Introduction to Information Systems
People Technology and Processes 3rd Edition Wallace Solutions Manual
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Chapter 4
Databases and Data Warehouses
Learning Objectives
1. Explain the nature of information resources in terms of structure and quality, and show how metadata can be used to describe these resources.
2. Compare file processing systems to the database, explaining the database’s advantages.
3. Describe how a relational database is planned, accessed, and managed, and how the normalization process works.
4. Explain why multiple databases emerge, and how master data management helps address the challenge of integration.
5. Describe how a data warehouse is created, and explain the challenges and value of big data.
6. Explain how the human element and ownership issues affect information management.
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Solutions to Chapter Review Questions
4-1. What are the three categories that describe the nature of information resources? Give an example of each. How do you characterize the relationships within each category of information?
Information may be categorized as structured, unstructured, or semi-structured. Structured information can be broken down into component parts and organized into hierarchies. Credit card account information is structured information. On the other hand, unstructured information is difficult to break down, categorize, organize, and query. Information relating to a lawsuit that includes letters, emails, business cards, post-it notes, meeting minutes, and phone calls is unstructured information. Semi-structured information is a gray area that exists between the extremes of structured and unstructured information. This can include information that has at least some structure, such as web pages and documents, all of which have creation dates, titles, and authors (i.e., document properties). The relationships in structured information are relatively easy to identify. With unstructured information, there is no way to link items together except perhaps in physical form. Semi-structured information may be easier to query and aggregate compared to unstructured information.
4-2. What is metadata? What does metadata describe for structured information? For unstructured information? Give an example of each type of metadata.
Metadata refers to data about data, and clarifies the nature of pieces of information. For structured information, metadata describes the details of the structure. For example, database metadata refers to the definitions of each of the fields and tables, and their relationships. For semi-structured and structured information, metadata is used to describe properties of a document or other resources such as the title, author, creation date, and keywords entered into the documents property fields.
4-3. What are the characteristics of information that affect quality? What are examples of each?
The characteristics of information that affect quality are accuracy, precision, completeness, consistency, timeliness, bias, and duplication. Accurate information describes correct amounts, dates, spelling, descriptions, or other values. Precise information describes numbers that are not rounded, and complete information includes all values that are required. Consistent information does not differ across different reports. Timeliness describes up-to-date information. Unbiased information is objective information, and unique information, such as customer name and account number, describes information that is not duplicated.
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4-4. What were the early designs approaches to managing information resources?
Lateral filing cabinets were invented in 1898, giving users the ability to store documents in vertical folders.
4-5. What are the major disadvantages of file processing systems? What are four specific problems associated with file processing systems?
The major disadvantages of file processing systems are problems with reduced quality of information and difficulty in information retrieval. The four specific problems associated with file processing systems are: (1) data redundancy and inconsistency, (2) lack of data integration, (3) inconsistent data definitions, and (4) data dependence.
4-6. Following the file processing model of data management, what three architectures emerged for integrated databases? What are the advantages of each? Are there disadvantages?
The hierarchical model, the network model, and the relational model are the database architectures that emerged from the file processing model of data management. The hierarchical model accommodates situations in which records are related in a hierarchical fashion. A disadvantage of the hierarchical model is that duplication creeps in to handle some situations relating to the relationship between records. The network model allows more flexibility in establishing relationships between entities compared to the hierarchical model. The relational model dominates the field because it organizes information into tables of records, which can be related to one another by linking a field in one table to a field in another table with matching data.
4-7. What are the steps in planning a relational data model? Are there benefits to the planning stage?
The steps in planning a relational data model include (1) identifying what kind of information to track and determining how the information is related, (2) identifying the primary key for each field, and (3) normalizing the data model to minimize duplication.
4-8. What are primary keys and foreign keys? How are they used to create links between tables in a relational database?
A primary key is the unique identifier for each record in a table. A foreign key is a primary key that appears as an attribute in a different table. A foreign key in one table is linked to a primary key in another table to create the relationship between the two tables.
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4-9. What is the typical strategy to access a database? How do users access an Access database? Are there other strategies to access database systems?
