Re: Oracle Contractor's Estimate Too High ?

I really don't think that you are getting screwed. Get some references if you are really uncomfortable. I would guess if he is good, that he is going to spend the first week finding out, by interviewing the users what they really want this database to do, and then make modifications as necessary. Sure converting the database over, and not changing anything could be done in a few hours, but you won't gain a thing.

You know that even if you spend 8 hours reworking the database with your knowledge, you will most likely have changes a month or two from now that really should have been done when you did the rework. A contractor doesn't have that luxury, and his reputation depends on him doing it right the first time. My suggestion is, get some samples of his work, some references, and then get him in to really do the work.

120 hours at even $200/Hr. would not be unreasonable if he does the job right. Take advantage of him, and make sure that you learn what he learns in both the investigative and implementation phases.

Good luck.

Lastly, if you can't get the references and some samples of his work. Don't take the chance. Anyone legitimate will be happy to give that information to you, and will have it ready upon request.

--
Bob Fazio
Remove no.spam from my email to reply

<tim4321_at_my-deja.com> wrote in message news:7qkkib$igk$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com...
> Help ! I'm not sure if my contractor's estimate for working on our
> database is accurate. I'm just a humble perl hacker and know just a
> little bit about database design. If any DBA's out there could read my
> dilemma and post a candid opinion, I would really appreciate it. Thanks
> in advance.
>
>
> Here's my dilemma:
>
> I am working on an internet project ( 24x7 high availability.. you know,
> the usual ) that uses perl scripts to access an Oracle database.
>
> The database currently has tables with names such as WTDCOMM and fields
> with names like WTDPLNT. Needless to say, everything needs to be
> renamed.
>
> The only documentation is a stack of pages that maps the field and table
> names to terse one sentence descriptions of what they mean.
>
> Ex: WTDCOMM - Table of Common Names
>
> There is no documentation about primary, foreign keys etc.
>
> My only other resource is the SQL from the scripts which currently
> access the database. I also work with the person ( my boss ) who created
> the database so I can pick her brains about it when necessary.
>
> The database consists of about 30 tables. Some tables have over tens of
> thousands of records, some only a few ( less than 20 ). The database and
> the tables were all set up using the default values in the Oracle Schema
> Manager.
>
> Some of the fields have colon delimited values in them:
>
> Ex: :these:are:the:values:in:this:field:
>
> The assumption being that the programmer would use a like statement to
> search this field.
>
>
> At some point, I realized that the database need to be overhauled,
> optimized for speed, made more better in general. I called in a
> contractor who looked at the database and said that just for the initial
> database design and data modeling it would take about 120 hours. At the
> time, I thought this was reasonable.
>
> Today in a meeting, the head of the IT department said the he could do
> all of the design work in 4 hours and that the person who originally
> designed the database and I should be able to do it in a day.
>
> Our in house sys admin gave us the opinion that it shouldn't be that
> hard and shouldn't take that many hours (120) and said most of our
> optimization would be in the SQL statments and not the database anyway.
> And that we could change things as we go if we need to.
>
> So, am I being screwed by the contractor or does 120 hours seem
> reasonable for a contractor to come in, learn how things work, do the
> data modeling and help up set up the new database ? Please be as candid
> as possible. The difference between the 4 hours quoted by the head of
> the IT department and the 120 quoted by the contractor seems immense.
> Who's right ?
>
> Thanks in advance !
>
> Tim
>
>
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> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Received on Fri Sep 03 1999 - 10:46:12 CDT