Databases > Planning A Database

Do you need a centralised database?

By Lasa Information Systems Team

A centralised database allows everyone in your organisation to access the same information, no matter which computer they are sat at. This article discusses some of the reasons why such a thing might be useful.

An advice centre provides advice in housing, benefits and health, produces a monthly newsletter and organises support groups for its clients.

Each person working at the centre has developed a database for his or her own use. As a result there is a housing database, a newsletter database, an events database etc. Some of the data held is the same on each computer but, if a client's details change and an individual updates their records, there is no way of systematically updating the matching records on other machines.

Clients are becoming increasingly frustrated at receiving two or three letters at different addresses from the organisation.

A centralised database that can be used across the organisation would enable everyone in the agency to work with the most current information. In order to work out whether you might benefit from a centralised database in your agency consider the following questions:

Do you need to:

• record the details of calls taken in the agency?
• find an agency's contact details?
• produce statistics for funders?
• produce reports of your user profile to help develop your service?
• monitor your user groups?
• co-ordinate mailings to clients/members?
• keep up-to-date information about who has given you funds?

If you answer yes to any of the questions above or the scenario sounds familiar, it may be time to consider purchasing a database that is centralised across the organisation. This will ensure everyone is working with the most current information and generally increase efficiency.

Once a decision has been made on the database software the specific hardware needed to run the software will become clear.