Draw EER Model to create Store Database system

Question

I asked the following question on a database site:

I am trying to build an EER Model for a Autostore that has 5 locations and offers a range of auto products. They offer car repairs and roadworthy tests as a service also. I need to be able to make fortnightly reports on unfinished service jobs, and fortnightly reports on the sales. They have a wide customer database filled with full addresses. There is a constant inflow of new stock items and restocking of old ones. There should also be a way to know the cost of each item in stock and where its being held.

I swear I've researched it enough to be able to understand it by now but Im really struggling to map this out as I'm constantly running into a wall when dealing with the products that are being restocked, sold and stocked by particular stores in different locations.

-I'm a total rookie with this kind of thing but if anyone can help me it would be amazing.

but I am struggling to find an answer and was thinking that maybe if I asked someone here to build an SQL setup it would lead me in the direction of being able to make the model or if there was a way of building the relational model then it would be a simple step from there, unless someone has the original answer - or all of them haha, hope you can help!

Thanks, Jacob

Answer 1

If you are struggling with creating an EER diagram, my guess is that you may not have captured detailed enough requirements for the application. A clear understanding of the functionality the application should provide should lay the groundwork for what you need to model in the database.

Ask yourself these questions.

Have I created user profiles for each type of user the application will be used by? Have I outlined every action these users will be performing on the application and the details of the actions?

These are just two of many questions that you have hopefully fully addressed. If you have addressed these topics and everything else fully, perhaps you just need a different approach in organizing your requirements.

Break it up into segments of data. For example, you'll need to create a system of tables that manages inventory. Which will need to then be linked up to a system of tables that manages sales and service records. Which will need to be linked to a system of tables that manages customers data. The sales/service and inventory control will need to be linked up to a system of tables that governs employees and their roles and ability to do things (security, privileges, etc). I can go on and on speaking theoretically about this, but this should hopefully be enough to get you started.

Good luck.