Determining Databases and Data Communications

Read Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 below.

Write a paper of no more than 1,500 words in which you respond to the questions designated for both scenarios.

Scenario 1: You are a marketing assistant for a consumer electronics company and are in charge of setting up your company’s booth at trade shows. Weeks before a show, you meet with the marketing managers and determine what displays and equipment they want to display. Then, you identify each of the components that need to be shipped and schedule a shipper to deliver them to the trade show site. You then supervise trade show personnel as they set up the booths and equipment.

After the show, you supervise packing the booth and all the equipment as well as schedule its shipment back to your home office. When the equipment arrives, you check it into your warehouse to ensure that all pieces of the booth and all the equipment are returned. If there are any problems due to shipping damage or loss, you handle those problems. Your job is important; at a typical show you are responsible for more than a quarter-million dollars of equipment.

• In Scenario 1:

o You need to track data about booth components, equipment, shippers, and shipment. List typical fields for each type of data. Provide an example of two relationships that you need to track.

o Do you need a database system? If not, can Excel® handle the data and the output? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

o Would you use a personal database or an enterprise database? Explain your answer.

o Would a decision support system (DSS) be helpful? Explain your answer.


Scenario 2: You manage a group of seven employees in a small consulting business. Some employees work at home and some work in the office. Each of the employees needs to be connected to the Internet.

• In Scenario 2:

o Does your company need a WAN or LAN? Explain your answer.

o Does your business require wireless? Explain your answer.

o Consider security. Is your data sensitive and in need of protection? Do you need to use a VPN? Explain your answer.

o Imagine that you created a Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet to help you determine the costs and options for a wireless router for your office. Use the Microsoft® Excel® template on the student website to manipulate the cost and specification data of the various wireless routers based on the directions in the spreadsheet.

Cite at least two references in your paper.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Answer will be sent by email as attachment.