Have you considered some of the points raised below? Spending a few minutes checking off these simple tips before may save you a lot of time later on.
Identify your data source
What data do you need and where does it live? Identify your data sources and check the quality of the data. You'll get better results if your source data is as 'clean' as possible.
Think about the users
The design of your database affects how your team can use Phocas. To ensure your database is user-friendly, we recommend you take into account the needs and skills of your users, the required data structure, naming conventions and who you want to be allowed to see data.
Keep it simple
If you're a beginner at designing databases, make your first one simple. Once you have your first successful build, then add more databases. Phocas offers several simple database templates to help get you started or, if you want to start from scratch, see our information about /wiki/spaces/userdoc/pages/590217