Project 3 – 100 pts.

  1. Design the Acquisition/Payment AIS for a retail establishment of your group’s choosing. Write a narrative describing your purchasing procedures, your store, your supplier credit policies, product, pricing, inventory tracking and costing, REA events, business process rules (cardinalities)--anything that would aid in our understanding of the acquisition/purchasing process of your business. Explain all events in the narrative (helps the design of tables).
  1. Design REA model complete with cardinalities and links on paper or in Excel. Then, implement your model completely into Access. The links and model on the paper should match the ones in Access. (REF. the model in Ch. 9 pg 263) If the links on your group’s REA model do not match the Access implementation, the project receives no credit. You design the model. If you change something in Access, it is up to you to go back and change it on the REA model.
  1. Design data in all tables (able to use pictures). Make the database professional.
  2. Inventory table should be at least 250 records—research into inventory attributes adds points to the score. The vendor table must be at least 100 records. Event tables should have at least 100 records per table, except for purchase returns—that can be 25 records. Cash table should have at least 10 cash accounts. Employee table should have 50 employees. If you rig the data in the table to make the database work—it is quite easy to see that in the data structure. Rigging the data structure in this fashion brings the grade of the project below C.
  3. Contents, field, and data are up to you. Use the text for guidance as to table attributes.
  1. Queries (at least 30 for groups of 3, and 40 for groups of 4)
  2. Simple queries are based on 1 table.
  3. Complex queries are based on 2 or more tables.
  4. Include a description as to what question each query is asking in your narrative. When I grade the project I will compare the query with the description in your write up.

Ask questions that will help you run the business efficiently. Queries should answer accounting questions such as A/P, A/P turnover, pro forma profit, budgeting, pro forma cost of goods sold, profit per item, etc. Your project must use data to do acquisition/payment accounting calculations, for example total outstanding payable for a purchase, total A/P at a point in time, aging of A/P, calculation of the average number of days it takes to pay vendor invoices, purchase return ratio, total inventory on hand by type, supplier performance ratio, etc. (Look in Ch 9 for ideas.)

  1. Pivot tables, complex queries, graphs, charts and queries based on other queries improve the grade. Listings are not as useful as totals, percentages, comparisons, and calculations of accounting numbers.
  1. Reports
  2. at least 4 for groups of 3 and 5 for groups of 4 students
  3. add pictures, logo, title on each page
  4. more points for totals and subtotals
  5. The report should have title, numbers, and date on every page – professional appearance.
  6. The information on the report should answer a question that you as business owner would want or need to know about the purchasing process. Well thought out reports get more points than simple listings. Describe what purpose the report will be used for. Include in the title whether the report is a detail report or summary report. You do not want to dump information in reports in lists. You want to use the reports to interpret the data you have.
  7. Include a description as to what question each report is answering in your narrative. When I grade the project I will compare the report with the description in your write up.
  1. Forms
  2. at least 4 for groups of 3, and 5 for groups of 4 students
  3. at least 2 form should have a subform—more subforms are better
  4. creativity is encouraged
  1. Switchboard should have:
  2. View Queries
  3. View Reports
  4. View Forms
  5. View Tables
  6. Print
  1. Remember to copyright your database project.

Additional Comments:

Dr. Martin is available to help fix links. Bring to office with a flash drive. Make sure the CD or flash drive that you use to store the project opens without any problems.

Pictures and graphics make a good impression but don’t compensate for a database that is designed incorrectly.

A passing grade in this class requires a passing grade on this project. For a good grade your project must show creativity with new things. Your project must be correct as to links, data structure in tables, and calculations. Your project must use data to do acquisition/payment accounting calculations (remember to look in Ch 9 for ideas.)

What is pro forma profit or loss? On what items?

Match narrative to REA model. Match REA model to cardinalities in Access (links).

Event tables are critical. Resource tables are critical.

No redundancy. Watch for redundant data in tables.

CD needs wrapper or case.

Keep in mind what you would need to know to run a successful business.

If it looks like the Homework, it doesn’t look good enough.

Creativity points

Technical Points

Graphics Points