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Reference Data Architecture and Standards

Ontologies and Databases: Use of ontology in database design

Matthew West

Shell

Reference Data Architecture and Standards

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Sharing Data

Human

Other Parts of your Business

Government

CustomersSuppliers

Sales

Finance

Materials

Resources

YourBusiness

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Life-Cycle

Supply Chain

Management & Control

Different Dimensions to Integration

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How important is shared data?

• Is the need to integrate the different parts of the business and their data vital to success?

• Is it important that a consistent message is given to external organizations?

• Are there problems reconciling data from different parts of the business?

• Are you dissatisfied with the time scale and cost of enhancing existing systems?

• Are you dissatisfied with the cost of obtaining data from existing systems for use elsewhere?

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Financial and time penalties

• Translating data is expensive.

– Interfaces can account for 25-70% of system costs.

• The need to translate data means that users can only share data sequentially, not concurrently.

– Impact on key business processes.

• Slower response to the need for change in systems.

– Interfaces cost time as well as money.

• Quality suffers.

– Interfacing may give rise to errors, and to inferior business decisions.

• Time is wasted trying to locate and reconcile data.

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Enterprise Information Architecture

Operational &Transaction Data

Summary Information

Description Documents

& Data

Reference Data• Products• Processes• Assets• Organisation• Location• Property

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Information Systems Architecture

OperationalSystems

Decision SupportSystems

ManagementInformation

Systems

Reference Data & Description Documents

Products Processes Assets Organisation Location Property

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The Ladder of Control

The Enterprise

Activitieson observe

KPI's measure and summarise

Environment

Targets

compare

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Why do we need Data Models?

A Data Model is a Language for Data

You can only share information based on a common language.

Each separate data model is it's own language (or rather a limited jargon).

Creating a Standard Data Model gives the basis for sharing data within and between organizations

and systems.

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High Cost of Systems

Repeated Development of same System

Minor Changes Major Rework

Component Redevelopment

System Interfaces

Inflexible Data Models

Potential reuse not identified

Insufficient Data Modelling Standards

"Same" Data Model Redeveloped

Same thing modelled differently

Issues for data modelling

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Data model wish list

• Conceptual data models should:

– meet the data requirement

– be stable in the face of changing data requirements

– be flexible in the face of changing business practices

– be re-useable by others

– be consistent with other models covering the same scope

– be able to reconcile conflicting data models

– be clear and unambiguous to all (not just the authors)

• You should be able to develop data models that meet these requirements quickly, and at low cost