Vlad Manea

Dragoş-Mihail Vasiliu

Ioana-Loredana Marţin

Andreea-Corina Dumea

Romania . LICEUL DE INFORMATICA “GRIGORE C. MOISIL” IASI

we make your dream database come true

project manager: prof. Emanuela Cerchez

e-mail: emanuela.cerchez@gmail.com

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Company: Profile

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STRABAG

STRABAG is one of Europe’s leading construction groups.

With nearly 60,000 employees, STRABAG expects to post

revenue of about 11 billion Euros this financial year.

From its core markets of Austria and Germany, STRABAG,

via its numerous subsidiaries, is present in all countries of

Eastern and South-East Europe, in selected markets in

Western Europe, on the Arabian Peninsula, as well as in

Canada, Chile, China and India.

STRABAG generates more than 80% of its construction

output in markets in which it holds one of the top three

positions. These include the Czech Republic, Hungary,

Slovakia and Poland.

2 / 32

We were determined to search for a capable person that

could have provided the necessary information.

We talked to our colleague, Dipl. Eng. Sarghe MARIUS.

At the first interview, he exposed the current STRABAG

problems and shown us some contract samples to explain

how the business works.

STRABAG

Our team received from

our supervisor the task of

organizing our company’s

business.

The STRABAG website

www.strabag.com helped

us know STRABAG’s main

activities and values.

We also looked at similar

businesses’ websites, to

find out about construction

companies, in general:

Synergy,

Summa SA,

Rotary Constructii,

Transilvania Constructii.

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Research: References

3 / 32

STRABAG S.R.L.DIRECTION I.F.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY

INTERNATIONAL_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Dipl. Eng. Sarghe MARIUSRomania Business Development Deputy Project Manager

IASI ROMANIA, Str. Sos. Iasi-Holboca; Statia de EpurarePhone: +40(0)332/108 858

Fax: +40(0)332/108 859

Mobile: +40(0)728/859 106

E-mail: marius.sarghe@strabag.com

www.strabag.com

STRABAG

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Research: References

STRABAG’s magazine, inform, was a helpful source of

information for successful projects and cover stories.

The magazine also shows how our company involves in

social and cultural activities for its employees (art festivals,

sports competitions, photo contests etc.):

- inform December 2006

- inform May 2007

- inform September 2007

Annual reports show our the growth of our company in time

and gave us an overview of the importance of some key

elements for the global STRABAG business:

- 2004 report

- 2005 report

- 2006 report

We also consulted an Investor Presentation where we found

financial information about our company and particularly

about its profitable growth.

4 / 32

In order to complete the

information provided by our

interviewee, we searched

for useful resources on the

STRABAG website.

STRABAG Research: Problem

? It has become clear

that conventional

informational systems for

organizing the business

requirements could not

keep up with the ever

expanding business.

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Roads

Bridges

Tunnels

Services

Civil

Industrial

√ We came up with a

solution that consisted in

a database that would

organize the business in

a handy manner.

5 / 32

STRABAG

The key element for

STRABAG’s business is

the project.

For each project, a

contract is signed between

our company (through a

STRABAG employee

assigned as project

manager) and the

company that orders the

construction (client).

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Each contract contains a special mention that allows

possible delays due to meteorological factors beyond

control. An estimated value of the project is specified.

STRABAG divides each project into project stages,

depending on its size and complexity.

Our company establishes the start date of the construction

and estimates a deadline for the whole project and also for

each project stage.

Research: Business Rules

6 / 32

project project

stages

contract

STRABAG

How does someone get

hired at STRABAG?

How does STRABAG

cooperate with other

companies for specific

project stages?

How does STRABAG use

equipment on project

stages?

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When a position at STRABAG is vacant, candidates are

selected according to their CVs and recommendation letters.

Afterwards, the selected candidates are invited to an

interview. If a candidate is hired, a medical record of all his

major diseases and medical indication is made. Each

employee has a job history. When a hired person is

promoted (demoted), the function and salary are changed.

