Application Exercises Question 37 Page 613 Tracking Systems

Application Exercises Question 37 Page 613 Tracking Systems Failu

Application Exercises: Question 37 (Page: 613), Tracking Systems Failures with Access. Answer all parts of the question (a to e). 37. Use Access to develop a failure-tracking database application. Use the data in Excel file Ex37 for this exercise.

The file includes columns for the following: FailureNumber DataReported FailureDescription ReportedBy (the name of the PQA engineer reporting the failure) ReportedBy_email (the email address of the PQA engineer reporting the failure) FixedBy_email (the email address of the programmer assigned to fix the failure) DateFailureFixed FixDescription DateFixVerified VerifiedBy (the name of the PQA engineer verifying the fix) VerfiedBy_email (the email address of the PQA engineer verifying the fix) A. The data in the spreadsheet have not been normalized. Normalize the data by creating a Failure table, a PQA engineer table, and a programmer table. Add other appropriate columns to each table. Create appropriate relationships.

B. Create one or more forms that can be used to report a failure, to report a failure fix, and to report a failure verification. Create the form(s) so that the user can just pull down the name of a PQA engineer or programmer from the appropriate table to fill in the ReportedBy, FixedBy, and VerifiedBy fields.

C. Construct a report that shows all failures sorted by ReportedBy and then by DateReported.

D. Construct a report that shows only fixed and verified failures.

E. Construct a report that shows only fixed but unverified failures.

Paper For Above instruction

Developing an effective and normalized database system for tracking failure reports, fixes, and verifications requires an understanding of database normalization principles, form creation for user input, and report generation for data analysis. Utilizing Microsoft Access, this process involves transforming raw, non-normalized data into structured tables with relationships, creating user-friendly data entry forms, and generating detailed reports tailored to specific data subsets. This essay elucidates each step, from normalizing failure data, designing efficient forms for reporting, to creating insightful reports to monitor failure resolution processes.

Introduction

In the realm of quality assurance and defect tracking, maintaining data integrity, ease of use, and accurate reporting is essential for efficient management. The initial dataset provided in Excel comprises unstructured data that, when normalized, becomes a reliable foundation for meaningful analysis. By designing a relational database in Microsoft Access, stakeholders can streamline failure reporting, debugging, and verification activities, thereby enhancing organizational responsiveness and accountability.

Normalizing the Data

The first step involves transforming the raw, non-normalized dataset into relational tables. The primary tables necessary are the Failure table, the PQA engineer table, and the Programmer table. The Failure table encapsulates failure-specific details such as FailureNumber, DataReported, FailureDescription, DateFailureFixed, FixDescription, DateFixVerified, and status indicators. The PQA engineer table includes attributes like EngineerID, Name, and Email, capturing personnel responsible for reporting and verifying failures. The Programmer table records ProgrammerID, Name, and Email, assigning responsibility for fixing failures.

Establishing relationships among these tables is critical to avoid redundancy and ensure data integrity. For example, Failure table links to the PQA Engineer table via ReportedBy and VerifiedBy foreign keys, and connects to the Programmer table through FixedBy_email, now stored as ProgrammerID. Implementing these relationships in Access enforces referential integrity and facilitates seamless data retrieval through queries.

Creating Data Entry Forms

Designing user-friendly forms in Access enhances data input efficiency. Forms for reporting failures include dropdown menus populated with PQA engineers’ names, allowing users to select the reporter easily. Similarly, forms for failure fixes and verifications incorporate dropdowns listing programmers and engineers, respectively, pulled directly from their tables. This approach minimizes data entry errors and expedites the reporting process. The forms should logically segregate failure reporting, fixing, and verification procedures for clarity.

Developing Reports

Reports serve as vital tools for monitoring and analyzing failure management activities. The first report, showing all failures sorted by ReportedBy and DateReported, provides an overview of reporting trends. The second report, listing only fixed and verified failures, helps assess resolution effectiveness. The third report, focusing solely on fixed but unverified failures, highlights ongoing issues requiring verification. Implementing filters and sorting within reports allows users to extract relevant insights efficiently, facilitating decision-making and process improvement.

Conclusion

Building a normalized and well-structured database in Access for failure tracking enhances data accuracy, facilitates efficient data entry via forms, and provides valuable insights through tailored reports. The process encompasses normalization to eliminate redundancy, relational design to maintain data integrity, user-centric forms to streamline input, and strategic report creation to support organizational oversight. Such a comprehensive approach ensures effective failure management and continuous quality improvement within the organization.

References

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