1.1 DetailsCase Study: Scenario - Global Trading PLC Global Trading PLC is a mail order company that operates a number of different catalogues. Each catalogue addresses a specific market segment and the company is noticing a drop of in the sales through its higher end products and socio - economic customer group, typified by its 'life style' catalogue offerings. Research has shown that this is because these groupings are now typically buying from companies offering similar services and products on the World Wide Web. Whilst Global recognise the need to maintain its more traditional agent based catalogue business, they have now decided that they need to embrace e-commerce and develop a Web based service. The Finance Director has a PC at home and has recently bought Dreamweaver. The existing database system, which has built up piecemeal over a number of years, has been poorly designed and is inadequate. This new development gives the company the opportunity to redesign their system. It must be recognised that the 'traditional' business will continue for some years and that data stored for that may differ from that needed by the web based business. For example, the agent based catalogue customers must buy through the agent. Indeed, they are identified by a combination of their customer number and the agent ID. This style of catalogue maintains the traditional periodic payment system, so customer records need to include credit rating and transaction history data. By contrast, the 'life style' catalogue customers mostly pay by using credit cards, a system which is used by the vast majority of e-commerce transactions. Information is maintained for customers so that marketing mailing can be targeted. It has been recognised that an individual could be both a credit card customer AND an agent supported customer. This currently leads to duplication of data storage and mailing, some of which can be contradictory and confusing. The company headquarters is in Leeds with depots in strategic regional locations from where the company’s own fleet of delivery vans operates. Large regions can have more than one depot. There is a central depot near Birmingham that supplies the regional depots. The structure of the Agents Organisation is as follows: General Sales Manager Midland Northern Southern Scottish Division Division Division Division Each division is split into a number of regions. Each region has a number of agents, working on commission based on sales to their customers, who promote goods and take customer orders. A monthly report of the orders taken by product, with summaries at all levels of the Sales Organisation is produced for management. Sales statistics are required for each product category to monitor the effectiveness of different discount strategies. Orders are received form their customers by agents, summarised and posted to head office over night. The orders are then validated, priced and checked centrally fo ...

1. 1.1 DetailsCase Study: Scenario - Global Trading PLC
Global Trading PLC is a mail order company that operates a
number of different catalogues. Each catalogue addresses a
specific market segment and the company is noticing a drop of
in the sales through its higher end products and socio -
economic customer group, typified by its 'life style' catalogue
offerings.
Research has shown that this is because these groupings are now
typically buying from companies offering similar services and
products on the World Wide Web.
Whilst Global recognise the need to maintain its more
traditional agent based catalogue business, they have now
decided that they need to embrace e-commerce and develop a
Web based service. The Finance Director has a PC at home and
has recently bought Dreamweaver.
The existing database system, which has built up piecemeal over
a number of years, has been poorly designed and is inadequate.
This new development gives the company the opportunity to
redesign their system.
It must be recognised that the 'traditional' business will
continue for some years and that data stored for that may differ
from that needed by the web based business. For example, the
agent based catalogue customers must buy through the agent.
Indeed, they are identified by a combination of their customer
number and the agent ID. This style of catalogue maintains the
traditional periodic payment system, so customer records need
to include credit rating and transaction history data. By
contrast, the 'life style' catalogue customers mostly pay by
using credit cards, a system which is used by the vast majority

2. of e-commerce transactions.
Information is maintained for customers so that marketing
mailing can be targeted. It has been recognised that an
individual could be both a credit card customer AND an agent
supported customer. This currently leads to duplication of data
storage and mailing, some of which can be contradictory and
confusing.
The company headquarters is in Leeds with depots in strategic
regional locations from where the company’s own fleet of
delivery vans operates. Large regions can have more than one
depot. There is a central depot near Birmingham that supplies
the regional depots.
The structure of the Agents Organisation is as follows:
General Sales Manager
Midland
Northern
Southern
Scottish
Division
Division

3. Division
Division
Each division is split into a number of regions.
Each region has a number of agents, working on commission
based on sales to their customers, who promote goods and take
customer orders. A monthly report of the orders taken by
product, with summaries at all levels of the Sales Organisation
is produced for management. Sales statistics are required for
each product category to monitor the effectiveness of different
discount strategies.
Orders are received form their customers by agents, summarised
and posted to head office over night. The orders are then
validated, priced and checked centrally for availability at the
appropriate depots. Each depot services, customer according to
their Agents ID. Stocks may be transferred between depots to
satisfy incoming orders – this practice, however, is not
approved of by the accounts department, but is carried out so
that part orders can be shipped, so that customer deliveries are
not delayed.
Each week, estimates produced by the Head Office are used to
update a three-month sales forecast, which shows expected sales
of each product in each of the following thirteen weeks. The
forecast is used as the basis for ordering stock which may be
ordered from a number of possible suppliers, each having
quoted a unique lead time and price. A purchase order sent to a
supplier may be for several different products, each due for
delivery in a different week. Price and lead-time quotations are
updated from time to time from supplier’s revised quote.
Purchase orders are placed at the price prevailing at the time of

4. order.
Pricing and Availability consist of:
Identifying/validating customer codes,
Identifying/validating product numbers,
Placing sales orders and order items on files,
Pricing each order item,
Checking product stock at depots and allocating if available.
This process is confused by the fact that, for historical reasons,
each depot maintains its own stock location codes, which means
that these can be duplicated.
Discount structures are based on the product categories,
examples of which are :-
Clothing - Male
Clothing - Female
Household electrical
Toys
Communications
The discount categories are used as follows
A : Discount given to agents
B : Additional discount given to agents who achieve sales
thresholds. These thresholds vary.

