Business database management systems (DSC 444 / DSC 544)
Managing data is a formidable challenge for modern corporations. Vast amounts
of data are generated by internal business functions (e.g., in diverse areas
such as production, accounting, finance, human resources, and customer service),
and also by ongoing transactions with suppliers and customers. Other functional
areas, such as marketing, also rely on the firm’s data management processes,
as managers identify new tactics for using data to support decision-making
and improve profits. For example, leaders in the airline industry have developed
strategies for using real-time database information in conjunction with revenue-management
models to improve yields. In the accounting area, innovative managers are
beginning to understand how to efficiently use database systems to store
and aggregate financial reporting data.
Current business trends are creating an increasingly information-centric corporate environment. For many firms, particularly those competing in e-commerce markets, the management of information and data may be the core competency that provides sustainable competitive advantage. Thus, it is essential that prospective business professionals and managers in such companies have a firm grasp of fundamental information architecture concepts. The study of business information architecture serves as the basis for the development of conceptual database models. Because the primary emphasis of this course is to develop conceptual data models that are aligned with organizational requirements and objectives, students must learn to become effective business information architects.
To maintain competitive advantage, managers must continue to define innovative strategies for using information technology. Without an understanding of business information models and their relation to modern database systems, managers tend to view such systems merely as a passive tool, rather than a potentially critical source of strategic advantage. As a result, it is imperative for leaders within the technology-oriented business climate to have a thorough knowledge of how database systems can support firms’ informational needs and objectives. Thus, while these same managers do not necessarily need to understand precisely how computers can be used to build databases, they must have a deep understanding of how database designs can be used to support corporations. In this course, reflecting this emphasis, we focus on understanding how a database system can build a business, rather than on how a business can build a database system.