Organizations typically develop or purchase applications that present userfriendly interfaces that enable users to enter, edit, delete, and retrieve data. An example is Microsoft® Access that allows users to create a variety of forms and reports to access an Access database. Another strategy to access a database is to use a web-based application that allows access using any web browser.
4-10. What is the role of the database administrator in managing the database? What is the career outlook for this job?
The database administrator (DBA) is responsible for monitoring and optimizing database performance, troubleshooting bottlenecks, setting up new databases, enhancing security, planning capacity requirements, designing backup and disaster recovery plans, and working with department heads and the IT team to resolve problems and build innovative applications. The career outlook for this job is promising. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job of DBA is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States and earnings are some of the highest in the industry.
4-11. What is SQL? How is it used to query a database?
SQL is an acronym for structured query language. SQL uses the concept of join to link tables together based on common attributes. It is easy to use for simple queries, and allows complex queries and sub-queries that insert or edit data and make other tables based on the results of a query.
4-12. What is IVR? How is it used to query a database?
IVR is an acronym for interactive voice response. IVR uses signals transmitted from a telephone to access a database, retrieve information, and enter data. Callers can make selections from menus, enter numbers, and confirm transactions.
4-13. What is a shadow system? Why are they sometimes used in organizations? How are they managed? What are the advantages of shadow systems? What are the disadvantages?
A shadow system is a smaller database that duplicates some of the functionality and information maintained in a larger, integrated system. They are used to focus on the specific information needs of an individual user or a department. Shadow systems are managed by the user; they are not managed by the central IT staff. The advantage of a shadow system is that users can control their data and make changes rapidly. Disadvantages include lack of documentation and technical support for the smaller database, as well as a lack of enterprise-wide, integrated data to support strategic planning and executive decision-making.
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4-14. What is master data management? What is a data steward? What is the role of master data management in an organization’s integration strategy?
Master data management (MDM) refers to a data integration strategy in which consistent and uniform data definitions are applied to entities and their attributes across all business units and processes, at least as much as possible. A data steward is an individual whose role involves ensuring that people adhere to the definitions for the master plan in their organizational unit. MDM serves to involve people, processes, and governance in an effort to resolve a fragmented and inconsistent data management environment.
4-15. What is a data warehouse? What are the three steps in building a data warehouse?
A data warehouse is a central data repository, drawn from multiple sources that can be used for analysis, intelligence gathering, and strategic planning. A data mart is a smaller data repository that is developed typically for departmental analytical tasks. Three steps in building a data warehouse are extraction, transformation, and loading.
4-16. What are examples of internal sources of data for a data warehouse? What are examples of external sources of data for a data warehouse?
Operational data from the company’s own systems is a critical source of data for a data warehouse. Operational data may include but is not limited to customer records, transactions, inventory, assets and liabilities, and human resources information going back many years. One example of an external source of data for a data warehouse is US Census Bureau data that lists every US zip code with the median household income for its residents. Another example of an external sources of data is a custom data extract (e.g., consumer data, automotive data, business data, property data), that may be purchased from a commercial data vendor.
4-17. What are four examples of data warehouse architectures? Which approach is suitable to meet today’s growing demand for real-time information?
Data warehouse architectures include a standard relational database architecture, a data cube architecture, a virtual federated architecture, and a data warehouse appliance The virtual federated architecture is more suitable to meet today’s demand for real-time information.
4-18. What is big data? What are the defining features of big data?
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Big data refers to enormous collections of data that are so fast to accumulate that they are difficult to store and analyze using traditional database methodologies. The defining features of big data are volume, velocity, and variety.
4-19. What is data mining? What is the difference between data mining and data dredging? What is the goal of data mining?
Data mining involves analyzing very large sets of data to find hidden patterns and relationships. Data mining software relies on algorithms that consider attributes, relationships, and patterns, which would be valuable to understand. On the other hand, data dredging describes blind analysis into data to come up with any patterns or relationships, which may be meaningless or may have occurred simply by accident. An important goal of data mining is to make predictions.
