Dbm 380 Week 1 - the Database of the Art Museum

The Database of the Art Museum

DBM/380

11/8/15

Shalini Devi

Introduction

        The Art Museum currently has over 200 employees and 1000’s  of pieces of art. The art museum previously kept track of their inventory through excel spreadsheets. The art museum desires to organize their employees and art inventory. The art museum is seeking to evolve and implement a sensible method of tracking. The Art Museum has an expansive database of art work with pertinent information that has to be used as identifiers. Consequently, the staff will need to have access to certain portions of the database to enable them to identify the art work accordingly.

The previous method of tracking was the use of an excel based spreadsheet. The spreadsheet required manual entries for the artwork that the museum purchased. The items were given a UPC label number and the label number was manually input into the spreadsheet. This method proved to be ineffective and time consuming. As an item came in the piece would have to be input one at a time. Transversely if an item was sold or donated, the item would have to be manually deleted. This system was prone to human error. Or certain items would not be logged properly or the would be left out due to employee absence or neglect.

The art Museum has decided to implement database that is compatible with its UPC labeling system. The labeling system scans and takes pictures of the art, then opens text fields for the staff to input certain information and produces a UPC label for the item. The scanner is linked to the database so that it creates a seamless transfer of information. Databases are readily available at any time a company may need the information. Databases increase the productivity significantly.

The Art Museum is a company that relies on an information rich inventory system so the database has to fully engage this activity. It is imperative that each employee becomes a part of this system.

The Inventory Database

        The current inventory database within the Art Museum is utilizing a Microsoft Excel System database. The Art Museum has dozens of tables that hold quite a few Entities. These entities have numerous attributes.  Furthermore, the tables are then separated by art type, art class, art era and geographical location. Tables are also divided by department. The primary key on the tables is composed by an 8 digit number, by art era. This number uniquely identifies the “particular items to which the numbers are assigned to.” ( Kroenke 2010)

After checking the item number and entry date, the item is then moved from the inventory warehouse to correct department which will help the staff members track the art piece. Art that is not a part of the Museums manifesto will be returned back to the shipper. Post haste. The database that the Art Museum is implementing has an enhanced ERD with a “Key system that will identify more comprehensive information” ( Kroenke 2010). Keeping track of the records will also have a system of entity redundancy which will make certain items easier to find. The UPC entry system will also identify “like for like” pieces so that the display floor is always stocked with art pieces should the museum sell anything or have an auction.