CASE STUDY

New Century Health Clinic

New Century Health Clinic offers preventive medicine and traditional medical care. In your role as an IT consultant, you will help New Century develop a new information system.
Background:
 After completing the user interface, input, and output design for the new information system at New Century, you will consider data design issues. Begin by studying the DFDs and object-oriented diagrams you prepared previously and the rest of the documentation from the systems analysis phase. Perform the following tasks:
Assignments


1. Create an initial entity-relationship diagram for the New Century Health Clinic system.



2. Normalize your table designs.




3. If you identified any new entities during normalization, create a final entity-relationship diagram for the system. 


4. Write a memo for your documentation file that contains your recommendation about whether a file processing or a database environment should be used. Attach copies of your ERD(s) and normalized designs.

After reviewing the chapter material, including the SWL case study, most students will recommend that New Century use a database approach in the design of the new system. In responding, students should note the characteristics of a file processing environment and compare them to the database environment. As the text points out, the trend is toward relational database designs that provide a more powerful, flexible, and scalable environment for users throughout an organization. Students also should note that a database approach involves certain disadvantages, including a high degree of security and extensive backup/recovery features. Students also should review Figures 9-3 and 9-4, which highlight the differences between the two approaches. Students can attach the ERD(s) and normalized designs they prepared for Assignments 1, 2, and 3.



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