4-20. What are examples of databases across organizational boundaries?
Organizations exchange information across boundaries for managing supply chains and customer relationships, compliance activities, and providing emergency disaster relief.
4-21. How do ownership issues affect information management? How do information management needs differ among stakeholder groups?
Although a company may establish the rule that all information resources belong to the company, in practice, people may assume some ownership rights. Employees may feel protective of their departmental data and may want to control who has access to records that they are mainly responsible for maintaining. This may impair an organizations effort to manage integrated enterprise information. Top-level managers need clear, consistent, accurate reports that summarize information from across the enterprise. Operating units rely on accurate reports on transactions; they require information systems that can be changed quickly to adapt to operational requirements. Customers want simpler user interfaces that work quickly and reliably. Government agencies want enterprises to provide aggregate reports using the government’s definitions of terms. It is a challenge for organizations to balance the different needs of the stakeholders.
Solutions to Projects and Discussion Questions
4-22. Why is metadata becoming increasingly important in this age of digital information? What types of metadata would you expect to see attached to these information resources?
a. Book
b. Digital photograph
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c. MP3 file
d. Zappos.com web page for men’s athletic shoes
Although answers will vary, it should be clear that the student understands the concept of metadata. The metadata for a book will include the title, author, subject, genre, keywords, and format. The metadata for a digital photograph will include the caption, keywords, credits, and the date it was taken, as well as technical information such as shutter speed and focal length, MP3 files has metadata such as title, artist, genre, and track number. A web page for athletic shoes will have metadata that includes title, creator, publisher, and format.
4-23. The concept of relationships is fundamental to relational database design. Briefly describe three relationships that explain how records in a database might be logically related to one another. What are examples of each type of relationship? At your university, what is the relationship between students and courses? What is the relationship between advisors and students?
An example of a one-to-one relationship is that each person has one and only one birth date. An example of a one-to-many relationship is that a person may have one or more employees reporting to him or her. An example of a many-to-many relationship may involve a situation in which a person is working on any number of projects, each of which might have any number of employees assigned to it. The relationship between students and courses is many-to-many. The relationship between advisors and students may be one advisor to many students or many advisors to many students if students have a major advisor as well as a minor advisor.
4-24. Target marketing uses databases and data warehouses to identify potential customers that a business wants to reach based on factors that describe a specific group of people. For example, target markets may be identified by geographic area, by age group, by gender, or by all three factors at one time. One of the leading providers of business and consumer information is infoUSA.com. Visit their website at www.infousa.com to learn how they compile data from multiple sources. (Look for Resources/FAQs.) How does their process compare to extract, transform, and load (ETL)? Prepare a brief summary of your findings that describes the infoUSA five-step process of building a quality database.
As an alternative to viewing the website, students may search youtube.com for “infoUSA data quality” to view a video that describes their process of building a quality database. The video describe a four-step process. In step 1, infoUSA acquires data from 6,000+ phone directories and new business sources including Secretaries of State, County Courthouses and Public Record Notices (this step compares to extraction). In step 2, infoUSA verifies the business information by phone. In step 3, infoUSA assigns credit scores, sales volume, and other modeled information (this step compares to transformation). In step 4, infoUSA prepares
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the database for delivery to the customer (this step compares to loading). The website describes a five step process that includes the four steps described above plus a fifth step to standardize the information (part of transformation process).
4-25. Visit YouTube.com and search for “R. Edward Freeman Stakeholder Theory” to learn more about stakeholder groups. Are you a stakeholder at any of the following organizations? List several stakeholders at each of these organizations and describe the kind of information each stakeholder needs.
a. A university
b. A regional bank
c. Toyota Motor Corporation
Stakeholders of a state university include but are not limited to current students, faculty, and staff, as well as prospective students, alumni, and donors. Stakeholders at a regional bank include employees, shareholders, customers, business partners, suppliers, and government entities. Toyota Motor Corporation will have stakeholders similar to those of a bank. Answers will vary regarding the kind of information each stakeholder needs but may include clear, consistent, and accurate reports that summarize information, and accurate reports of transactions.
