Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Take care how we state the requirements for a database. A spot on the floor often meets the requirements.

I attended a meeting recently wherein a senior official with a long, impressive title stood in front of a crowd of several hundred persons and spoke at length (three hours). A major part of the three-hour meeting was to explain to everyone the database system that was being developed. This system had been under development for about ten years and only needed a little more time before it was finished.

The pinnacle of the three-hour talk was a PowerPoint slide (do we still call them slides?) that showed the definition of this database. I considered the definition for a while—I had nothing else to do at the time. I had the answer even though no one asked a question.

“I can building the system in a minute. Actually, I have it already built,” I said.

Well, for once my brain kept my mouth shut. I didn’t say the above, but I thought it. We could store all the things stated in the PowerPoint on the floor. Lest you think I jest, I do not. Give me the things stated, and I will put them on the floor. Viola’. Finished!

I facilitated this exercise once at a conference of really smart persons. I stated database requirements. Really smart persons scribbled on large sheets of paper to design a system that would meet the requirements. I then showed them how the floor would also meet the requirements at a much lower cost and a much shorter schedule.

Take care how we define database requirements. The floor often suffices.