When designing a database for a business like Quick Cart, which presumably operates as an online shopping platform, several key business rules need to be considered. These rules influence how the database is structured and how data is managed. Here are some of the important business rules to consider:
1. Customer Management
- Each customer must have a unique identifier (e.g., Customer ID).
- Customers can have multiple addresses (shipping and billing).
- Customer accounts can have different statuses (active, inactive, suspended).
2. Product Management
- Each product must have a unique identifier (e.g., Product ID).
- Products can belong to one or more categories (e.g., electronics, clothing).
- Products must have attributes such as name, description, price, stock quantity, and images.
- Products can have different variations (e.g., size, color) and associated attributes.
3. Order Processing
- Each order must have a unique order identifier (e.g., Order ID).
- An order can contain multiple products, each with associated quantities.
- Orders must be linked to a customer and must store order status (e.g., pending, shipped, delivered, canceled).
- Payment methods (credit card, PayPal, etc.) must be associated with each order.
- Orders are time-stamped to track when they are placed and updated.
4. Inventory Management
- Inventory levels must be tracked for each product.
- Automatic stock decrement occurs upon order confirmation and return processes for returned items.
- Notifications must be generated when stock level falls below a certain threshold.
5. Shopping Cart
- A shopping cart is associated with each customer session (cart must persist until purchase or significant delay).
- The cart can hold multiple products with quantities and optionally apply discounts or promotions.
- Cart expiration policy (e.g., empty after X days of inactivity).
6. Promotions and Discounts
- Business rules for applying discounts need to be defined (e.g., percentage off, fixed amount off).
- Promotions may have expiration dates and applicability conditions.
- Promotional codes must be unique and associated with specific products or categories.
7. Payment Processing
- Secure storage and handling of payment information must be adhered to.
- Different payment methods will require distinct processing rules.
- Refunds must be manageable and trackable back to the original order.
8. Shipping Management
- Each order must have associated shipping information, including tracking numbers.
- Different shipping methods may have variable costs and delivery times.
- Shipping addresses must comply with formatting rules specific to regions.
9. User Roles and Permissions
- Different user roles (e.g., admin, customer service, customers) must have varying levels of access.
- Users should have personal data protection policies in place, compliant with regulations (e.g., GDPR).
10. Analytics and Reporting
- The database must support reporting capabilities (e.g., sales reports, customer activity, inventory levels).
- Historical data must be archived while maintaining accessibility for reporting and analysis.
11. Data Integrity and Constraints
- Enforcing constraints like foreign keys for relationships (e.g., between customers and orders).
- Implementing checks to maintain data validity (e.g., valid email format, non-negative quantities).
By incorporating these business rules into the database design of Quick Cart, it ensures that the system will efficiently support the company’s operations while maintaining data integrity, security, and reliability.