Data Modeling II: Standard Data Model & Examples – SS2 Data Processing Lesson Note (First Term)

Significance of data model

1. The data model is a great communication tool because it facilitates interaction and communication between the designers, programmers and end-users. In essence, it does not allow one party’s bias towards a certain view of data (whether they consider it to be most important) to take hold.
2. A well-developed data model can even foster an improved understanding of the organization for which the database design is developed.
3. Data models help in structuring and organizing data. These data structures are then typically implemented in a database management system which is used mostly by an organization for decision making.
4. In addition to defining and organizing the data, data modelling will impose (implicitly or explicitly) constraints or limitations on the data placed within the structure

Standard data model

A standard data model or industry standard model (ISDM) is a data model that is widely applied in some industries and shared amongst competitors to some degree. They are often defined by standard bodies, database vendors or operating system vendors. The most effective standard models have been developed in the banking, insurance, pharmaceutical and automotive industries, to reflect the stringent standards applied to customer information gathering, customer privacy, customer safety, or just-in-time manufacturing.

They enable easier and faster information sharing because heterogeneous organizations have a standard vocabulary and pre-negotiated semantics, format, and quality standards for exchanged data.

Example of standard data models

1. ISO 10303: ISO 10303 is an ISO standard for the computer-interpretable representation and exchange of product manufacturing information.
2. ISO 15926: ISO 15926 is a standard for data integration, sharing, exchange, and hand-over between computer systems.
3. IDEAS Group: The IDEA Group is the international Defence Enterprise architecture Specification for exchange Group. The deliverable of the project is a data exchange format for military Enterprise Architecture.