Count to three seconds and see how long that really seems. Watch the response time on one of the online vendors and see if you can stand a 15-minute turnaround time on a search of 10 thousand records. Write tight specifications for your system. Get examples from other people who have written specifications on computer systems. Some people even copyright their specifications, but they are certainly worth the money you might have to pay to get them written and written straight.
Sloppy specifications ask for a sloppy database.
Well, that ad hoc list is probably not the kind you will find in computer books. I encourage you to shop around for a system that is already in existence. Even if you and your staff have to build a system inhouse, it is convenient to be able to model it on an already existing system. Try sending your staff to a training workshop dealing with some inhouse package or time-sharing package. Send your programming staff to a Dialog or BRS or SDC workshop to give them an idea of what other kinds of systems are available.