IT460-4: Develop information systems by converting design specifications into data structures.

Purpose

Entity Relationship Diagrams are used to help show how information in a system is organized. This assignment will have you analyze data from a business situation, construct an ERD, and explain process of normalization and reasons when denormalization may be important.

Assignment Instructions and Requirements

Avery’s gym has partnered with a partner physical therapy business to provide treatment for some of its gym members. Gym members have the option to participate in special physical therapy sessions.

The main feature of this partnership provides gym members with the options to participate in physical therapy sessions. Each Physical Therapy Session must include a gym member, a trainer, and a therapist. Each session generates a unique Claim. Sessions also need to record the date, time and purpose of the sessions. Physical therapy sessions are billed back to insurance and claims must be filed with each physical therapy session.

You have been tasked with developing an Entity Relationship Diagram to help show this part of the larger gym system. You have also been asked to explain the importance of both normalization and denormalization of data structures.

You have been given a report as an example of some of the information generated by the system, and the file contains the following fields. Hint: unique IDs may need to be created to correctly generate the data model.

1. Physical Therapy Session
2. Session Date
3. Session Time
4. Session Details/Purpose
5. Member Name
6. Member Address
7. Member Phone
8. Member Age
9. Member Email
10. Insurance Number
11. Insurance Name
12. Insurance Address
13. Insurance Plan details
14. Trainer Name
15. Trainer Phone
16. Trainer Email
17. Trainer Specialty
18. Therapist Name
19. Therapist Phone
20. Therapist Email
21. Therapist Specialty
22. Insurance Claim Number
23. Claim Cost

Complete the following two tasks:

1. Normalize the data. Organize the information into data fields appropriate for a relational database. Analyze the information provided and normalize the data to create a database model.
2. Based on that information construct an ERD. Use Visio. Identify primary and foreign keys. For each entity, develop appropriate and thorough attributes. Use crow’s feet to show relations between entities.
3. Explain the importance of normalization: provide a summary of the steps necessary for each 1NF, 2NF, 3NF and importance. A minimum of 120 words is expected.
4. Explain denormalization and explain the main reasons for it. A minimum of 60 words is expected.