DAMA INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM and WILSHIRE META-DATA CONFERENCE
April 28-May 2, 2002 – San Antonio Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas
Agenda is subject to change.    

MONDAY TUTORIALS

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T1: Data Modeling – New Challenges, New Solutions 

Graeme Simsion Senior Fellow University of Melbourne

Graham Witt Senior Consultant Tier Technologies (Australia)

The most common complaint about Graeme and Graham’s very popular half-day workshop at last year’s conference was “not long enough”. This year we’ve allocated a full day for them to present and discuss some of the key issues and challenges facing data modeling practitioners. There will be ample opportunity for questions and some “hands on” exercises.

Graeme will look at the latest research in data modeling, and its implications for practice, and Graham will focus on lessons of experience from the field. As always, Graeme and Graham will be relevant, forthright and challenging.

Lessons from Research

This sessions will examine recent research in data modeling – in particular the process of modeling, with the focus squarely on research that is relevant to practitioners. Graeme has argued for many years that data modeling is a design discipline involving choice and creativity, and that data modelers, like other designers, work largely from patterns rather than “first principles”. Recently researchers have begun to take a look at some of these questions: their findings – and the views of Graeme and Graham – are likely to have you looking at your own approach to data modeling in a new light. Issues this session will look at include:

• What should the data modeling process deliver?

• Do we need different models for different stages of the process? 
     Where does data modeling start and finish?

• What makes a good modeler?

• How do the best modelers operate?

• Do good modelers produce similar models?

• How should the business specialist participate?

• Can non-specialists really understand data models? 
  ...and of course … 

• Which modeling framework is best?

Lessons from Practice

This session will take a hard look at data modeling in practice: what works, what doesn’t? Graham has spent the last 15 years as a data modeling and data management specialist, across a wide variety of business and government applications, and an equally wide variety of approaches. Delegates who attended last year’s conference will know that he pulls no punches in evaluating techniques and tools. Expect a vigorous and stimulating discussion. He and Graeme will cover:  

• What can we do to improve the quality of information models?

• How well do the business rule-based approaches work?

• How can we improve business buy-in?

• How is UML shaping up in practice?

• Is the data modeler an endangered species?

Graham will also discuss a rigorous approach to validating models that he has used with success in recent assignments.

Graeme Simsion recently took up an appointment as Senior Fellow with the University of Melbourne, having spent some 20 years as a consultant and educator. Early in his career, Graeme worked as a database administrator, before moving to data modeling, data management, systems planning and broader business consultancy. The company he founded, Simsion Bowles and Associates grew to some 65 staff in three states before being acquired by the US company Tier Technologies in 1999.  Graeme is the author of numerous papers and the widely used book "Data Modeling Essentials".  As a speaker, he has a reputation for being forthright, challenging and entertaining, and has conducted two very popular tours of DAMA chapters, as well as keynote presentations and workshops at previous DAMA conferences.

Graham Witt · In Graham's 30+ years of industry experience, he has developed specialist expertise in system specification, user interface design, data modeling, relational database design, data quality, the use of metadata repositories and CASE tools, and information management. As well as completing a number of successful projects in these areas for major clients in such industry sectors as education, health, telecommunications, finance, transport and government, he has a reputation as an effective educator in these disciplines, and has published in the information management press.  He is a Senior Consultant at Tier Technologies (Australia).  He is the co-author, with Graeme Simsion, of the second edition of the seminal text “Data Modeling Essentials”.

T2: Putting Business Rules to Work: Techniques, Facilitation and Methodology

Ronald G. Ross & Gladys Lam
Principals
Business Rule Solutions, LLC

The business rule approach offers practical new methods to create more effective business solutions, improve communication, and speed-up the requirements process. These methods have proven highly successful, time and time again, in organizations of many different types.

In this presentation, Mr. Ross and Ms. Lam introduce you to business rule methodology. They identify all the aspects of a business model, and show where business rules fit in with them. Specifically, they show how business rules address the issues of motivation and guidance – in other words, the question of “why.” They detail how you can use business rules to develop business tactics in a deliverable called a Policy Charter.

Drawing from real-life experience, Mr. Ross and Ms. Lam relate how business rules can improve your requirements process. They detail a carefully crafted step-by-step approach to organize and run your project using new techniques for facilitated sessions.  Finally, Mr. Ross and Ms. Lam offer guidelines for how business rules should be expressed, and how they can be managed more effectively.

