Analysis, design and implementation of a database system for the Systems Management Curriculum Office

Abstract

The Systems Management Curricular Office at the Naval Postgraduate School is burdened with the enormous administrative task of managing files for over 500 students. In a time of drastic military downsizing and funding cuts, this task will require more work of a smaller staff with less money. The burden of paper management could be lessened through automation of record keeping, while increasing efficiency and effectiveness. Valuable time for the students could be saved through elimination of excessive paperwork which they were required to prepare. Based on requirements from the Systems Management Curricular Office, this thesis designs and implements a database management system. The primary objective is to allow the incoming class of students to enroll using this system instead of traditional paper forms, enabling the staff to focus on more non-administrative tasks. This system will store, sort and compare data relevant to all students while minimizing the need to maintain hardcopy files. Additionally, the staff will be able to query reports and generate letters with minimal effort. The system is also analyzed to determine possible enhancements that could be added in the future. The Systems Management Database Systems (SMDS) is designed using Borland's PARADOX version 4.0. (AN)