Application Of Enterprise Data Model To Solve The Information Silos

With the competition becoming more global and fierce, management of enterprises depends on network information systems to an extreme extent. However,"isolated island"has a considerable negative influence on enterprise's information systems after enterprise invests considerably in those systems. Conducting a consulting project in LN Company, the author found that although this company had established many information systems, data for these information systems were not uniform. Thus data could not be inferred dynamically, and framework of coding and forms are unreliable. In order to resolve"isolated island"problem without drastic modifications of systems that would damage the stability of systems, this paper compares several solutions and suggests a new approach to resolve this problem using enterprise data model.The enterprise data model is a new model that is established on Zachman Model, Standardization Theory, and Middleware Technology. This model comprise of seven components, including: data concept model, data logic model, middle database, data dictionary, data distribution in operations, data distribution in systems, and data model management. Middleware data base is used to reflect data source and its logic relationship into middleware data base, avoiding drastically modifying original systems. This paper illustrates the approaches of how to establish an information system to implement enterprise data model that could ensure that data source of each system is sole, that data can be dynamically inferred and that extended functions of data have a better forecasting ability.The implementation of enterprise data model is divided into seven steps, and the first step is to define each data source with a uniform code and to ensure that each data has exclusive source. The second step is to analyze logic relationships among these data sources and to identify their co-relationships of inference. The third step is to found a middleware database using Sql server 2000, avoiding discommodiousness resulted from differences among various systems'frameworks. This middleware database can reflect data source and its logic relationship and users of this database can make centralized inquiries of operational data. The forth step is to record each data definition and relationship of inference in order to track searches. In the fifth step, data distribution in each operation is analyzed. In the sixth step, data distribution in each system is analyzed. And in the final step, data model is managed to nail down management purview, the mechanism of data cleanout and the mechanism of continuing improvement of data model.The blue print of implementation of this enterprise data model is built on the specific information system that is designed to manage this model. Utilization of data management platform ensures the uniform management of data, making the search and track convenient. This is a efficient approach to management enterprise through data management.