4-26. The idea of data warehousing dates back to the 1980s. Today, data warehousing is a global market worth billions of dollars. What is the relationship between operational databases and data warehouses? Why are data warehouses created, and how do organizations use them? What types of decisions do data warehouses support? Have you ever searched a data warehouse? Visit FedStats.gov and search “MapStats” to see what facts are available for your home state. Prepare a list of five interesting facts about your home state to share with your classmates.
Operational databases are used to manage the ongoing daily activities of firms. Data warehouses are used for historical analysis and special projects. Data warehouses support strategic decisions for firms. Answers to the remaining sections of this question will vary based on the student’s experience and home state.
4-27. Lisa Noriega has a problem with unstructured data. As her catering business grows, Lisa wants to analyze contracts to learn if over-budget projects result from using inexperienced project managers. Lisa wants to set up a database and she wants you to identify the records she will need. Work in a small group with classmates to identify the three entities that have meaning for her catering business. What are the attributes of these entities? What are probable data definitions of the attributes? What is the relationship between records and tables? What is the relationship between fields and attributes? Prepare a 5-minute presentation of your findings.
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Answers will vary. Three entities that may have meaning for her catering business are clients, suppliers, and employees. Expected attributes of clients include name, address, phone number, function date, function type, and number of guests. Expected attributes of suppliers include company name, contact name, phone number, and address. Expected attributes of employees include name, address, phone number, pay rate, and social security number. Probably data definitions include text, integer, yes/no, and date/time. In a relational model, fields and attributes become a record, and a collection of records becomes a table.
4-28. The Drexel Theatre is a small, family owned cinema that screens independent and classic films. The lobby is decorated with vintage movie memorabilia including an original poster of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator, and his famous quote, “I’ll be back.” The theatre has a collection of 5,000 movies on DVD. It hires part-time workers for ticket and concession sales, and janitorial and projection services. It shows one of its movies every evening at 7:00 p.m. The owner of the Drexel plans to implement a relational database to handle operations. He has asked you to develop the data model for managing the film inventory. He wants to track movies, genres (categories), actors, and languages. He wants a description of each entity’s attributes, and he wants an explanation of how to use primary keys and foreign keys to link the entities together. Work in a small group with classmates to plan the data model. Prepare a 5-minute presentation that includes an explanation of primary keys and foreign keys.
In general, most student teams should conceptualize a database with four tables. The first table will be for movies, the second table will be for categories, the third table will be for actors, and the fourth table will be for languages. Most movies will belong to one category and have one language (there may be some exceptions where a movies can belong to multiple categories and be dubbed in multiple languages). Most movies will have multiple leading actors. A category can apply to multiple movies, a language can apply to multiple movies, and an actor can appear in multiple movies.
In this table, a primary key in the movies table (MovieID) will uniquely identify each movie, a primary key in the category table (CategoryID) will uniquely identify each category, a primary key in the actor table (ActorID) will uniquely identify each actor, and a primary key in the language table (LanguageID) will uniquely identify each language. Note that the CategoryID, ActorID and LanguageID fields will all be foreign keys in the movie table. The movie table will link to the category table through the CategoryID field, to the actor table through the ActorID field, and to the language table through the LanguageID field.
Solutions to Application Exercises
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4-29. Excel Application: Managing Catering Supplies
Lisa Noriega developed the spreadsheet shown in Figure 4-28 so that she can better manage her inventory of disposable catering supplies. Download the spreadsheet named Ch04Ex01 so you can help her with the inventory analysis.
Lisa listed her inventory items in “Case” quantities, but she now wants to analyze items according to “Pack” quantities and create a price list to show to her customers. For example, a case of Heavy Duty Deluxe Disposable Plastic Knives has 12 packs of 24 knives each. She wants to calculate a “Sales Price per Pack” based on her cost plus a 25% markup.
Lisa asks that you complete the following operations and answer the following questions.
• Create columns that list Case Pack, Packs on Hand, and Cost per Case Pack for each item. Use a formula to calculate the Cost per Case Pack.
