There is a logical connection between the core business processes and the information systems themselves, although not everyone may think so. The three different levels of data modeling are discussed below, through which flows from business needs to the table structure of an individual database. It should be noted that although the work is divided into levels and logical steps, these can all be accomplished by the same team and in a single session. In many cases, for example, through dialogue, this is very effective and sensible, but in larger environments, of course, it may not make sense to use senior business management time for all of these steps.
The top-level data model work is done with the Business Data Model, which describes how a company's core processes, different businesses, and the data needed to manage, improve, and analyze them. In practice, therefore, thinking goes into breaking down business functions and process parts into data needs, that is, what data is needed in a particular business and why. Understandably, this work cannot be planned from a business perspective if the owner for this matter or level is a technical person and not responsible for the business.
The Business Data Model is then processed into the Logical Data Model layer, where the data requirement in the previous section is formulated into a structured and complete data model. At a very practical level, this means combining different data sources and database tables and different records into a complete map of how these all relate an are interconnected to each other. A practical example of this could be an understanding of how customer data includes a customer number that combines purchases, customer requests, and complaints into a complete data structure. Perhaps the biggest challenge in this job is that the person in charge of this needs to have a good understanding of the business and also some level of information systems. We think a person with a degree in economics is a very potential option for this.
The third level after the two upper levels is the Operational Data Model, which implements the Logical Data Model plan for practical IT solutions for databases, interfaces, and various information systems. This, in turn, is a purely technical measure, in which case it is natural for this implementation to be carried out by an information system architect or the like.
One of the best practical guidelines for organizing this work and forming responsibilities is to appoint an Information Architect to be in charge of the whole. If you stop to consider this three-tier model, you immediately understand the importance of the enterprise architecture, and it is important to note that the pioneers of the data economy have an information architect as part of the overall architecture. Many companies have people in charge of process architecture, business architecture, and system architecture, but information architecture is ignored. Here is a great place for you to stand out!
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