Guidance for the REA Project

1. Start by designing an REA Model, complete with cardinalities. The model will tell you what tables you need, the cardinalities will tell you what links are required between the tables. When I grade the project I begin with the model, matching it link by link to the Access implementation. I find the Access implementation of the model by reviewing the relationship grid.

2. The REA Model cardinalities must match the Access relationship grid. If they do not, I stop grading the project.

3. REA projects that earn the A grade seem to fall into 2 groups: Those with complicated REA models, that are implemented correctly, or simple models with heavy data analysis (queries, reports, graphs and ratios).

4. I then check the data in each table. Is it correct, does it follow the guidance of the text, has the table been rigged to make it work? How is the table designed, how is it linked? How much data does it have, what kind of data does it have? If I see 2 bank accounts for a group of 4, who had a month to do the project—that is an indication to me that not much work was done.

5. It will be important to organize the work so that the project is completed on time. The group may use a leader to coordinate tasks or the team approach. This decision will be up to the group.

6. The narrative is important because it explains your project design and execution to me. How well are the parts of the project explained? If you do not tell me in the narrative, I will have to guess what you did and you do not want to go that route. I may see what you did and I may not. Why take a chance?

7. Explain all queries, forms, and reports in the narrative. What question does this report or query answer? How did you design it? Are the queries correct? Is the calculation done correctly? Is the query simple or complicated? Complicated reports and queries are worth more points.

8. Explain each event in the narrative. Include a discussion of all cardinalities in the model. 9. To get a good grade the team should really analyze the product you chose. How would you purchase this product and run this business?

10. Talk about any enhancements you made in your narrative. You want to be sure that I see how much work was done, and what quality you sought to achieve.

11. Nothing is to be hidden. All tables should show in the relationship grid, all columns should show in the tables, all links should be visible. If you hide your work, again I will not know that it is there.

12. The REA Model is critical. You must start with the model. Everything must be consistent with the model—the narrative, the Access tables—everything must match.