 Attendees will learn:

• New techniques for developing business logic

• How to close the business/IT gap

• How to refine your modeling techniques with business rules

• Business rules in facilitated sessions

• How to organize and run a business rules project

• How to spot show-stoppers early-on

Ronald G. Ross is Co-Founder and Principal of Business Rule Solutions, LLC (www.BRSolutions.com), which provides workshops, consulting services, publications, and methodology supporting business analysis, business rules, and rule management. At BRS, Mr. Ross co-develops BRSolutions, its landmark business analysis methodology, which features numerous innovative business rule techniques including the popular RuleSpeak™.  Mr. Ross also serves as Executive Editor of www.BRCommunity.com and its flagship on-line publication, Business Rules Journal. Mr. Ross is recognized as the “father of business rules.” He serves as Co-Chair of the Business Rule Forum Conference. He was a charter member of the Business Rules Group in the 1980s, and was a co-editor of its watershed 2000 paper, “Organizing Business Plans: The Standard Model for Business Rule Motivation.” Mr. Ross is the author of a half-dozen professional books, including two on business rules. He has received several industry awards, including DAMA International’s Individual Achievement Award for 1995. Mr. Ross received his M.S. in information science from Illinois Institute of Technology, and his B.A. from Rice University.

Gladys S.W. Lam is Principal of Business Rule Solutions, LLC and the co-founder of Business Rule Community (BRCommunity.com), a vertical community for professionals working with business rules and related areas and is home of the on-line Business Rules Journal. She is the co-creator of the BRS Business Rule Methodology, BRSolutions, which continues to receive international recognition and is used by companies world-wide.  Ms. Lam is most recognized for her ability to identify the source of business issues, and for her effectiveness and efficiency in developing an approach to resolve these issues. She has also gained a reputation for fostering positive professional relationships with principals and support staff in projects.  Ms. Lam graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Computer Science.

T3: Applying Quality Principles To Data Definition And Data Modeling

Larry P. English
President
INFORMATION IMPACT International, Inc.

Without quality data, businesses are at risk. But poor data definition and information architecture quality undermines the organization’s ability to create, maintain—and exploit—quality information. Data warehousing disasters call attention to the imperative of quality data definition in both the data warehouse as well as in operational databases. In this tutorial, Mr. English describes how to apply the principles of data definition and information architecture quality discussed in his widely acclaimed book, Improving Data Warehouse and Business Information Quality, now available in Japanese.

Data definition and data modeling are not documentation processes. They are the processes of information product specification. Mr. English describes guidelines for assessing data definition and information architecture (data model) quality. He describes how you can apply Quality Function Deployment in the data definition process to assure that quality is designed in without compromising speed of development. Quality function deployment is the set of tools and techniques for involving customers in the design of a product.

• Applying Quality Principles to Information Resource Management Products

• Assuring Data Definition Quality

• Assuring Information Architecture (Data Model) Quality

• Assuring Quality in the Data Definition Process

• Meta Model for Information Quality Objects

• Establishing and Information Quality Environment

Larry P. English, president and principal of INFORMATION IMPACT International, Inc., is an internationally recognized speaker, teacher, consultant, and author in information quality improvement.  He has provided consulting and education in more than 25 countries on five continents.  He was featured as one of the “21 Voices for the 21st Century” in the January, 2000 issue of Quality Progress.  DAMA awarded him the 1998 “Individual Achievement Award” for his contributions to the field of information resource management.  He has organized and chaired 10 Information and Data Quality Conferences in the US and Europe since 1997. Mr. English’s methodology for information quality improvement—Total Quality data Management (TQdM®)—has been implemented in several organizations worldwide.  He writes the “Plain English on Data Quality” column in the DM Review.  Mr. English’s widely acclaimed book Improving Data Warehouse and Business Information Quality, has been translated into Japanese. 

T4: The Future of Data Resource Management

Michael Brackett
Consulting Data Architect
Data Resource Design & Remodeling

The data resource inmost public and private sector organizations is becoming increasingly disparate because there is seldom any real interest in developing the data resource within a single, organization-wide, integrated data architecture. The result is that the data resource is failing to meet the ever-growing and ever-changing information needs of the organization.

There are many techniques, tools, and standards that claim to take control of the data resource, resolve existing data disparity, and improve data resource quality. Will these approaches really help stop the increasing data disparity and resolve existing data disparity? What is needed to property manage an organizations data and develop a high-quality data resource that truly meets the information needs of an organization?