For some project stages, STRABAG may subcontract

specific task to specialized. In order to choose the best

companies, an auction takes place. STRABAG evaluates the

candidates by criteria such as offers, financial status and

experience. The selected companies sign a subcontract with

STRABAG.

STRABAG provides its own equipment to project stages for

certain periods of time. In order to use equipments that are

not in its possession, our company signs subcontracts.

Research: Business Rules

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STRABAG

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Research: Business Rules

8 / 32

Certain amounts of materials are bought from other

companies at specific prices.

Well determined amounts of materials are taken from

stockpiles for different project stages.

How does STRABAG use

materials for a specific

project stage?

companies materials project

stages

quantity

price

X

quantity

STRABAG

Weather is the most

important factor that may

affect the business.

The meteorological

conditions influence the

building processes in

different ways.

Our database must retain

and allow retrieval of all

the required weather

measurements.

workers

avoid working on

electric systems

of skyscrapers.

concrete

receives special

treatments to

harden faster.

deadlines

must be changed

if some activities

are delayed.

Samples of STRABAG safety measures in a rainy day:

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Research: Weather Influences

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STRABAG

STRABAG uses weather

information in order to

have equipments and

workers ready to meet the

safety standards.

Weather conditions

determine the choice of

adequate materials for a

specific task (e.g. concrete

type or additive selection is

influenced by temperature

and precipitations).

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STRABAG measures three times a day factors such as

temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitations at the

location of every project stage.

STRABAG has agreements with local meteorological

institutes for weather forecasts. Weather forecast is sent by

e-mail, once for a specific day, registration time being

considered 00:00AM (when STRABAG does not execute

weather measurements).

Research: Weather Influences

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Meteorological

Institute

e-mail forecast

temperature humidity wind speed precipitations

measurement

STRABAG

The business is based on

the synergy between the

three main segments:

- Building construction &

Construction engineering

- Road construction

- Tunneling & Services

Our database must be a

reliable platform for any of

these activities.

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Our database model provides quick answers to a wide set of

questions such as:

- Which materials, equipment, subcontractors were put

together to bring a specific project to life?

- Based on STRABAG experts’ previous works, which of

them should be assigned to design a tunnel in the Alps?

- Which materials were used to build the last giant power

plant in the tundra?

- Which workers are able to perform a specific task and

are not under any medical indication that forbids the task?

- What are the free market countries with the highest rate of

finalized projects in the last year?

- What equipment should be sent to do a task for a project

stage if the weather forecast predicts a torrential rain?

Research: Business Needs

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STRABAG

In order to fulfill the

business needs, our

database must store data

about the following

elements:

- contracts

- projects

- project stages

- employees

- subcontracts

- clients

- materials

- equipment

- locations

- weather

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STRABAG retains each past or current project, its afferent

contract, client, and specific project stages.

For each project stage, all subcontractors and the afferent

contracts must be known.

Materials, workers, equipments, locations and weather

conditions for each day of a project stage are also required.

It is required that materials have known suppliers and

prices. Materials are used for specific project stages in

certain quantities.

It is indicated that STRABAG knows other companies’

background, expertise, balance sheet and turnover.

The business requires personal data, contact information,

job history and medical record for each employee.

His activities in the company must be tracked as well.

Research: Required Information

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expertise for

supply

have

done

signer of

signed by

close

closed by

have as pm

appear as

pm onsupervised by

supervise

signed for

have

assignedpart ofhave

closed for

influenced by

influence

used for use

bought

from

work on

belong to

belong to

have

have

have as

designer

appear as project designer on

used for

use

Preliminary ERD

divided

in

have

This is the diagram we have, after successive

improvements suggested in several interviews:

