Enterprise-wide logical and conceptual data models, also called “semantic models” have amazing power to align and focus the business, but they are often perceived as pie-in-the-sky solutions in search of a problem. Efforts get bogged down in the top-down vs. bottom-up debate. Interest soon fades as so-called “higher priority” projects come along. But without the common understanding of the business gained through these important models, the enterprise continues building overlapping, conflicting and wholly redundant systems. Developing an enterprise-wide conceptual and logical model is the highest priority.
This case study will recount the creation of an enterprise-wide semantic model that was carried out with speed and efficiency to the acclaim of business and IT alike. It will describe how both top-down and bottom-up approaches were used to quickly create conceptual and logical versions of these models and incorporate them in the day-to-day activities of the enterprise. And it will detail how initial successes turned into ultimate failure of this worthy endeavor.
- Ways to describe the benefits of semantic models
- How to combine top-down and bottom-up approaches to deliver results quickly
- How to integrate semantic models into day-to-day work processes
- Who to involve in the prioritization, creation and maintenance of the models
- What to do when success turns to failure