to submit your assignment for marking.
