Business-Centric Data Modeling - Strategies for Maximizing Business Benefit

Business-Centric Data Modeling - Strategies for
Maximizing Business Benefit
Donna Burbank, Managing Director
Global Data Strategy, Ltd.
October 25th, 2018
Follow on Twitter @donnaburbank
Twitter Event hashtag: #DAStrategies

erwin Inc. Snapshot
1
Founded March
2016
Combined erwin
with Corso, Casewise,
A&P Technology and
AnalytiX DS
Developed
new technologies
including data
governance and NoSQL
3,500+
customers with more
than 50,000 users
~300
employees in 7 offices
around the world
Industry-leading
NPS
satisfaction scores

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Conceptual, logical,
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design,
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erwin Web
Portal
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models and
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stakeholders
erwin DM
Navigator
Edition
Read-only erwin
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erwin Safyr
Option for
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Global Data Strategy, Ltd. 2018
Donna Burbank
Donna is a recognised industry expert in
information management with over 20 years
of experience in data strategy, information
management, data modeling, metadata
management, and enterprise architecture.
Her background is multi-faceted across
consulting, product development, product
management, brand strategy, marketing,
and business leadership.
She is currently the Managing Director at
Global Data Strategy, Ltd., an international
information management consulting
company that specializes in the alignment of
business drivers with data-centric
technology. In past roles, she has served in
key brand strategy and product
management roles at CA Technologies and
Embarcadero Technologies for several of the
leading data management products in the
market.
As an active contributor to the data
management community, she is a long time
DAMA International member, Past President
and Advisor to the DAMA Rocky Mountain
chapter, and was recently awarded the
Excellence in Data Management Award from
DAMA International in 2016.
Donna is also an analyst at the Boulder BI
Train Trust (BBBT) where she provides advice
and gains insight on the latest BI and
Analytics software in the market. She was on
several review committees for the Object
Management Group’s for key information
management and process modeling
notations.
She has worked with dozens of Fortune 500
companies worldwide in the Americas,
Europe, Asia, and Africa and speaks regularly
at industry conferences. She has co-
authored two books: Data Modeling for the
Business and Data Modeling Made Simple
with ERwin Data Modeler and is a regular
contributor to industry publications. She can
be reached at
donna.burbank@globaldatastrategy.com
Donna is based in Boulder, Colorado, USA.
2
Follow on Twitter @donnaburbank
Twitter Event hashtag: #DAStrategies

DATAVERSITY Data Architecture Strategies
• January - on demand Panel: Emerging Trends in Data Architecture – What’s the Next Big Thing?
• February - on demand Building an Enterprise Data Strategy – Where to Start?
• March - on demand Modern Metadata Strategies
• April - on demand The Rise of the Graph Database
• May - on demand Data Architecture Best Practices for Today’s Rapidly Changing Data Landscape
• June - on demand Artificial Intelligence: Real-World Applications for Your Organization
• July - on demand Data as a Profit Driver – Emerging Techniques to Monetize Data as a Strategic Asset
• August - on demand Data Lake Architecture – Modern Strategies & Approaches
• Sept - on demand Master Data Management: Practical Strategies for Integrating into Your Data Architecture
• October Business-Centric Data Modeling: Strategies for Maximizing Business Benefit
• December Panel: Self-Service Reporting and Data Prep – Benefits & Risks
3
This Year’s Line Up for 2018

Today’s Topic
4
Business-centric Data Modeling
• Business-centric data models are key to gaining a clear view of the data that drives the business
–from customers to products to invoices and more.
• They offer a clear, visual way for both business and technical stakeholders to communicate
around the crucial business rules and definitions that drive both operational usage of data as well
as analytics and reporting.
• Too often, however, business models have been built using the “big bang” approach – trying to
gain a comprehensive view of the entire organization in a single effort. While this view is
valuable, it can be an overwhelming task to build all at once.
• This webinar will provide practical, concrete steps in creating valuable, business-centric data
models that can show immediate value to the organization, while at the same time building
towards a full-enterprise view.

The Rise of the Data-Driven Business
Data, more than ever, is seen as a key business asset and strategic differentiator.
5

The Resultant Rise in the Data-Savvy Business Professional
• As the concept of data-driven and
digital business becomes more
prevalent, more business users are
becoming interested in data.
• While many MBA programs and online
courses are teaching data skills, many
business users do not a have a strong
data background.
• Business data models are a great way
to explain key data concepts to a
business audience.
7

Business Data Model (Conceptual)
• Communication & definition of core data concepts & their definitions
• A business data model
provides core definitions
of key data objects.
• It also shows key
relationships between
data objects.
• Even a simple diagram as
the one on the right can
tell a powerful “story”
…. And uncover key
business issues and
opportunities.