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forecasted by

forecast

PORTFOLIO

PROJECT# name

* start dateo end dateo quality

COMPANY# cui

* name

* profile

* address

* date founded

* balance sheet

* turnover

CONTRACT# id

* estimated value

* start date

* proposed end date

* purpose

EMPLOYEE# id

#1 social number

#1 residence state

* first name

* last name

* date of birth

* residence addresso phone numbero e-mail

JOB HISTORY# start dateo end date

* function

* salaryo evaluation

PROJECT STAGE# id

* start date

* proposed end dateo bill

WEATHER# date

# time

# location

* temperature

* humidity

* wind speed

* precipitations

* influence

SUB

CONTRACT # id

* task

* value

* description

MATERIAL# id

* description

MEDICAL

RECORD# number

* disease

* start dateo end dateo indication

EQUIPMENT# id

* description

PROJECT# id

* segment

* description

METEOROLOGICAL

INSTITUTE # id

* name

* country

STRABAG

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Structural rules

STRABAG needs to keep track of all companies they had

worked in the past or are working with. The name and profile

of every such company is retained.

The profile and the date founded attributes help to select

only experienced companies in a specific field.

The balance sheet describes the income of a company in

the last year while the turnover refers to the amount of

money it circulates.

Each company is identified by its unique registration code

(cui). It is important to know that cui contains the initials of

the company’s country.

Modeling: Companies

COMPANY# cui

* name

* profile

* address

* date founded

* balance sheet

* turnover

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STRABAG

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Structural rules

In order to know the work quality of another company,

STRABAG wants to study its PORTFOLIO PROJECTS. They

are also interested in the period of time when the portfolio

project took place. A PORTFOLIO PROJECT is identified by its

name and its LOCATION. Each PORTFOLIO PROJECT must be

placed at one and only one LOCATION and each LOCATION

may be the place of one or more PORTFOLIO PROJECTS.

However, some companies could still have no expertise.

Sometimes, two or more companies work for the same

PORTFOLIO PROJECT. Thus, we created the EXPERTISE

entity (a list of companies’ involvement into projects) to

solve the M:M relationship. For each company, we store the

tasks achieved in each PORTFOLIO PROJECT and the

achievement period.

The attribute end date, in both PORTFOLIO PROJECT and

EXPERTISE entities, is optional as it might be unknown for

current projects.

have

belong to

refer to

appear on

placed

at

the place

of

Modeling: Companies

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PORTFOLIO

PROJECT# name

* start dateo end dateo quality

EXPERTISE# start dateo end date

* task

LOCATION# id

* countryo addresso longitudeo latitude

COMPANY# cui

* name

* profile

* address

* date founded

* balance sheet

* turnover

STRABAG

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Structural rules

A company may be:

- the signer (client) of one or more CONTRACTS,

- the signer (subcontractor) of one or more SUBCONTRACTS,

- the supplier (seller) of one or more material ACQUISITIONS.

The CONTRACT must be signed by one and only one

company. The client cannot be changed once the CONTRACT

is signed. The company that signs a SUBCONTRACT cannot

be changed either.

Thus, we made these two relationships nontransferable.

Modeling: Companies

the

supplier

of

signed by

the

signer

ofsigned by

the signer of

made from

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COMPANY# cui

* name

* profile

* address

* date founded

* balance sheet

* turnover

CONTRACT# id

* category

* purpose

* estimated value

* start date

* proposed end date

* description

SUB

CONTRACT # id

* task

* value

* description

ACQUISITION # date

* quantity

* price

STRABAG

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Structural rules

When STRABAG has a new client, our company creates a

contract in which the purpose and description of the work,

the period of time between the moment the contract is

signed and the one the contract is finished, the estimated

value of the entire project are retained. A contract is

identified by its id.

The category attribute indicates one of the three activity

sectors of STRABAG (Building construction & Construction

engineering, Road construction, Tunneling & Services) or

Other, when the project belongs to none of the sectors.

The construction projects are divided into PROJECT STAGES

which should be accomplished in a predefined period of

time. PROJECT STAGES are part of a contract and each one

has its own id.

