| dc.description.abstract | The need for better data storage methods and trend towards more database technology has received
expert attention. Several data storage techniques have been devised in the past but none of them can
match DBMS technology. Increasingly, it appears that organizations have no choice but to adopt use
of DBMS in order to cope with the complexities of data generated that need to be stored, manipulated
and to produce information for the benefit of the organizations.
The need for the study arises from the fact that it is not clear as to whether the aspects of DBMS
selection processes that have been documented are ideal or not, it is similarly difficult to single out the
selection process that is prevalent in the organizations. It is also not clear which factors should be
considered as relatively important in the choice of DBMS to the rest of the factors. Furthermore no one
has carried out a research on DBMS choice in Kenya. Specifically no one has carried out a study on
the factors neither considered in choice of DBMS nor documented the selection processes that are in
use in Kenya.
This research effort, therefore, had two objectives. The first objective was to establish the relative
importance of factors that firms quoted at the NSE consider in their choice of DBMS and secondly to
document aspects of the DBMS selection process that is used by firms quoted at the NSE.
Primary data was the main form of data used in this research and it was collected using structured
questionnaire. The questionnaire had both open and closed ended questions that heads of information
systems/technology in the firms had to answer. The drop and pick later method was used to
administer the questionnaire. The data was analyzed using frequency tables, bar charts percentages,
pie charts and descriptive statistics and factor analysis.
The findings of the research indicate that the factors that were brought out by various researchers and
scholars in the literature review as relatively important in the selection of DBMS appears to be the
same as those that were identified by the research findings. These factors are compatibility with the
existing hardware, minimum data redundancy, cost of DBMS maintenance, database administration
support, and systems availability in the market and vendor support among others in order of importance. It can then be concluded that whether a firm is operating in a developed or developing
country, the firms must and ought to consider the factors identified in these study in their selection of
DBMS.
The study also confirmed that organizations consider various aspects of DBMS selection process in
their choice of the winning DBMS to be purchased. No particular selection aspect, method or
procedure stood as the favorite of the firms quoted at the NSE. Literature on the same is consistent
with this finding. The most popular aspects of selecting DBMS were cited as explicitly set terms of
reference, use of selection service, influence by other firms, short listing of DBMS and vendor
demonstrations.
There were no serous limitations to the study. However it would be interesting to carry out a research
on organizations not quoted at The NSE as this research was confined to firms quoted at the NSE.
Some respondents did not return the questionnaires. This may be attributed to the fact that
respondents are busy people. All these shortcomings reduced the researchers attaining a
100%responds rate, however data collected was considered sufficient and a fair representation of the
population for the purpose and scope of the research.
Because this study concentrated on the factors and the process of choosing a DBMS, it is suggested
that future research be directed towards the cfiallenges that firms face in implementing the DBMS and
that the same research study could be done after five yearS | en |