Use the Language of Your Audience
• When communicating with business stakeholders, it’s important to display data models in a way
that’s intuitive to them
• PowerPoint-style Conceptual Data Models
• Use Business Terminology
• Avoid Excess Detail
10
Gaining Buy-In

• Are we able to see which contacts are
associated with this organization?
• Which contacts are interacting with Sales?
• Which with Support?
Is Sales able to see customer interactions with
Support?
Business Data Model (Conceptual)
• Including a graphical version of a data model is often a helpful way to tell the “story”
A Picture is worth a thousand words.
Sales Rep Support Rep
Company Customer

Levels of Data Models
12
Conceptual
Logical
Physical
Purpose
Communication & Definition of
Business Concepts & Rules
Clarification & Detail
of Business Rules &
Data Structures
Technical
Implementation on
a Physical Database
Audience
Business Stakeholders
Data Architects
Data Architects
Business Analysts
DBAs
Developers
Business Concepts
Data Entities
Physical Tables
Business Stakeholders
Data Architects
Enterprise
Subject Areas
Organization & Scoping of main
business domain areas

Tell a Story
• Humans have evolved over time as storytellers
• We can’t even sleep without dreaming in stories.
• No one cares about your data model…
• … but they do care about the RESULTS of your data model
• … relate the model to a real world impact or scenario..i.e.
“story”
13
What impact does the data model have on the business?
Humans are Storytellers.
From Data Modeling for the Business by Hoberman, Burbank, Bradley, Technics Publications, 2009

Business Executive
• Results-Oriented
• Optimistic – Identifies opportunities
• “I’m busy.”
• “What’s the business opportunity?”
Data Architect
• Focused on architecture, data, technology
• Often seen as finding problems, not
solutions
• “Let me tell you about my data model!”
Data Advisor
• Focused on solutions, business, information
• Highlights issues & opportunities around
data
• “Less me show you how data can help your
business!”
The world is going to end if your
model is not in 3rd normal form!!
If you link your Customer data with
your Product usage stats, we can
increase sales.
What’s in it for me?
Be More “Data Advisor” and Less “Data Architect”

Real-World Quotations from Business Users
16
The Bad – how NOT to make a business user feel

Real-World Use Cases for Business Data Models
17
Examples from practice
Environmental Data
Sampling
How do we align our
scientific terminology?
These are all from real-world examples we’ve implemented in the past year. Data Models are everywhere.
Early Childhood
Development
How to we create better
outcomes for children?
Digital Transformation &
eCommerce
What is data is key to our
digital transformation?
University Student
Support
Understanding the Student
Journey with Data
Business Process
Alignment for MDM
What business processes
are affect master data?
Customer Journey
Mapping for Marketing
How is data used across the
customer journey?
Agile Software
Development
What data is involved in
this user story?
Software Purchase &
Integration
Does the software match
OUR business rules?

UK Environment Agency
• The UK Environment agency worked with Global Data Strategy to develop Data Models & Data Standards
in order to support Open Data publication of key environmental measures.
18
Governing Open Data Publication through Data Models
• Land boundaries
• Air & Water Quality
• Fish & Wildlife populations
• Etc.
• Common Data Models & Standards helped create a
common lingua franca across the organization:
• Saving time & money
• Supporting Regulation
• Enhancing public reputation
• Improving data quality & consistency
• Increasing collaboration between teams
“Establishing a standard is a really important step in bringing our
information together so we can be better joined up, better integrated and
work together more efficiently. In short, if you’ve got even the
slightest interest in how we plan and deliver outcomes on the ground, you
should be taking an interest in this!”
- National River Basin Operations Manager, Environment Agency

How Prevalent are Data Models?
19
Over 96% of DATAVERSITY
respondents are using a data
model*.
From Emerging Trends in Data Architecture, DATAVERSITY, by Donna Burbank & Charles Roe, October 2017
The use of data models is
ubiquitous in the industry, and the
vast majority of organizations are
using them.

Avoid “Death by Data Modeling”
20
• “We’re just going to sit in this room for a few days
until we scope out the entire enterprise data model
plastered across these three walls.
• Just about 1000 entities or so…
• First off, what is the data type for account code? …”

The Value of Whiteboarding
It’s often helpful to “whiteboard” data models with sticky notes
Policy
Account
Employee
• Short whiteboard sessions with key
stakeholders can flesh out key
metadata definitions & scope in a
short period of time.
• And it can be fun and interactive.