• Create a column that lists Sales Price per Pack. Use a formula to calculate a 25 percent markup. Set up an assumption cell to input the percentage markup rather than include the markup value in the formula.
• Format the spreadsheet to make it easy to read and visually appealing.
1. What is Lisa’s total investment in disposable catering supplies?
2. What is the total sales value of her inventory?
3. How much profit will she make if she sells all of her inventory at a 25% markup?
4. How much profit will she make if she uses a 35% markup instead?
Students should add five columns, transform information provided in the Unit column to information in the Case Pack column, and use formulas to calculate Packs on Hand, Cost per Case Pack, Sales Price per Pack, and Total Cost.
Students should add sum functions to answer the questions, “What is Lisa’s total investment in disposable catering supplies?” and “What is the total sales value of her inventory?” and use a formula to calculate profit. To answer the question, “How much profit will she make if she sells all of her inventory at a 35 percent markup?” go to the cell containing 25 [Markup] and change it to 35; the formula would then recalculate the Value and Profit amounts. The completed spreadsheet appears below.
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4-30. Access Application: DD-Designs
Devon Degosta set up an Access database to manage her web design business. She has asked you to create a report that summarizes and identifies projects that are assigned to more than one employee. Recreate the Access database with the table names, attributes, and relationships as illustrated in Figure 4-29. Download and use the information in the spreadsheet Ch04Ex02 to populate the tables. Create a report that lists each project by name and the names of the employees assigned to it. Devon wants the report to include the client name and the project budget. What other reports would Devon find useful?
Students should produce an Access database with five tables by importing data from the Excel file named Ch04Ex02. Students should create a query to summarize project information that includes project number, project name, employees assigned to the project, client name, and project budget. The query is used to produce the Project Report. Answers will vary regarding other reports Dana may find useful. An example is a report that lists each employee, their projects, and project start dates. The Project Report appears below.
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Solutions to Case Study Questions
Case 1 U.K. Police Track Suspicious Vehicles in Real Time with Cameras and the License Plate Database
4-31. Describe the manner in which data elements are linked across databases.
The purpose of this question is to help students understand how data must be integrated across applications and systems. In this case, license plate numbers appear in both databases and can be used to link information from video camera surveillance and from the Police National Computer, which includes data on stolen vehicles, parking fines, and lack of insurance. Data must be consistent and accurate across systems so that U.K. police can perform a valid and timely match of license plate with an offense, and there must not be room for a false arrest (type 1 error) or a missed offense (type 2 error).
4-32. What technical and physical challenges does this information system face?
The purpose of this question is to help students understand the relationship between technical operations and physical challenges. Some physical challenges include the readability of the license plate in difficult weather conditions, such as rain, fog, or snow. The numbers and letters on the plates may also be blurred by mud. An additional challenge is the use of fake plates by criminals that duplicate legitimate license plates. Although students may suggest other ideas on future challenges, it is most important to recognize that many technology projects are a work in process and require continual improvement.
4-33. What human capital capabilities for law enforcement are necessary to make the database more effective?
The purpose of this question is to help students understand the manner in which business knowledge (or in this case public service knowledge) is combined with IS. Even with the license plate database, police must have the ability to respond rapidly to unplanned alerts. For example, if a police officer is on a regular patrol, the officer must allow flexibility in that routine to respond if he or she receives an unexpected message related to a license plate. Police must also have the ability to process information that may or may not coincide with their visual observations. For example, a police officer may receive an alert about a license plate on a car that would not otherwise raise suspicion, and the officer must be able to process that information and respond in a timely manner. While flexibility and sensing may be part of the normal human capital for police officers, the license plate database further accentuates the need for these characteristics.
4-34. What are the relevant considerations to balance the police’s ability to investigate versus the citizens’ need for privacy?
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The purpose of this question is to help students balance multiple considerations in the use of a technology. In this case, police officers need timely access to license plate data to identify potential infractions in real-time. On the other hand, citizens may not wish to have their location data available, because of the potential for unauthorized use and abuse. To balance these considerations and manage these risks, the police in the United Kingdom must establish policies and procedures to safeguard the data, and must educate officers to use the data in an ethical manner.
