How to Model, Analyze, and Improve Business Data

Business data represents the real world and everything that your organization wants to know about it. Understanding how the business thinks about and uses its data is crucial for the development of any information technology (IT) project. The primary tool for communicating about business data is the business data model (business entity relationship diagram) which helps subject matter experts (SMEs), business analysts, system analysts, and data analysts discover the static structure and business rules of the data.

This hands-on training workshop is designed to give you a time proven set of business data analysis techniques, methods, and tricks to help you acquire, understand, document, and model business data. This information exists in two primary locations; user views (reports, screens, etc.) and in the minds of the business personnel who may not know that they have this knowledge. To discover, structure, and document this “data about data”, you will learn an intuitive, top-down approach to business data modeling and a rigorous, bottom-up approach.

Note: This instructor-led course can be delivered in a series of virtual sessions via the Internet or live your site.

1. Introduction to Data Modeling

Of People and Data

On Human Communication

Things to Talk About . . .

The Data Foundation

Data, Information and Knowledge

2. Defining Business Data

Creating Data Models Intuitively

Data Model Diagrams

Data Model Diagrams Alternative Graphic Conventions

Data Model Diagrams Additional Information

Exercise: Data Model Diagram for Project Resources

Data Model Evolution

Levels of Data Models

Defining Entities

Exercise: Definitions for Education Department Data

For Your Answer

Exercise: Data Modeling from Descriptions

Exercise: Identifying and Placing Attributes

Simple Document for Invoicing System

Exercise: Data Model from a Form

Identifying Entities

Exercise: New System Data Model from Scratch

Creating Data Models from User Views

Normalization – a Bottom Up Approach

The Order Document for the Invoicing System

Normalized Order

Normalization – Step 2

Normalization – Step 3

Normalization Helpful Hints

On Merging Data Models

Exercise: Combining Two Data Models

Exercise: Normalize an Invoice

Exercise: Attributes of All Invoicing System Forms

Exercise: Complete Invoicing System Data Model

Data Modeling - Two Approaches

Defining Data Model Attributes

Attributes: Inside an Entity

Attribute Definition

Overview of UML Class Symbols

E/R (Entity-Relationship) Diagrams: A Summary

3. Using Data Models to Discover Requirements

Modifying Data Models

Creating a New System Data Model

Exercise: Potential Changes to Data Models

Quality Check

Data Stability

Exercise: Modifying the Project Resources Data Model

Previous Data Model for Project Resources

Modifying Diagrams and Forms

Exercise: Modifying a Data Model and Forms System

As-Is Forms for the Invoicing System

Data Models as an Analysis Tool

Integrating Models (Conserving Data)

Integrating Data Models

Horizontal Balancing

Data Design

Sample Models

Exercise: New Information Requirements

Exercise: New User View Exercise

Invoicing System Data Model

Invoicing System Attributes

Data Models vs. Databases

Exercise: Summary

4. Physical Reality and Data

Data Constraints

Constraining Factor

Performance Factors

Performance Factors (Trade-Offs)

Design Trade-Offs

Performance Factors: Access & Frequency

Performance Factors

Data Volumes

• Draw business data models
• Compare the pros and cons of data modeling
• Draw data model (entity relationship) diagrams
• Create a data model from requirements
• Morph an existing data model into a future data model
• Build a data model based on existing system documentation
• Assign attributes to the appropriate entity on the diagram
• Analyze data attribute’s characteristics (metadata)
• Analyze user views, (screens, reports, etc.) to modify a data model
• Modify an existing data model based on new requirements
• Evaluate a data model for full normalization and correctness
• Report data constraints that influence the physical data structures

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We do not currently have a public offering of this class scheduled. To add your name to the waiting list or request alternate offers, please contact us.
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