5. C : Used for targeted discounting for old stock
D : Used for targeted discounting for regional promotions.
Invoices are produced daily for from the details of
consignments shipped. They are posted to the Invoice History
file and copies are sent to the customers. When payments are
received, these are also posted to the above file. Customer
balances are maintained. Credit notes for faulty goods or short
deliveries are generated where necessary and sent to the
customer.
The company’s current order processing system operates on a
centralised computer. In the two years since purchasing this
machine several new systems have been designed and
implemented. These include a monthly and industrial payroll
system, several accounting systems, and a sophisticated sales
product costing system.
Volumes and Frequencies (statistics are only currently known
for traditional business)
· Customers
125,000
· New Customers
150 per month

6. · Deleted Customers
140 per month
· Products
1,000
· Orders
5,000 per day ave.
(80% are for 20% of product codes)
· Items per Agent order
10 ave.
(10% less than 10,
10% more than 10)
· Invoices/credit notes
5,125 per day avg.

7. · Cash items daily
2,000 ave.
· Products that have pending orders
10% ave.
At any time (ALL depots will have Pending orders)
Current Head Office enquiry screens include:
Customer Order
Customer
1.2 Tasks
You will be undertaking a database development project for a
client presenting the findings of the analysis stage, based on the
given requirements. Using feedback from this stage you will go
on to design, implement and test your system using appropriate
database techniques and technologies. You will also be expected
to evaluate your development processes relating to the System
Development Life Cycle, as well as considering emerging
technologies that could be used to improve the organisation’s
data management and decision making processes.
1.2.1 Database Design
1. Produce an Extended Entity Relationship Model (EERM)
using top-down approach for the given case study organisation.
Use QSEE to produce your EERD. List Validation Questions (6-
10) used to validate your EER Diagram.
2. Normalise the Forms in Appendix (apply bottom- up

8. approach)
3. Produce a Composite EER Diagram (based on outputs from
bottom up and top down approaches) and derive this EERD to
produce a final list of relations/tables and for each
relation/table produce a full list of attributes, attribute
definition and occurrences (data values), clearly defining
attribute(s) that are Primary Key(s) and any derived Foreign
Key(s) attributes.
1.2.2 Implementation and Testing (50%)
You are required to implement only a sub-system of the
produced Composite model in the previous task. You will be
asked to demonstrate your implemented and tested sub-system.
1. Tables and DataImplementation in Apex using SQL Script
environment
The Implementation of a sub-system (4-6 related tables). As a
guideline you should populate each table with at least 10 rows.
The data should be designed to provide appropriate results from
the queries, and should reflect the requirements of the
organisation.

9. 2. SQL queries (min of 5 to be produced)
To test your system, you are asked to produce a set of queries
which will be specified in plain English (business statement)
and implemented using SQL statements. Your SQL statements
will need to be complex in order to achieve high marks.
3.a
Build appropriate APEX Forms/Pages to manage the data
(insert/update/delete) of your sub-system. At least one page has
to be master/detail. Consider including a home page, calendar,
reports, charts, etc.
OR
3.b
Import your APEX tables into the SAS Enterprise guide and

10. a. Produce 3 programs to manipulate data using SAS program
b. Produce 3 reports using SAS program
1.2.3 Reflective Report (20%)
Produce a report that critically evaluates database approaches
and the role of database management for your case study
organisation. Critically reflect on your database development
process. Discuss all stages and tasks undertaken in your
database development. You should also consider the impact of
such development processes upon the organisation (e.g.
resources, time scales, and systems quality). Include
recommendations concerning appropriate existing and/or
emerging technologies/processes that the case study
organisation could consider for a future database management
system implementation.
Word count: 1500 words
You will be expected to research appropriate literature, analyse

11. this and show evidence of a synthesis of views within your
report. Clear references to the database case study you have
investigated are expected. Marks will be awarded for critical
evaluation, discussion, analysis and synthesis of views.
UNF
1NF
2NF
3NF
Table/Relation
Normalization template form
2 Appendix: Normalisation Form (using a bottom up approach)
Normalise each Form individually.
Form 1 : Customer Order Enquiry Screen
Order no.
287614
Customer no.

12. 147922
Agent ID
S231
Date received
7.10.00
Due date
31.10.00
Items outstanding
2
Special instructions
Delivery must not be made on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
Product

13. Code
Quantity
Discounted
Price
Date
Sent
149714
2
27.95
25.10.00
292812
1
39.99
25.10.00
601642
2
15.99
-
Form 2: Product Enquiry Screen
Product Code
N123za
Date Added
Product Description
Nookia Phone

14. STD Weight (grammes)
Code
Description
Bundle/Associated
n123za1
Battery
n123za2
Handset
n123za3
SIM Card Pay2Go
n123za4
SIM Card Contract
Packing Type
Mailing Code

15. Unit Price
VAT Class
Discount Code
a : 10%
b : 5%
c : 10%
d : 15%
Depot No.
Stock Location No.
Quantity in Stock
Daily Usage
Re-order level
Maximum stock level
Valuation

16. Form 3: Customer History Screen
Customer No.
S231-147922
Customer Name
____________
Agent Name
____________
Credit Limit
£ 500.00
Balance
£ 472.16
Date
Reference
Debit (£)
Credit (£)
Trans Type *

17. 2.2.00
414292
250.00
-
INV
5.3.00
524293
-
250.00
CN
12.3.00
534596
252.70
-
INV
6.4.00
604692
-
25.27
PMT
6.4.00
609211
300.00
-
INV
9.5.00

18. 736244
-
55.27
PMT
* KeyINV
-
Invoice; CN
-
Credit Note; PMT
-
Payment
1