As data is typically global (i.e., used across systems), the data analysis effort is a critical task for the overall enterprise. The models and support specifications that result from Information Analysis are crucial to an Enterprise Architecture.

The inability to specify an organization-wide set of data and their relationships can lead to mass redundancy of data and unsynchronized information as well as dead data (gathered and updated, but not used). This is regardless of any latest database implementation or stringent manual procedures.

Communication between the Business Policy/Data Owners and the Analyst is obviously most critical during the analysis stage. Business Information Analysis draws heavily on graphical as well as textual documentation (models) to assist in this critical requirements gathering activity. Two widely accepted and applicable models for Information Analysis are Entity Relationship Diagrams and Data Models which graphically represent an enterprise's stored data as Entities (cohesive groupings of facts), Relationships (associations between Entities), and Data Elements (business facts).

For validation of the analysis Information Specification, this seminar presents its contents in an unambiguous, non-technical, jargon free manner. It uses workshops and a real life case study to show the importance of deriving a logical view of data and their Relationships in an enterprise (or a portion of an enterprise).This logical view removes any design characteristics for folders, file cabinets, rolodexes, shelves, etc. and sequential files, network/hierarchical/relational databases, mass storage devices, etc. that may be in place today so that they do not corrupt the new design of stored data.

The major focus of logical modeling is to derive an Event Partitioned Model that reflects the most customer-oriented, stable, and maintainable view of the business data. This Event Partitioned Information Model will flow naturally into the Enterprise/Organization Information Model and on into database and manual file design.

This seminar is for Enterprise Architecture team members, Business Architects and Business Analysts, Project and Program managers, Users/Owners of business policy and others having responsibilities to purchase, build or implement systems and data support for business mission areas dealing with information and its structure.

Seminar Outline