The proposed end date for a CONTRACT/PROJECT STAGE is

the date when the entire project or a specific project stage

should be finished.

include

part of

Modeling: Contracts

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CONTRACT# id

* category

* purpose

* estimated value

* start date

* proposed end date

* description

PROJECT STAGE# id

* start date

* proposed end dateo bill

STRABAG

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Structural rules

A subcontract is realized between STRABAG and another

COMPANY for a PROJECT STAGE. When a subcontract is

signed, the following information is stored: its task, value

and description.

The value attribute refers to the estimated cost of the

subcontract.

We identify the subcontract by the COMPANY that signed it,

the PROJECT STAGE it was closed for, and also by an

artificial unique identifier, id, which permits more

subcontracts between STRABAG and a COMPANY for the

same PROJECT STAGE.

the subject of

signer ofsigned by

closed for

Modeling: Subcontracts

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COMPANY# cui

* name

* profile

* address

* date founded

* balance sheet

* turnover

PROJECT STAGE# id

* start date

* proposed end dateo bill

SUB

CONTRACT # id

* task

* value

* description

STRABAG

Structural rules

If there are STRABAG workers assigned to do specific

tasks for a project stage, then a WORK SCHEDULE is

related. An EQUIPMENT SCHEDULE is retained in the case

of STRABAG EQUIPMENT involvement. For specific

project stages, COMPANIES may be subcontracted.

Therefore, a project stage may be the subject of one or

more SUBCONTRACTS. A USAGE LIST is also related if the

project stage requires materials that are in our company’s

possession.

Each project stage is identified by the id of the CONTRACT

it is part of, and its own id.

The proposed end date is the date when the project stage

should be finished, according to the CONTRACT.

The bill represents the amount of money STRABAG

receives when a project stage is finished.

Modeling: Project Stages

closed

for

the

subject

of

for

for

the

subject

of

the subject of

for

the

subject

of

for

the subject of

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EQUIPMENT

SCHEDULE# start date

# start time

o end date

o end time

PROJECT STAGE# id

* start date

* proposed end dateo bill

SUB

CONTRACT # id

* task

* value

* description

INFLUENCE* description

USAGE

LIST# time

* quantity

WORK

SCHEDULE# start date

# start timeo end dateo end time

* task

STRABAG

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Structural rules

STRABAG obtains the necessary materials for a project by

buying them. That is why it needs to have a record of the

acquired materials and the used ones. The evidence of

materials is done depending on the date of ACQUISITION.

In addition, our company must know the quantity and price

of acquired material. The quantity of used materials at a

certain moment is also important and it is stored in a

USAGE LIST. Materials are identified by an artificial unique

identifier, id. Each material is chosen for specific weather

conditions. It is necessary to retain a description of the

material because while a project is undergoing, the

weather may change and our company would need to

change those with more adequate ones.

Assumptions

The materials are used in the order they are acquired.

STRABAG does not have any material loss.

Modeling: Materials

refer to

the subject of

the subject of

refer to

20 / 32

MATERIAL# id

* description

USAGE LIST# date

* quantity

ACQUISITION # date

* quantity

* price

STRABAG

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Structural rules

STRABAG uses much equipment in many PROJECT STAGES

and it is interested in equipment repartition in time.

The description is also important for choosing the best

equipment for a specific PROJECT STAGE. The equipment

has assigned an artificial identifier, id.

We had to solve the M:M relationship by creating the

EQUIPMENT SCHEDULE entity, in which we included the time

interval (start date, start time, end date, end time).

STRABAG is interested in retaining an EQUIPMENT

SCHEDULE.

A schedule is identified by the equipment it refers to and by

the PROJECT STAGE for which that equipment is used.

Modeling: Equipment

the subject of

for refer to

used by

21 / 32

EQUIPMENT# id

* description

PROJECT STAGE# id

* start date

* proposed end dateo bill

EQUIPMENT

SCHEDULE# start date

# start timeo end dateo end time

STRABAG

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Structural rules

All companies keep track of their employees. STRABAG

makes no exception. An Employee’s file contains personal

data such as: first name, last name, date of birth,

residence state, residence address, phone number, e-mail.

Employees are assigned an unique identifier, id.

