Electronic Database Record Keeping in Medical Affairs
This paper presents a feasibility analysis and requirements specification for transitioning a Medical Affairs Department from manual to electronic database record keeping. Following a pharmaceutical company merger that increased enquiry volume, the proposed system aims to streamline enquiry processing, improve response times, and enable statistical analysis. The paper evaluates technical, economic, and operational feasibility, then outlines project scope, objectives, functional and non-functional specifications, constraints, and a work breakdown structure. The analysis concludes that the transition is practical, cost-effective, and achievable within a short implementation timeline using standard database technology and structured staff training.
- Feasibility Analysis: Technical, economic, and operational feasibility assessed
- Requirement Specification: Overview of project specification framework
- Project Scope and Objectives: Goals and context of the database transition
- Functional and Non-Functional Specifications: System functions and performance expectations defined
- Project Constraints and Work Breakdown Structure: Timeline, training plan, and implementation steps
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What makes this paper effective
- Organizes the feasibility analysis into three clear dimensions — technical, economic, and operational — making evaluation straightforward and professional.
- Moves logically from feasibility to specification, mirroring the real-world sequence of a project proposal lifecycle.
- Grounds each section in concrete, practical details (e.g., two-day IT installation, one-week training period) rather than vague generalities.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates structured project documentation writing, a common format in business and information systems courses. It applies a standard feasibility-to-specification framework, separating what is possible (feasibility) from what is required (specification), which reflects industry-standard software and systems planning methodology.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an overall feasibility assessment, then breaks it into technical, economic, and operational sub-sections. It transitions into a requirements specification covering scope, objectives, functional specifications, non-functional specifications, constraints, and a work breakdown structure — following the logical order of a formal project proposal document.
Feasibility Analysis
This project is highly feasible, as it involves a standard transition from manual to electronic database record keeping — a practice now common across most records departments. There is nothing exceptional or impractical about this project; it can be accomplished with relatively little cost, minimal time devoted to the transition, and few risks.
Technical Feasibility: The project is technically feasible and depends only on the assistance of the IT division and the training staff and support system during the going-online phase of the transition. The database technology is standard for the industry and will be easily obtained and implemented.
Economic Feasibility: The project is economically feasible, with systems ranging from low-cost to higher-end or premium packages. A medium-range database system will be sufficient for this project and falls within the budget of the Department, and can therefore be secured without posing any economic imbalance for the Medical Affairs division overall.
Operational Feasibility: The operational feasibility of the project is clear: once the database is installed, the department will be able to operate it smoothly and effectively, thanks to the training staff will receive prior to going online. The database will require minimal networking support, but IT professionals are on call 24/7 should support be needed, so there is no impracticality associated with the day-to-day operations of the project.
Requirement Specification
The requirements specification defines the scope, objectives, functional and non-functional requirements, constraints, and work breakdown structure for this database implementation project. Together, these elements provide a comprehensive framework for guiding the transition from manual processing to a fully electronic database management system.
Project Scope and Objectives
Project Scope: The Medical Affairs Department currently processes all medical enquiries manually. A database system would assist staff in their work, enabling them to respond to enquiries more efficiently and quickly. The proposed system will provide easy access to past enquiries and responses, reference information, pre-constructed replies, and statistical analysis tools. The scope of this project is situated within the Medical Affairs Department's request and enquiry processing division and addresses the need to accelerate processes, ease labor- and time-intensive activities, and allow for improved overall productivity.
Project Objectives: The primary objective of this project is to assist the Department in responding more efficiently to the increased volume of requests resulting from the merger of two pharmaceutical companies. Additional objectives include:
— To increase the number of enquiries that can be answered immediately over the phone;
— To decrease the amount of time taken to prepare written responses;
— To decrease the time taken to locate appropriate historical data and standard letters;
— To decrease the time taken to prepare statistical analyses;
— To increase departmental efficiency and free up resources for other activities; and
— To increase the utility of data provided to the sales and marketing areas.
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