OTM 442/765 Database Management and Applications Fall, 2015 1. Instructor: Rafael Lazimy Office: 4269 Grainger Phone #: 262-3950 E-mail: rafi.lazimy@wisc.edu Office Hours: M, W, 2:30-3:45 PM or by appointment 2. Class Schedule: M, W, 11:00-12:15 PM, 2180 Grainger TA/Grader: Jungwon Kuem ( Kate ) Office Hours: Wednesday, 4:00-5:00 PM & Friday, 3:30-4:30 PM (at 4284A Grainger) E-mail: jkuem@wisc.edu Discussion Section: Friday, 2:25-3:15 PM, 2167 Grainger 3. Texts: Required text: a. A reading package; purchase it at the Copy Center, 1256, Grainger Hall. b. Access book: Recommended: Jeff Conrad and John Viescas, Microsoft Access 2010 Inside Out, Microsoft Press Alternative: Matthew MacDonald, Access 2010: The Missing Manual, O' Reilly Recommended textbook: c. Hoffer, Prescott, and Topi, Modern Database management, Pearson/Prentice-Hall 2009 (9-th edition). 4. Course goals and objectives: Databases are essential components of modern computer-based information systems. They provide the necessary data and information to support and improve business operations, and business analysis, decision-making, planning and control activities. The overall objective of this course is to introduce students to the concepts of data modeling, database analysis, design, implementation and management, and the use information technologies (IT) to create effective solutions for business problems. There are three major topics in this course: o Data modeling and database analysis and design: Identifying the information needs for a business/organization. Developing a conceptual database design for business applications. Converting this design into a relational database design. o Relational database processing and Structured Query Language (SQL):
2 Creating and manipulating relational databases using SQL. o Microsoft Access and team projects: Learning how to develop database applications with Microsoft Access. Using Access in a team project to develop database applications for real-world business applications. This course will provide students with a balanced mix of theory, concepts, and practical technologies for building database-driven computer-based information systems. Students will learn how to identify, analyze and evaluate the data and information necessary for managing a business; apply data modeling concepts to create conceptual data models and the associated relational database models; and apply information technologies to develop (in teams) database-driven applications for real-world businesses. This course provides students with the necessary skills to become successful business analysts and project managers. Client-based projects (with real businesses), teamwork and project management are essential elements of this course. Students will apply the concepts and technologies they learn in the class in a semesterlong project involving an actual business, and obtain hands-on-experience in doing business and information analysis, database analysis, and in using IT to build an actual database-driven application for the client business. Project work will teach students how to apply project management, teamwork and conflict resolution skills in a realistic environment, as well as oral and written communication and presentation skills. 5. Learning outcomes: Listed at the end of the syllabus 6. The specific topics covered in the course are as follows: I. The context of database management: The database environment Levels of data representation, and the database design life cycle II. III. IV. Conceptual data modeling: Elementary data modeling constructs Data modeling with the Entity-Relationship (E-R) model The database design process: Requirement definition: User views modeling Conceptual database design Relational database design The relational database model V. Structured Query Language (SQL):
Creating, dropping, and altering tables Single-table queries Multiple-table queries Database updates SQL views Database security 3 VI. VII. VIII. Microsoft Access: Creating databases; Queries; Searches; Reports, etc. Database-driven application project: Using Access to create and implement a realworld database-driven application for a company/organization Guest speakers (if schedule allows it): Business Intelligence and analytics Data and information security 7. Discussion Section: Learning Microsoft Access A tutorial on Microsoft Access will be provided in the discussion section (led by the TA). The discussion section will be held in room 2167 Grainger. Lap tops will be provided to students. You will use a Microsoft Office Access book. You will do a number of Access assignments. DoIT provides free courses on Access. The following site has all the free software training classes that DoIT offers thru their STS program: http://www.doit.wisc.edu/training/student/index.aspx Also: DoIT has DVDs on learning Access. Students in previous semesters liked these DVDs very much. 8. Grading and Assignments: The final grade will be based on the following: Midterm exam: 30% Projects: 45% DONE IN TEAMS Homework: 25% MUST BE DONE INDIVIDUALLY! The purpose of the homework is to practice theory and concepts covered in the class, and prepare you for the project work and the exam. The schedule for the exam, projects work, and homework assignments, as well as for the topics to be covered on each date, is in the attached course schedule.
4 9. Project and Team Work: Teams (3-4 students per team) will be formed in the beginning of the course. Each team will work on two data modeling and database design projects: A. Pine Valley Furniture Company B. A real-world project of your choice The project work will provide you with real-world, hands-on experience in the development of a database-driven computer-based system. It will also provide you with valuable consulting, teamwork, and communications-skills (written and oral) experience. The Pine Valley Furniture Company project: Pine Valley Furniture is a medium-size furniture manufacturing company. This case (included in the reading package) provides you with an opportunity to develop a comprehensive conceptual and a relational database system for a manufacturing company, including many business processes/operations. Based on the case description, your team is required to identify the database requirements of users (user view modeling), develop a conceptual database model, and map it into a relational database design. Detailed description of the assignments for this project is included in the reading package. Client-based (real-world) project of your choice: Each team is required to select a real-world organization/business and develop a database-driven information system for this organization. The project work will be organized as follows. 1. Project Proposal. After you submit a written project proposal, I will meet with each team and review the proposal. Project selection should be finalized within the first 2 weeks of the semester. 2. Milestone 1: Business Analysis and Systems Study. The purpose of this milestone is to gain a thorough understanding of your business application and its information requirements, analyze problems and opportunities and their relationships to information requirements, and develop an information system plan for your application. Class presentation of Milestone 1: Each team will make a short presentation of its project to the class (around week # 4). 3. Milestone 2: Database Design. In this milestone you will develop a conceptual database model for your project (using E-R diagrams) and a relational database design.
