ABSTRACT
The success of a data management task usually depends on the tool used for that task. The theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is quoted as saying, “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” This is as true in data management as in anything else. People who like to use a word processor or a spreadsheet program are likely to use the tool they are familiar with to manage their data. But just as a hammer is not the right tool to tighten a screw, a spreadsheet is not the right tool to manage a large and complicated database. A database management program should be used instead. This section discusses the design of the database management tool, and how the design can influence the success of the project.
