Ten Biggest Database Development Mistakes




	Thinking The Application Will Be Unchanged After Version 1.0 One of the pleasures of creating databases is seeing business problems solved, routine work eliminated and productivity increased. Once workers see how useful properly written software can be, they want more. Boring work that can be done by the computer becomes less tolerated. Reports used by management need more sophistication. Plan on it. Not Having a Regular Back-up Routine This can be heartache number one when something goes wrong. A prudent back up system requires daily incremental back-ups and full back-ups weekly . Make sure the most recent back-up is either in a fire/water proof safe or is taken off site. Not VERIFYING That The Back-ups ARE BEING DONE This recent painful example is instructive. The marketing department assumed that IT was making back-ups of the network files. When a hard disk crash occurred, the painful truth came out. Not VERIFYING That The BACK-UPS ARE GOOD Part two of this mistake is not verifying that the back-up data is good. Many companies have thought their back-ups were good but found they were useless when needed. One of the main reasons is a little know habit of back-up software. If a file is open and being used by someone on the system - the back-up software will SKIP that file and keep going -- often without notifying anyone. One company we know of was always doing backups in the middle of the work day, when the files were in use. The back-up disk had few files of value because most had been SKIPPED. Expecting Fast Performance on a Slow Network and Slow Computers In truth, a custom software application is sitting on top of a pyramid of technology. There are dozens of vendors' products that must perform well for the application to perform well. Some we can take responsibility for, some we cannot. Here is a partial list of technologies most applications use; 1. The PC computer hardware and all its components. 2. The operating system such as Windows or Mac. 3. The Network and its hardware. 4. The operating system of the network. 5. Microsoft Access, File Maker Pro or other database program. 6. Finally, the custom application. The entire system must operate well for top-notch performance. Creating A Database Committee of More Than 3 People The largest software vendor in the world, Microsoft, limits its development teams to no more than a few dozen people. Three knowledgeable, interested people will guide a project much better than a committee of department heads. Software requires VERY logical, VERY precise step-by-step thinking. Anything fuzzy or ill defined DOESN'T work on a computer. Decision-making is easier with a smaller group. This committee should be sure to consider and solicit the needs and wants of the end users. Overly Ambitious First Version If "Everything we've ever wanted" is packed into the first version, there has been a big mistake made. Building a solid software application is much like building a house. The foundation must be strong and correct for the roof to fit. If the roof turns out to be wrong, one must rebuild from the foundation. Databases have structures also. Parent tables are connected to child and often grandchild tables. These links provide the supporting structures for the forms and reports. Like building a house, these structures must be tested for proper fit. This is done best by building a first version of the application, testing the structures and underlying code, then building on it with subsequent versions. Not Involving the End Users in the Design The more interaction you have with the actual users of the application, the better acceptance there will be. There is a secondary benefit. When the application is put into use, the learning curve will be smaller. Not Reviewing and Testing Program Iterations Before Final Delivery Before final delivery, applications go through design reviews. Often these versions receive only a cursory review. Changes made late in the development are much more costly than changes made earlier. Understanding That Applications are One-Of-A-Kind Remember, custom applications are, by definition, one-of-a-kind. If an automobile manufacturer made each car one-of-a kind, special order, clearly adjustments would be necessary to bring it up to a satisfactory level. Applications require extra attention by the client during the development process so the end product satisfies the intended purpose.