This tutorial will cover:

• Where data administration has been and where data resource management should be headed

• The urgent need to manage data as a critical resource

• Earning the right for a data resource to be considered an assed of the organization

• The critical need for data stewards that manage the data resource for the welfare of an organization

• The urgent need to manage all data within a single, complete, comprehensive, integrated, common data architecture

Michael Brackett has developed many innovative concepts and techniques for designing and managing data resources. He has written six books on the topic of application design, data design, and common data architectures. His latest book on Data Resource Quality: Turning Bad Habits into Good practices explains how to stop the creation of disparate data. He is the founder of Data Resource Design and Remodeling and is a consulting data architect specializing in developing integrated data resources. He is the President of DAMA International for 2000 and 2001.  Further information can be found at members.aol.com/mhbrackett

T5: Building and Managing the Meta Data Repository

David Marco
President
Enterprise Warehousing Solutions, Inc. 

Creating a meta data repository that is accessible and relevant to its users is essential to the data warehouse's success and use. This practical course is based on corporate meta data implementations and looks to provide attendees with a full life cycle strategy and methodology for defining meta data requirements, capturing/integrating meta data, and accessing the meta data repository. The metadata repository provides the developers and users with a road map to the rich, strategic information contained within an organization’s data warehouse and operational systems.

This session will look to unravel the marketing hype surrounding the meta data industry. It will speak to the real-world challenges of implementing a meta data repository.

• The current state of the meta data industry

• Cutting through the meta data market hype

• Technical & business meta data

• Selling the Concept of building a meta data repository to management (ROI)

• Creating the meta data project plan

• Defining meta data requirements

• Challenges of implementing a meta data repository

• Identifying & integrating sources of meta data

• Constructing the meta data scope document

• Real-world analysis of meta data tool vendors

• Meta data standards in the industry

• Future direction of meta data & XML

David Marco is an internationally recognized expert in the field of data warehousing, e-business, XML, business intelligence, and is the industry’s leading authority on meta data. He is the author of the book “Building and Managing the Meta Data Repository” (John Wiley & Sons, July 2000). This groundbreaking book has been broadly endorsed by many of the largest software companies in the industry and by several major magazines. In addition, he is the editor of Real-World Decision Support a widely read electronic newsletter that focuses on business intelligence and e-business topics (www.EWSolutions.com/newsletter.asp). Mr. Marco has published over 70 articles and is a columnist for Application Development Trends magazine, Database Trends magazine, DM Review magazine and is a judge in their 1998 2001 World-Class Solutions awards.  Mr. Marco also cosponsors with the Penn State University a certified series of courses on data warehousing and business intelligence, and he teaches at the University of Chicago. Mr. Marco is the founder and President of the Chicago-headquartered Enterprise Warehousing Solutions, Inc. a strategic partner and systems integrator dedicated to providing clients with best-in-class business intelligence solutions using data warehousing technologies.

T6: Advanced Meta Data Solutions

Adrienne Tannenbaum
President
Database Design Solutions

We have been implementing meta data solutions since the days of the data dictionary. Many of us still have these dictionaries around, but more than likely have supplemented them across our organization with various renditions of the same or additional meta data. In fact, we may not even be aware of the various spreadsheets, ETL dictionaries, Decision Support Tools, Access Databases, CASE tools, and miscellaneous other places where valuable meta data already exists. 

Geared toward those who have already been through at least one meta data solution (whether purchased or custom developed), this one-day overview will address the right way to enhance your meta data environment. Aspects of the Database Design Solutions Meta data Solution Development Methodology will be discussed. Actual meta data solution architectures will be illustrated. 

As a means of level setting, the presentation will begin by confirming meta data's role. Meta data will then take on a technical flair as it is evaluated based not only on its role but also on where it is, where it comes from, where it goes, and how it is accessed. The realities of meta data will be explored. 

How can we legitimately address the fact that meta data is everywhere? Which meta data is "fit for an organization"? What type of meta data solution is best? How do we get started?