Break the Large Modeling Efforts into Manageable Chunks
22
Instead of creating large models all at once Break them into smaller “chunks” / sprints

An Agile Approach to Data Modeling
Align with
Business
Needs
Top-Down
Business
Design
Bottom-Up
Technical
Review
Iterate &
Refine
Publish &
Communicate
• Align with Business Priorities
• Create Subject-Area Focused Working Group
• Source Documentation from Related Efforts
• Scope Business Subject Area(s)
• Define core business entities &
relationships
• Draft entity definitions
• Reverse Engineer Physical Models
for related systems
• Align with project teams for App &
System Delivery
• Iterate refine business model based
on differing system rules
• Using the Agile Sprint approach
for constant team and business
feedback for quick results (Core
Working Group)
• Quick correction and
ultimate solid model
delivery (Wider Enterprise)
Rapid Development, Rapid Feedback
Focus on Communication & Iteration

The Results
• This data governance and data architecture effort used a full range of data architecture artifacts
• Data Model
• Customer Journey Map (i.e. Process Model)
• CRUD Matrix
• Data Flow Diagram
• System Architecture
• The Data Governance Committee used these artifacts focused on a small piece of the organization for a “Quick Win”
• 4 week “sprint”
• Told a relatable “story” – the flow of a customer’s email address from discovery, to purchase, through tech support, etc.
• The results speak for themselves.
25
Aligning Business and Tech Teams though a “Quick Win”
I never thought I’d be using
the words “data flow
diagram”, but I love it!
- Chief Marketing Officer
Wait…shouldn’t I be
governing how my sales
team enters the data?
- Head of Sales

A little data modeling up-front
… prevents headaches down the road
From Data Modeling for the Business by Hoberman, Burbank, Bradley, Technics Publications, 2009
• It’s often tempting to skip data
modeling documentation because it’s
“faster”
• But…long-term, it’s ultimately longer as
errors and inconsistencies need to be
fixed as a result.
“If you don’t have time to do it right, do
you have time to do it again?”

Industry Models
• Many vendors and some industry organizations have developed pre-built models for various
industry sectors such as Insurance, Retail, etc.
• Should you use one?
• Industry models can be helpful as a reference
• Templates for common modeling use cases (e.g. invoicing, supply chain, contact mgt, etc.)
• Can be a good jump-start for modeling efforts.
• But don’t simply take them as “verbatim” out-of-the box
• Is your business the same as every other in your industry?
• The way you manage your data and related business processes often your strategic differentiator
• Customized the model for your needs
27
Should you use a pre-built industry model?

Data is Part of a Wider Enterprise Architecture
• Enterprise Architecture provides a high-level view of the people, processes, applications, and data of an organization
• Putting data in business context, e.g.
• How does data link to the rest of my organization?
• If I change data, what business processes are affected?

Global Data Strategy, Ltd. 2018 29
A Successful Data Strategy links Business Goals with Technology Solutions
“Top-Down” alignment with
business priorities
“Bottom-Up” management &
inventory of data sources
Managing the people, process,
policies & culture around data
Coordinating & integrating
disparate data sources
Leveraging & managing data for
strategic advantage
Copyright 2018 Global Data Strategy, Ltd
A Data Model is Part of a Wider Data Strategy
www.globaldatastrategy.com

Business Capability Models
• A business capability model outlines the core functional areas of the organization.
• Note: this is not the same as an organizational chart
• Capabilities can be overlaid with key data domains to create a “heat map” of cross-functional data usage.
30
Core Business
Shared Services
Artful Art’s Business Capabilities
Etc. – sample subset only
Product Development
R&D
Product
Management
Product
Manufacturing
Packaging
Marketing
Product
Messaging
Branding
Product
Launch
Campaign
Development
Lead
Generation
Pricing
Sales
Pipeline
Management
Customer
Relationship
Quotes &
Tenders
Research & Development Branding & Go-to-Market
Partner
Management
Sales & Distribution
Human Resources
Recruitment
Employee
Training
Performance
Management
Legal
Compliance
Contract
Management
Data Domains
Customer
Product
Account
Etc.

Process / Workflow Models
• Process models are a helpful tool for
describing core business processes.
• “Swimlanes” outline organizational
considerations
• Data can be mapped to key business
processes to understand creation & usage
of information.
• They are particularly helpful for areas such
as Master Data Management (MDM)
where process is critical to data
stewardship & integration.
31
Identifying key data dependencies in core business processes

CRUD Matrix
Product
Development
Supply Chain
Accounting
Marketing Finance
Product Assembly Instructions C R
Product Components C R
Product Price C U R
Product Name C U,D
Etc.
32
Create, Read, Update, Delete
• CRUD Matrices shows where data is Created, Read, Updated or Deleted across the various areas of the organization.
• They can be created by department, by system/application, etc.
• This can be a helpful tool in data governance & data quality.

