This document provides an overview of information modeling steps, including: 1. Introduction to key concepts in information modeling such as objects, relations, and different modeling perspectives. 2. Additional steps in information modeling like defining the scope or AS-IS/TO-BE, object modeling, table modeling, and documentation. 3. The next steps after information modeling are aligning the model with process and system models by mapping processes and systems to object groups.

1. Information Modeling
Workshop
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2. Modeling Steps
• Introduction to Information Modeling
• Delimitations
• AS-IS or TO-BE
• Object Modeling
• Table Modeling
• Documentation
• Next step
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3. Introduction to Information Modeling (1)
• Different modeling perspectives
– Organization Model
– Process Model
– Information Model
• One distinguishing factor separates them – the stability of the model:
–
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4. Introduction to Information Modeling (2)
• Objects
– The building blocks of a business
• Something concrete or abstract that is essential for the business
• Identified by a unique and stable key
• Have one or more properties
– There are 2 types of Objects
• Resource objects, e.g. CUSTOMER
– Exists on its own and is not dependent of any other information
• Event objects, e.g. ORDER
– Normally dependent on one or more resource objects and don’t exist on its own
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CUSTOMER
11
ORDER
12

5. Introduction to Information Modeling (3)
• Relations
– Displays connection and illustrates a possible state
• Connects Object  Object or Object  Relation
• Can not exist by them self, but is dependent on Objects/Relations to link together
• Borrow keys from the Objects
– There are 3 types of relations
• 1:1 - 1 to 1 relation, e.g. CUSTOMER and CUSTOMER INFO
– The Object can only be connected to one instance of another Object (or it self)
• 1:M - 1 to Many relation, e.g. CUSTOMER and ORDER
– The Object on the 1-side can be connected to one ore more instances of the Object on the M-side
• M:M - Many to Many relation, e.g. ORDER and PRODUCT
– A relation which is connected to instances in both the related Objects
– Could often be replaced by an Object
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CUSTOMER
11
ORDER
12
placed by

6. Introduction to Information Modeling (4)
• Example
– The objects CUSTOMER, ORDER, PRODUCT, CUSTOMER INFO
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CUSTOMER
11
ORDER
12
placed by PRODUCT
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CONTAINS
CUSTOMER
INFO 14
describes

7. Introduction to Information Modeling (5)
• Example
– The CUSTOMER table
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CustomerId Name Address … …
10001 SEB AB … … …
10002 Swedbank AB … … …
10003 Handelsbanken AB … … …
…
…

8. Delimitations
• Important to define what should be modeled and what should not be modeled
• Delimitations could e.g. be made based on:
– Process
– Geography
– Functionality
– Products
– Topics
• When a first Information Model exists, it can be extended to include previous
delimited parts step by step
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9. AS-IS or TO-BE
• Should the Information Model be for the current business (AS-IS) or the future business
(TO-BE)
– The Information Model should be neutral against the corresponding Process Model and
System Model
– In a later step the Information Model should be aligned with the corresponding Process
Model and System Model
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10. Object Modeling (1)
• Individual brainstorming about concepts/terms in the business
• Categorize the concepts/terms:
– Object (O) - Customer
– Relation (R) - Customer Info describes Customer
– Property (PY) - Customer Name
– Example (EX) - Ericsson
– Process (PS) - Monthly Closing
• In order not to get to many Objects, normally Object Groups are modelled which in turn
can contain more fine grained Objects
– Object Group - Customer
• Object - Private Customer
• Object - Corporate Customer
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11. Object Modeling (2)
• The Object Groups are categorized in 5 groups
– Stakeholder (Intressent)
– Event (Händelse)
– Offering (Erbjudande)
– Context (Omgivning)
– Infrastructure (Infrastruktur)
• The Information Model is then populated according to the following outline:
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Context Offering
Stakeholder
Infrastructure
Event

12. Table Modeling
• For each Object Group / Object in the Object Modeling
– Describe the Object Group / Object
– Identify keys
• Primary keys
• Foreign keys
• Fictitious keys (e.g. order number)
– Identify properties
– Exemplify in a table with realistic data
• Normalize the tables => Separate out information in their own tables
– Investigate if there is repeated information in any column
– When more than one key, investigate if any of the properties don’t depend on all of the keys
– Investigate if there are properties that depends on another property
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13. Documentation
• List of concepts/terms
• List of Object Groups / Objects
• Information Model
• Table Model
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14. Next step
• Where is the information used?
– Alignment with Process Model
– Mapping of Process  Object Group
• Where do the information reside / is the information stored?
– Alignment with System Model
– Mapping of System  Object Group
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