• Data, Information, Knowledge 
     The role of meta data
     The information/meta data connection

• Learning from the Past

• Leveraging Meta Data
     Meta data types
     Meta data perspectives
     Meta data quality
     Meta data sources

• The Meta Data Solution
     Defined
     Role 
     Types

• The Meta Data Requirements Process
     Meta data beneficiaries
     Meta data sourcing
     Meta data categorization
     Metamodels

• Meta Data Solution Requirements
     Functionality
     Accessibility
     Security

• The Meta Data Solution Architecture
     Options

• Meta Data Solution Support

• Meta Data Solution Maintenance

Adrienne Tannenbaum is the founder and president of Database Design Solutions, Inc. (www.dbdsolutions.com), a Bernardsville, NJ based consulting firm specializing in database and metadata solutions.  She has worked in all facets of database and application development, concentrating since 1990 on the design, development, and implementation of metadata solutions.  She is the author of  the foremost reference, Metadata Solutions: Using Metamodels, Repositories, XML, and Enterprise Portals to Generate Information on Demand (2001, Addison Wesley)  as well as the first metadata oriented publication, Implementing a Corporate Repository (1994, Wiley).  She has also developed and currently teaches several public Metadata Solutions seminars.

Adrienne Tannenbaum has spoken at many conferences worldwide.  She is known for the practicality of her presentations and has often co-presented with Database Design Solutions' clients.  Adrienne is a firm believer in keeping metadata where it is used and needed the most.  Her Metadata Solution Design methodology supports this objective.

Database Design Solutions is known for its ability to provide 'Information on Demand' in even the most complex of situations.  Firm specialties include web-based data access and distribution, data warehousing, data analysis, data management strategies, database tuning and administration, and logical and physical database design.  Database Design Solutions consultants are organized by industry practice and are well versed in the data issues surrounding pharmaceuticals, insurance, telecommunications, finance, manufacturing, and the public sector.

T7: XML for Data Practitioners

David Plotkin
Data Administration Manager
Longs Drug Stores, Inc.

Data practitioners have known for the past couple of years that XML was a technology that they "must know". Yet much of the education available to them has been too oriented to the needs of programmers and application developers only, rather than "data people."  At last we've solved that problem by asking David Plotkin, a fellow data practitioner, to teach this tutorial.

This one-day program provides a comprehensive introduction to XML as it relates to various data management functions and responsibilities. It provides an understanding of the importance of XML to meta data management, and the new breed of repository for XML meta data. It will introduce you to the essential aspects of XML-based systems, including DTDs, XML Schema and namespaces. The "data" applications for XML are highly significant and varied, including Corporate Portals, Data Warehouses and Data Marts, Meta Data Management, Business Rules and Data Integration. However, the hype and confusion around XML can also lead to data management chaos. Come to this tutorial to get the "real" story.

The Data Practitioner's View of XML

• What XML is -- from the standpoint of a data practitioner

• What XML is NOT

• The Relational View of XML (which is hierarchical)

• Why Use XML instead of a flat file?

• Validating an XML document with a Document Type Definition (DTD)

• Using Elements and Attributes in a DTD

• Using Entities in a DTD

• Turning a Model into XML

 Implementing the DTD Repository

• The New Frontier in Meta Data Management

• Reasons for Building a DTD Repository

• The overall schema

• Relating DTDs and XML documents

• Relating DTDs, XML documents, and Elements

• Relating Elements and Attributes

• Physical implementation of Elements and Attributes

• Repository functionality

• Building the Repository application

• Lessons Learned Building the Repository

Understanding XML Schemas

• What is XML Schema?

• The difference between XML Schema and DTDs

• Understanding and Creating Simple Types

• Understanding and Creating Complex Types

• Declaring and Using Elements

• The Ins and Outs of the Content Model

• Creating new Elements from existing Elements

• Creating Element and Attribute Groups for Reuse

• Using NameSpaces

• Reusing Elements and Types from another XML Schema

David Plotkin is the Manager of Data Administration for Longs Drug Stores, a major drug store chain with more than 450 stores in 6 western states. He has been implementing both procedural and object-oriented systems for over 15 years, and built Metadata management environments in three companies, including the implementation of several corporate repositories. He was recently involved in the complete recreation of Longs pharmacy system using object-oriented technology, including CASE tools, code generation and database generation from models, synchronizing the effort with a third-party software package, and implementing the Metadata management initiative. The effort includes a business rules-driven approach, with the capture of business rules, as well as the automated implementation of parameter-driven business rules. He is currently working on Longs' E-CRM initiative, which includes an operational data store, electronic bus, XML messaging and data cleansing. He is also spearheading the effort to integrate disparate data marts into a data warehouse.