Case 2 How eBay Scales Its Database Architecture with SQL and NoSQL
4-35.
Identify at least three reasons why continuing business growth has been a challenge for eBay database management.
The purpose of this question is to help students understand the challenges for eBay database management. The first challenge from growth was to deploy a DBMS (Oracle) that could handle their volume of items and load volumes. The second challenge was to scale out by splitting the database so it could be stored on multiple servers providing them more flexible scaling. The third challenge to handle growth was to have the engineers adjust the load by moving functions from the DBMS to the applications. Growth continues to be a challenge, and eBay is developing new strategies.
4-36.
Identify the risks to data integrity that eBay took when it transferred some of the DBMS functions, such as referential integrity, to the application programs.
The purpose of this question is to help students understand the risks assumed when moving functions from the DBMS to the applications. Student answers may vary, but each should highlight the risks when a centralized control, the DBMS, is replaced with distributed control functions, the applications. Referential integrity must be checked by every program modifying data in the DBMS to ensure quality. Enforcing and verifying that many programs do this consistently and accurately is a real risk.
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4-37.
What types of data required eBay to use both relational and NoSQL? Why does eBay use both of these?
The purpose of this question is to help students understand why different data types require different management systems, relational and NoSQL. While the relational DBMS offers several benefits such as security and transaction recovery, it cannot handle the extremely large data sets with less structure. NoSQL is fast for extremely large volumes of data that is unstructured.
4-38.
Other than data volume, what other factors have driven eBay to revamp its enterprise architecture?
The purpose of this question is to help students understand why business needs drive eBay to revamp along with data volume requirements. In this situation, the need to analyze customer activities on their site is a key driver because much of that data is unstructured. As business needs shift, eBay must revamp its enterprise architecture. Emerging technologies will also require adjustments by eBay.
Solutions to E-Project Questions
E-Project 1 Identifying Suspects with a License Plate Database: Constructing Queries with Access
An Access database from a hypothetical small island nation contains simulated license plate information and violation records, and it will illustrate how police are identifying cars involved in crimes or traffic offenses. Download the Access file called Ch04_Police to answer the following questions.
4-39. What are the three tables in the database? For simplicity, the LicensePlates table in this e-project uses LicensePlateNumber for its primary key. Why might that work for a small island nation, but not for the United States?
The three tables in the database are Violations, LicensePlates, and PlateImages. The United States has 50 different states. Although within each state, license plate numbers are unique, there are many duplicates across states. The database would need to combine the state code with the license plate number to create a primary key. However, as described in this chapter, autonumbering usually is preferred for primary keys, partly to avoid having to change the value throughout the database.
4-40. Why is PlateImagesID the primary key for the PlateImages table, rather than LicensePlateNumber?
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PlateImagesID is the primary key because each license plate may be captured more than one time in the PlateImages table. LicensePlateNumber would not be unique in this case.
4-41. A police officer spots a car illegally parked on a dark street, with license plate LCN5339. Query the database and list any crimes or other violations that are linked to this license plate.
Students will construct a query to the Violation table with the condition
(LicensePlateNumber=LCN5339) License plate LCN5339 is linked to three crimes and violations running a stoplight on April 24, being uninsured on May 4, and a robbery on May 16.
4-42. A citizen reports a robbery to the police, but she can only remember the first three letters of the car’s license plate (JKR). She thinks it was a black or dark blue Toyota. Which car is the best candidate, and who is the owner?
JKR 6902 is the license plate for a blue Toyota owned by Michael Stables at 97 Jackson Road in the East End. This would be the best candidate.
4-43. Letters such as G and C are often confused by eyewitnesses. Some witnesses to a hit-and-run accident reported that the license plate started with LGR, but they said they weren’t sure. Construct a query to retrieve records that might match either LGR or LCR, and list the candidates.
Students could specify a query condition in which (LicensePlateNumber>=LCR AND <=LGS). A successful query will list the following six records.
