Essay on Databases Used in a Car Plant

Usage of databases is one of the key leading to great success in car manufacturing industry. Though, different car manufacturers use different kinds of databases, it is very important to choose the database which would be the most suitable for this or that car plant. Before speaking about databases used in car plants, it is necessary to define what a database is. Any database constitutes “a collection of data that is organized so that its contents can easily be accessed, managed and updated” [1]. The information stored in a database is in electronic form and can usually be accessed with the help of a computer. Databases used in car plants serve various purposes, for example, they contain valid information about raw materials, suppliers, intermediaries, number of finished goods and their codes, information about regular and potential customers and etc. Databases are very convenient to use, as they can be searched in different ways, such as by title, keyword, number and others.

The current essay will focus on databases used in car plants and their peculiarities. Databases used by car manufactures include Microsoft Access Database, DB2, Oracle Database and others. One of the leading producers of databases used in car plants is Microsoft, whose Access has reached a great success in the world. Microsoft access is a powerful computer based program used to create, maintain, use and manage various databases. Multiple features of Microsoft Access help users to create and use the all kinds of information. Microsoft access consists of several stages: Database File, Table, Field and Datatypes, which store different volumes and types of data.

Speaking about such database as DB2, it is necessary to state that this kind of database is used by many car manufacturers worldwide, and is offered by IBM in various configurations. DB2 is a relational database, which offers open databases which are capable to be used on the majority of computing platforms. One of the advantages of DB2 is that it can be used by a single users and at the same time grow into a large computer system used by multiple users. A good example of it would make the usage of DB2 in car plants, where it is used by separate departments and plant as a whole. Another advantage of DB2 is that it can be used in cooperation with other databases, which is very convenient when a car plant is rather large and different departments use different databases. Applications and management tools of DB2 allow its users perform different actions, which very much improves the process of search and usage of information. DB2 is used by many British car manufacturers, such as Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin.

As for the Oracle Database, it is important to emphasize, that such this database became a sort of a standard in the world among the producers of computer databases. Oracle Corporations is a leading supplier of software used in management of information and especially databases, the most widely used of which is Oracle9i. As well as DB2 Oracle Database is a relational database, which appears to be more economical in comparison with DB2 and Microsoft. Oracle provides the users with wisely time-consuming services while eliminating all possible errors. It consists of two parts: instance storage and data storage, where data is kept in the form of table spaces and files. The closest competitor of Oracle is IBM, the producer of DB2, however, these two companies often support each other.

Having spoken about databases used in car plants, it is necessary to make a conclusion. All databases have certain advantages and disadvantages, and in order to improve productivity of databases in car plants it is necessary to use the same kind of database in all departments. This will increase horizontal and vertical integration of plants’ sub-units and will help to avoid conflicts of databases.

Bibliography

1. www.lanyon.com/support/Glossary/Glossarya-d.htm
2. Wan, Mark. British car makers. http://www.autozine.org/Manufacturer/UK.htm
3. Klier, Thomas. Determinants of Supplier Plant Location: Evidence from the Auto Industry. Economic Perspectives, 2005