Process Models & CRUD Fit Well Together
• Business Process Models describe key activities within the organization.
• Linking these processes to the data that is Created, Updated, or Deleted (CRUD) is important
to understanding data usage.
Customer Order Account Invoice Product
Receive Customer Order R C C, R
Process Customer Order C,R,U R,U R
Fill Order R,U R,U R,U
Send Invoice R,U R,U C
CRUD Matrix
Business Process Model

Architecture helps create “Quick Wins”
• Data Architecture aligned with business architecture helps identify key pain points & opportunities
Customer Order Account Invoice Product
Receive Customer Order R C C, R
Process Customer Order C,R,U R,U R
Fill Order R,U R,U R,U
Send Invoice R,U R,U C
CRUD Matrix
Business Process Model
• Customer Contact Information is not Consistent throughout the Customer Journey
• In other words, we can’t follow up with our customers to:
• Process their orders
• Send an invoice
• Join a Loyalty Program
• Etc.

Customer Journey Map
• A customer journey map
outlines key phases of the
customer in their “journey”.
• They are similar to a process
model, but with a different
focus & perspective.
• Creating a data overlay is a
helpful way to see the key
data touched at each point
in the journey.
• Journey maps can be
created for other industries
as well, e.g. Student,
Patient, etc.
35

Case Study: International Pharmaceutical Company
• An international Pharmaceutical company was looking to make better use of its
data to streamline its Clinical Development, Commercial Processes, and R&D.
• Business alignment was a key first step
• Business sponsor had been involved in “death by modeling” efforts in the past.
• Instead, created “blueprints” of how the business runs & how data maps to that
• These were actually detailed data models, process models, & mappings – but done
in a business-focused, agile, easily-consumable way.
• Research scientists literally had data models printed on their walls – with sticky
notes and pen marks to indicate changes & feedback.
• Data-driven Efficiencies and Process Improvement were discovered in the R&D
process.
• Business stakeholders were convinced of the value of data management &
governance
• Greater understanding how data was used by and critical to key business activities
36
Business Alignment through Process & Data

Summary
• With the rise of the data-driven business, more and more business stakeholders have an
interest in data.
• Business data models are a great way to engage with business and technical stakeholders to
identify the key data “stories” that affect the business.
• Business data models encompass a wide range of model types from entity-relationship
models to process models
• Focus on a business problem and show “quick wins”
• Small “stories” that affect a clear business opportunity or issue
• Use the language of the business
• Have clear, actionable results
• Enjoy! Data modeling is for the cool kids.

DATAVERSITY Data Architecture Strategies
• January - on demand Panel: Emerging Trends in Data Architecture – What’s the Next Big Thing?
• February - on demand Building an Enterprise Data Strategy – Where to Start?
• March - on demand Modern Metadata Strategies
• April - on demand The Rise of the Graph Database: Practical Use Cases & Approaches to Benefit your Business
• May - on demand Data Architecture Best Practices for Today’s Rapidly Changing Data Landscape
• June – on demand Artificial Intelligence: Real-World Applications for Your Organization
• July – on demand Data as a Profit Driver – Emerging Techniques to Monetize Data as a Strategic Asset
• August – on demand Data Lake Architecture – Modern Strategies & Approaches
• Sept – on demand Master Data Management: Practical Strategies for Integrating into Your Data Architecture
• October – soon on demand Business-Centric Data Modeling: Strategies for Maximizing Business Benefit
• December Panel: Self-Service Reporting and Data Prep – Benefits & Risks
38
This Year’s Line Up for 2018 – Join Us Next Month

White Paper: Trends in Data Architecture
39
Free Download
• Download from
www.globaldatastrategy.com
• Under ‘Resources/Whitepapers’

About Global Data Strategy, Ltd
• Global Data Strategy is an international information management consulting company that specializes
in the alignment of business drivers with data-centric technology.
• Our passion is data, and helping organizations enrich their business opportunities through data and
information.
• Our core values center around providing solutions that are:
• Business-Driven: We put the needs of your business first, before we look at any technology solution.
• Clear & Relevant: We provide clear explanations using real-world examples.
• Customized & Right-Sized: Our implementations are based on the unique needs of your organization’s
size, corporate culture, and geography.
• High Quality & Technically Precise: We pride ourselves in excellence of execution, with years of
technical expertise in the industry.
40
Data-Driven Business Transformation
Business Strategy
Aligned With
Data Strategy
Visit www.globaldatastrategy.com for more information

Business-Centric Data Modeling - Strategies for Maximizing Business Benefit

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