4-44. The homicide division learned that a vehicle with license plate number DYV4437 was observed near a murder scene, and they would like to speak to the owner, who might be able to shed light on the case. If the cameras have picked up the license plate at some time, it should be in the PlateImages table. Construct a query to retrieve the latitude and longitude of the car’s most recent location.
Students will construct a query (include fields of LicensePlateNumber, Date, Time, Latitude, and Longitude) to the PlateImagesTable table with the condition (LicensePlateNumber= DYV4437). This license plate is entered as record 919 in the PlateImages table (2:00:37 AM on 06/01/11, latitude -17.950928, longitude 177.960761).
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E-Project 2 Building a Database for Customer Records
In this e-project, you will construct a database of customer purchases for a small concession stand near “Four Corners,” the point in the United States at which the Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico state lines meet. Much of the data will be imported from Excel files.
4-45. Open Access and create a new database called FruitStand.
Students will create a new Blank Database in Microsoft Access.
4-46. Create a table called Products with the following fields
a. ProductID (The first field defaults to the name ID, as the table’s primary key. Change the name to ProductID. Leave it as autonumber and as the primary key.)
b. ProductName (Text data type, field size 25 characters)
c. Price (Currency data type)
Students will create a table as specified above.
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4-47. Enter the records in the following table. Note that you do not enter the ProductID; it is an autonumbering field that generates the next value. Save your work.
Students will enter data into the Products table.
4-48. Download the Excel file Ch04_FruitStand, and import the two worksheets, labeled Customers and Purchases. Identify the CustomerID as the primary key for Customers, and PurchaseNumber fields as the primary key for Purchases, rather than letting Access create its own primary keys.
Students will import the two Excel worksheets into Access tables.
a. What fields are contained in the Customers table? Generate a list of all your customers, sorted by Customer ID.
The Customers table has five fields – CustomerID, State, CountryName, LastName, and FirstName. A list of customers sorted by CustomerID will appear as follows:
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b. What fields are contained in the Purchases table? What are the foreign key(s) in the Purchases table, and which table(s) do they reference?
The Purchases table has five fields PurchaseNumber, CustomerID, PurchaseDate, ProductID, and Quantity. CustomerID is a foreign key, and references the Customers table. ProductID is a foreign key, and references the Products table.
4-49. Use Access Create Query (Query Design) to join Customers to Purchases (on CustomerID), and Purchases to Products (on ProductID), and answer the following questions:
a. Create a query that returns all the purchases from customers from Nevada (NV)? Which fruit do people from that state seem to prefer?
Customers from Nevada seem to prefer apples and grapefruit. Of the five fruit orders by customers from Nevada, three were apple orders and two were grapefruit orders.
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b. How many pears have been sold? (Click on Totals in the Design Ribbon to bring up options to report grouped totals. Your query should Group By ProductName. Include the Quantity field, and in the Total row, select Sum for Quantity.)
Ten (10) pears have been sold.
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c. How many watermelons have been sold?
Twenty-three (23) watermelons have been sold. (See image above.)
d. List all the states your customers come from, and the number of customers from each one. (Use COUNT under the CustomerID field from Customers.) From which state do most of your customers come?
Customers come from Arizona (5), California (2), Colorado (9), Kentucky (1), Nevada (4), New York (1), Texas (1), Utah (1), and Wyoming (1). The largest number of customers comes from Colorado (9) Note that the query also shows 4 customers for whom a state was not entered.
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4-50. List the countries your customers come from, sorting the data by CountryName. What problem do you encounter? What would you do to the database to improve your ability to analyze the data by country?
Customers come from the United States, Canada, France, and Mexico. There are at least four problems in the database:
1. The United States is listed in two different ways USA and US
2. Canada is listed in two different ways CANADA and Can.
3. One customer is listed as living in Nevada, Canada
4. One customer is listed as living in the United States, without a state
One step to improve the ability to analyze data by country is to audit and correct the country listing for all customers. An even better solution is to provide a dropdown for countries so that it is only possible to enter valid country names. For this application, it would be efficient to default the country name to United States, but allow users to select a different country name as appropriate A drop down for state code would also help ensure data integrity.
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