5 I will meet with each team in my office and review your database design. In this meeting I will also review the scope of the proposed implementation of your project (Milestones 3 and 4). 4. Milestone 3: Database Design with Microsoft Access: Based on your database design (Milestone 2) you will develop the Access database for your project (including tables and relationships). The TA and I will meet with each team to review your Access database design. 5. Milestone 4: Microsoft Access Implementation. In this final milestone, you will develop a database-driven information system for your project using Microsoft Access. Specifically, you will develop a switchboard (a menu system); forms for displaying, editing, adding, and deleting data (records); various reports; various search functions. Class presentation of the project: Each team will make a presentation of its project to the class, including the Access implementation. (Last week of the semester.) 10. Course Web Site: The Learn@UW-Madison course web site includes (among other things) the following information and services: On the Content page: o The course syllabus and schedule o The homework assignments o The project milestone requirements o The schedule for the Access tutorial, the Access database files, and the weekly Access assignments o Past projects: Milestone reports of projects done in this course in previous semesters are included on this page; they should help you in doing your project work. DropBox: You are required to submit homework assignments and milestone reports electronically using the DropBox. Grades: Grades (for homework assignments, milestone reports, exams, etc.) will be posted on the web site. 11. Computer Work: Microsoft Access SQL (Structured Query Language) 12. Class Attendance It is mandatory to attend all classes. Not attending two or more classes will result in a penalty: If you otherwise deserve, say, a grade of AB but missed two classes, your grade will drop to B. Penalties will increase if you miss more than two classes. Of course, if
6 you have special justification for not attending a class (for example, illness, family/personal emergencies) there will be no penalty. It is your responsibility to notify me of these circumstances. 13. Code of Conduct Students are expected to adhere to the University and the School of Business student codes of conduct. 14. Miscellaneous: The projects will require a significant amount of work so it is suggested that you get started on them as soon as possible. Late submission of homework and project work is allowed only with a severe penalty. For each day that an assignment is late, you lose 20% of the points. Hence, after 5 days, your homework/project is worth nothing. Note that all homework, projects, and tests must be completed before you will be awarded a passing grade. Students should also understand fully that all assigned work is to be done individually, unless otherwise explicitly stated. Finally, students may be called on to answer questions or present solution/analysis on the board. 15. Peer Evaluation: The prospect of working with teams carries with it the possibility that not all team members will pull their fair share of the load. For this reason, there will be anonymous peer evaluations at the end of the semester after the project is completed. Individual evaluations are the property of the instructor and will not be divulged to other team members - your confidentiality is assured! The average of the peer evaluation scores given to each team member will be used as a weight in determining the member s grade on the project work. 16. Lap top use in class is not allowed (School policy).
7 KNOWING: LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will understand and explain the role of data, information, and information technology in managing a business, and the use of information technology to organize and manipulate information and provide effective solutions to business problems: o Students will understand and explain the differences between information to support operations and transaction processing and information to support business analysis, decision-making, planning and control. o Students will understand and explain the importance of business intelligence systems and business analytics, their relationship to operational and transactional data and other data sources, and the information technologies to support business intelligence and analytics. Students will understand how to analyze business processes and how to: o Identify data and information necessary to support and improve business operations and decisionmaking, planning and control activities. o Create effective information solutions for business problems, including: Using data modeling methodologies to build a conceptual representation of complex data and information. Designing effective relational databases. Building database-driven applications to manage a business and solve business problems. Students will develop good understanding of several information technologies and their use in developing database-driven computer-based business applications, including SQL (Structured Query Language) and Microsoft ACCESS, a system for developing database-driven computer-based business applications. Students will gain good understanding of project management, team work, conflict resolution and time management, and oral and written communication and presentation skills, as well as consulting experience and skills. DOING: Students will apply concepts and methodologies learned in class, including: o Using the Entity-Relationship (E-R) methodology to model and document complex data and information requirements for managing a business. o Applying conceptual modeling to develop business intelligence systems and analytics capabilities, including aggregating transactional information into management-oriented information to support analysis and decision-making activities. o Converting conceptual data models into effective relational database designs. Students will demonstrate the application of processes, methodologies, and information technologies learned in class in a semester-long, client-based team project: o Analyze business processes and decision-making needs and identify data and information requirements.
o Create a conceptual database model using the Entity-Relationship methodology for the client business, and convert it into a relational database design. o Use ACCESS and SQL to create a database-driven computer-based application for the client business in your project. Students will apply skills learned in class and gain real-world, hands-on experience in: o Project management. o Team work and time management. o Oral and written communication and presentation. o Consulting. 8