An employee can also be identified by his social number

and residence state.

There may be certain situations in which an employee is

not allowed to do a specific task, because of a disease that

has a medical indication for a certain period of time,

defined by a start date and an end date. This data is

stored in the MEDICAL RECORD.

For retaining the personal evolution of any person in the

company, we created the JOB HISTORY entity. In this, a

start date, end date, function, salary and evaluation are

stored.

have

have

belong to

belong to

Modeling: Employees

22 / 32

EMPLOYEE# id

#1 social number

#1 residence state

* first name

* last name

* date of birth

* residence addresso phone numbero e-mail

MEDICAL

RECORD# number

* disease

* start dateo end dateo indication

JOB HISTORY# start dateo end date

* function

* salaryo evaluation

STRABAG

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Structural rules

An employee may have many functions at the same time:

- be in charge of a WORK SCHEDULE with specific tasks,

- appear with a task in the DESIGN TEAM for a project,

- appear as project manager (pm) on CONTRACTS,

- supervise one or more employees.

Assumption

STRABAG retains a WORK SCHEDULE for tasks related to

PROJECT STAGES only.

Hired persons who have none of these functions have tasks

that depend on their current job.

Modeling: Employees

appear as pm on

in charge of

appear in

refer to

refer to

have as pm

supervised by

supervise

23 / 32

DESIGN

TEAMo task

CONTRACT# id

* category

* purpose

* estimated value

* start date

* proposed end date

* description

EMPLOYEE# id

#1 social number

#1 residence state

* first name

* last name

* date of birth

* residence addresso phone numbero e-mail

WORK

SCHEDULE# start date

# start timeo end dateo end time

* task

STRABAG

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Structural rules

The weather is measured on specific LOCATIONS in various

moments of TIME. We solved the M:M relation by creating

the WEATHER MEASUREMENT entity. The measurement

consists of: temperature, humidity, wind speed and

precipitations. Meteorological data always influences the

activities of our company.

If the relationship between the WEATHER MEASUREMENT

and METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE entities does not exist,

this is a measurement made by STRABAG. Else, it is a

forecast provided by that particular institute.

Each TIME must have a forecast, a measurement made by

STRABAG, or both.

Assumption

We only retain TIMES when STRABAG works at PROJECT

STAGES. In those TIMES, weather is measured.

registered atregistered on

registration place ofregistration

moment of

generate

generated by

Modeling: Weather

forecast

forecasted

by

24 / 32

TIME# date

# time

WEATHER

MEASUREMENT* temperature

* humidity

* wind speed

* precipitations

INFLUENCE* description

METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE# id

* name

* country

LOCATION# id

* countryo addresso longitudeo latitude

STRABAG

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Explanations, Constraints

Constraints

For a LOCATION, the address is retained when the longitude

and latitude are not.

A stored COMPANY has at least one of the relations with

CONTRACT, SUBCONTRACT or ACQUISITION.

Each LOCATION has at least one of the relations with

PORTFOLIO PROJECT or WEATHER MEASUREMENT.

Each end date/time must be greater than its corresponding

start date/time. The same EQUIPMENT cannot be used for

more PROJECT STAGES at the same time. An EMPLOYEE

cannot be assigned or work for more than one PROJECT

STAGE task at a certain moment. A JOB HISTORY must also

contain intervals of time that do not overlap.

The geographical coordinates of a LOCATION, if they are

retained, represent the center of the area. We can identify a

LOCATION from a large surface (region) to a specific point,

defined by its address or longitude and latitude.

Explanations

Each end date/time that

appears as an optional

attribute represents the

real, not estimated, end

date/time and it is filled

when the particular activity

is finished.

STRABAG experts can

evaluate PORTFOLIO

PROJECTS/JOB HISTORY

through a scale of 1 to 10

and update the result in

the quality/evaluation

fields.

