Programming your own e commerce
database software
Programming your own e commerce database
software or having one written for you is a popular idea for
many small to medium sized business (and some larger ones
too).
It can be a good solution for some
organisations but unfortunately there are many organisations
who do not consider all the implications of doing so.
One of the most common misconceptions,
for example, is that you can simply buy Microsoft Access for
a couple of hundred pounds, and that there will be no more
costs. This section tries to give the pros and cons of programming
your own database.
Benefits of programming your own
e commerce database software can include:
Keeping it Simple. If you are a small
UK business with simple requirements then it may well be that
you really do not need any of the sophisticated requirements
offered by commercial e
commerce database software.
It is not difficult to write a fundamental database with name
and address information, basic recording of clients, a few
simple reports and an export function to a word processor
for writing letters. It can and has been done successfully
many times.
Cost. Again, if you do want the simplest
of databases and you either have an employee or a volunteer
who already knows how to develop databases, then the cost
can be kept down.
Designed for your requirements. There
may be cases where you have to have something programmed for
you because you have specific requirements which a commercial
e commerce
database software cannot match.
And you can have reports written which match your output requirements
exactly.
Not just for business For 'organisation-wide'
(or "corporate wide") databases where you might
want to hold information other than just business all on the
same database, then you could consider database development
especially for you. For example, if you also wanted the public's
requests for detailed information internal data, cause-related
information, research and so on.
It is yours to change. If you do get
someone to design a database for you then you will also probably
have access to the database structure and 'source code'. This
means that if there is someone in your organisation who knows
how to program this database then they can change it as and
when you want it changed. And potentially far quicker than
with a commercial package where they need to consider the
affect of any change on all their customers.
The possible downsides of programming
your own e commerce database software can include:
They are not pre-defined. As stated
above, it is a common misconception that you can simply buy
a database package such as Access, Paradox, FoxPro, Cardbox
and so on, and that is all there is to it. All these packages
are simply tools which let you design your own system, and
you need to add everything to it (often referred to as 'templates'):
fields, lists, screens, functions, reports.
Design. You have to design your entire
system. This means thinking about all the data which you want
- or might want - to hold. It means meetings with users, planning,
Programming a specification, designing fields/screens/functions/reports
and checking to see if you have thought of everything. If
you are getting a company to write a system for you then if
you forget anything at this early stage then they are highly
likely to charge you more later if you want to add/change
anything.
Cost. Again, although it can be cheaper
than buying a pre-defined package, there are many cost considerations.
For a start, if you are considering getting a commercial company
or independent developer to write a system for you then this
really can be expensive. They may well charge for feasibility
& design as well as programming and no programmer worth
their salt will be less than several hundred pounds a day;
and it will take many days of their time. Even if you are
Programming the database 'in-house' (i.e. having your IT staff
write it) then all the above issues can add up.
Time. Programming your own database
can take a long time and one of the sad facts about the computer
industry is that projects always seem to take far longer than
expected! This is not just a truism.
Support. Who will give you support
after the package has been written? What about help screens?
Or a user manual?
No future-proofing. This in itself
can outweigh many of the advantages of programming your own
database because, once you have written it, then a little
later, technology (and your requirements) will change and
you may be left with an out-of-date database. If you want
it changed or updated then back come those costs all over
again.
Database querying/reporting. One
specific issue of Programming your own database but where
you want other people to be using it, involves querying the
database.
Many packages do offer 'graphical
query interfaces' but they are not always user-friendly and
can require a degree of technical comprehension on a user's
part. This is one of the most common complaints of any user,
not just in fundraising - that their database can record data
okay, but it is very complex getting the data out.
|
