Last week I saw an example of what not to do when developing manufacturing systems. The manufacturer hired a programmer to “upgrade” older systems that existed in FileMaker Pro and Excel spreadsheets. A gov’met agency recommended they move from Excel to a database, so the programmer used Oracle because that is what they knew.
What I would have done:
1. Start with what the business problem is. What is the real problem and what would be the most efficient way to solve it? A database might not be the right solution. (Right Kevin?)
2. If because of #1 or because there is a regulatory requirement, a database is required, make it as simple to build and own as possible. That means starting with software that most people know or that you can get anyone to upgrade in the future.
2a - My opinion is there are way more people that know Microsoft technologies (ASP, .NET, SQL Server, etc.) than do Oracle. Also, a PHP and MySQL solution would have more worldwide resources available than an Oracle solution.
3. Get a couple opinions before you start (especially if you do not do this every day.) Ask some friends, technical advisors, etc. before you start to spend money.
Unfortunately for this manufacturer they spent about 5x more money than they should have for what they got and now they have something that no one is going to want to touch. Because they knew the developer and she was only charging them $40/hour, they thought they were getting a deal!
oh, 1a - see if there is a good Commercial-off-the-shelf solution (COTS) that works before you build it.
Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.