25 / 32

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placed

at

the

place

of

appear on

belong torefer to

have

made from

the subject of

refer to

signer of

signed

by

signer of

signed by

have as pm

appear as

pm on supervised by

have

belong to

have

belong to

in charge

of

appear in

refer to

design

include designed

by

for

part ofthe subject

of

the subject

of

the

subject

of

closed for

for

refer to

used by

the subject of

for

generated by

generate

registered at

registered

on

registration place of

the

subject of refer tofor

Final ERD

supplier of

forecasted by forecast

refer to

supervise

registration

moment of

the

subject

of

PORTFOLIO

PROJECT# name

* start dateo end dateo quality

DESIGN

TEAMo task

EMPLOYEE# id

#1 social number

#1 residence state

* first name

* last name

* date of birth

* residence addresso phone numbero e-mail

JOB

HISTORY# start dateo end date

* function

* salaryo evaluation

MEDICAL

RECORD# number

* disease

* start dateo end dateo indication

WORK

SCHEDULE# start date

# start timeo end dateo end time

* task

EQUIPMENT

SCHEDULE# start date

# start timeo end dateo end time

EQUIPMENT# id

* description

PROJECT STAGE# id

* start date

* proposed end dateo bill

INFLUENCE* description

LOCATION# id

* countryo addresso longitudeo latitude

SUB

CONTRACT # id

* task

* value

* descriptionACQUISITION # date

* quantity

* price

USAGE LIST# date

* quantity

EXPERTISE# start dateo end date

* task

WEATHER

MEASUREMENT* temperature

* humidity

* wind speed

* precipitations

METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE# id

* name

* country

CONTRACT# id

* category

* purpose

* estimated value

* start date

* proposed end date

* description

COMPANY# cui

* name

* profile

* address

* date founded

* balance sheet

* turnover

TIME# date

# time

MATERIAL# id

* description

STRABAG

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Sample Mapping: Weather

registered atregistered on

registration place ofregistration

moment of

forecast

forecasted

by

27 / 32

WEATHER

MEASUREMENT* temperature

* humidity

* wind speed

* precipitations

LOCATION# id

* countryo addresso longitudeo latitude

TIME# date

# time

METEOROLOGICAL

INSTITUTE# id

* name

* country

STRABAG

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Sample Mapping: Employees

have

belong

have

belong

supervised by

superviseEMPLOYEE# id

#1 social number

#1 residence state

* first name

* last name

* date of birth

* residence addresso phone numbero e-mail

JOB

HISTORY# start dateo end date

* function

* salaryo evaluation

MEDICAL

RECORD# number

* disease

* start dateo end dateo indication

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STRABAG

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Sample Report: Output

STRABAG would like to

know the construction

output volume (in percents)

for 2006.

STRABAG wants to find

out the output by segment.

It is also interested in the

output by region, where

regions must be divided in:

Germany, Austria, CEE

and the rest of the world.

29 / 32

STRABAG

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Sample Report: Growth

STRABAG wants to know

the construction growth (in

percents) by country

CAGR 06-09E*.

*All European Euroconstruct

countries (EC-19). Source: 63rd

Euroconstruct Conference

Summary Report.

30 / 32

STRABAG

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Sample Report: Weather

STRABAG would like to

know the locations where

projects were finalized

later than planned, due to

weather conditions.

Projects delayed between six and twelve days.

Projects delayed more than twelve days.

31 / 32

STRABAG

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Conclusions

The research for the project helped us learn how to find data

about STRABAG activities and how to select only relevant

information from it.

By studying STRABAG, we learnt the mechanisms of a real

world construction company: the making of a contract, the

subcontracting procedures, activities of employees and the

transition stages from project to structure.

We also improved our communication skills, by learning how

to interview our reference, how to ask clear questions in

order to get complete answers, and how to make our project

presentation in front of our classmates:

We imagined that we were

part of STRABAG INFO

SYS division and we were

assigned to come up with

an informational system to

organize its global

business.

We wanted our database

to keep up with increasing

business demands, so

flexibility and efficiency

were the key elements

when we imagined it.

Our database is a reliable

solution that satisfies the

actual business needs.

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