How important is the data?

You need food and water to survive right?  Of course you, without it you fail to exist.  Think of data as the food and water of your application.  With almost any application, the point is to gather, manipulate, or send data. Without the data the application is simply not needed and fails to exist.

Although when using a system you start in the application layer (the Front-End/Graphical User Interface (GUI)), when designing an application you start with the Data Layer. A flawed DB design will lead to a flawed system. This is an extremely critical step in application development.

Cutting corners for Budget sake? 

It is true that often corners are cut in application development, and sometimes we even recommend it based on strict requirements and budget. However, the DB design and structure is not the place to make mistakes or cuts. Since the data is the result, and good data is the goal, the DB design should be standardized in the beginning. If features are to be cut for budget sake, the front-end is a good place to do it. As features are added over time, the DB design would not have to change. 

Experience

The DigiGears team has literally dealt with hundreds, thousands, and even millions of records. In mid 2006 we developed a system that accessed a database with billions of records for Comcast. We have "been there and done that". We are confident our experience will meet your needs.