Database Selection Process in Very Small Enterprises in Software Development : A Case Study examining Factors, Methods, and Properties

Abstract: This thesis investigates the database model selection process in VSEs, looking into how priorities and needs differ compared to what is proposed by existing theory in the area.  The study was conducted as a case study of a two-person company engaged in developing various applications and performing consulting tasks. Data was collected through two semi-structured interviews. The first interview aimed to understand the company's process for selecting a database model, while the second interview focused on obtaining their perspective on any differences in their selection process compared to the theoretical recommendations and suggested methodology. The purpose was to investigate the important factors involved in the process and explore why and how they deviated from what the theory proposes. The study concludes that VSEs have different priorities compared to larger enterprises. Factors like transaction amount does not have to be considered much at the scale of a VSE. It is more important to look into the total cost of the database solution, including making sure that the selected technology is sufficiently efficient to use in development and relatively easy to maintain. Regarding selection methodology it was concluded that the time investment required to decide what is the best available database solution can be better spent elsewhere in the enterprise, and finding a good enough solution to get the wheels of the ground is likely a more profitable aim.