Baseline Data Architecture

Baseline data architecture defines the business information needed to support the business functions that are encompassed in the baseline business model. It essentially contains information on high-level data areas and their classes. Additionally, it identifies the need for data warehouses and data marts. Data architecture is not a data model (entities, relationships, classes, elements, etc.). Data models are best created as part of a departmental project where business requirements are best understood. The data architecture cannot always anticipate all implementation details. In many situations, the data architecture can be compromised in places as long as the rationale behind it is understood and documented. In these situations, it is still the responsibility of the enterprise architect to ensure that the compromise does not affect the performance, =integrity, or scalability of the overall system.

Canaxia has employed a well-respected consultancy to identify candidates for business objects. A business object is a person, place, thing, or event that Canaxia needs to keep data about in order to to conduct business. The consultancy created business definitions that reflect an understanding of each business object. Table 11-1 lists partial definitions for the creation of its data repository.

Table 11-1. Business objects.

Name	Definition	Identifiers	Characteristics	Notes
Agency	Department or administrative unit of a government entity	Title, type, ID number	Description, role, address, contact information (telephone, fax, Web address)	Legislative branches (Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles)
Agreement	An arrangement between two or more parties as to a course of action that identifies the roles and responsibilities of each	ID, title, dates, parties	Subject, scope, period of performance, funding, terms and conditions	Contracts, permits, collective bargaining, certifications and labor management agreements
Authority	Specific rights and permissions assigned to an employee, person, and job	Type, data, name	Source, duration, level, scope	Rights, warrants, delegation orders, access rights to information, clearances, digital signatures, authentication, credit card information
Benefit	Pack of services and programs provided to employees	Date, name, type, grade	Description, duration, terms and conditions	Health insurance, counseling, massages, and free Krispy Kreme donuts
Budget	Estimated funds required for goods and services	Year, type, organization	Amount	Planning estimates, budget recommendations
Compliance	Conformance with legal, HR, and regulatory requirements	Date, type, mandate, department, name	Methodology, result	Audit reports, certifications, accident reports
Cost	Value of goods and services	Data, name, type	Amount, fiscal year, period covered, currency	Salary, benefits, products
Departments	Organizational units	Names, codes, acronyms	Mission, vision, function, head	Locations in each country
Dispute	Controversy among parties	Type, date, number, title	Description, resolution, status	Security clearances, HR policies, whistle blowers, union cutbacks, etc.
Document	Data that are contained within a physical or electronic media	Name, number, type, date	Content, description, format, media, sensitivity	Media can be hard copy, analog, digital, and can come in many forms
Employee	A person who works for Canaxia	SSN, employee ID	Education, name, type, grade, job title, skill, location	Does not include contractors or consultants
Goal	Desired outcome	Title, type, date	Content, event, source	Settled, closed, cancelled, etc.
Incident	Significant event where disclosure is required	Date, location, type	Sensitivity, severity, duration, department	Accident, injury, chemical release, security breach
Intellectual property	Rights owned by Canaxia	Name, date, type	Concept, description, formulae, value	Copyrights, patents, trademarks, secrets
Job	Responsibilities of an employee	Title, position, job ID, date of creation, job grade	Description, job family, type, role, status	Enterprise Architect, Technology Director, Thought Leader
Mandate	Specific instruction	Identifier, date, topic	Authorization reference, context, type, approval	Law, regulation, policy, requirements (e.g., Healthcare Portability Act)
Measure	Standard of evaluation	Type, organization, date	Unit, scale, dimension, period, description	HR performance standards, miles per gallon
Product	Items that are created, manufactured, or distributed by Canaxia	Name, date	Description	Wheels, metal detectors for finding unicorns, etc.
Program	Grouping of related projects that have common attributes	Name, acronym	Scope, subject, context	NAFTA, financial management, customer relationship management
Project	Set of activities that are managed and funded together	Name, cost center, acronym, type	Scope, description, schedule	World domination, human genome
Proposal	Offer to provide product or services	Title, date, type	Value, approach, key personnel, deviations from norm	May result in agreement
Resource	Physical property used to accomplish a goal	Identifier, type	Description, location, age, quantity, availability, value	Equipment, space, supplies, buildings, inventory
Risk	Possibility of loss, failure, or other undesirable outcome	Name, type	Probability, impact, description, outcome, scenarios	Market, financial, litigation, security, safety, environmental, etc.
Task	A discrete unit of work	Title, number, date	Description, schedule, milestones	The lowest level of work, such as evaluate software for ERP