The Data Model Resource Book, Volume 3: Universal Patterns for Data Modeling

Silverston c09.tex V2 - 11/21/2008 3:16am Page 488

488 Chapter 9 ■ Using the Patterns

Still another change between the prototype data model and the application

data model is the replacement of the Level 1 Contact Mechanism Pattern

with the Level 2 Contact Mechanism Pattern. The subject matter experts for

Sands Distribution pointed out that the same CUSTOMER instance could be

related to many different TELECOMMUNICATIONS NUMBER(s), POSTAL

ADDRESS(es), or ELECTRONIC ADDRESS(es) (for example, email addresses).

Also, they found that some of the phone numbers, mailing addresses, and

email addresses were shared by multiple customers, especially when they

were individual customers that were within a subdivision of the same com-

pany. The data team concluded that they needed to capture the CONTACT

MECHANISM PURPOSE(s) and CONTACT MECHANISM USAGE TYPE for

each telecommunications number, electronic address, and postal address for

each party. The subject matter experts told a story of a salesperson who

called a senior partner of a client on his personal phone number (which

the client had asked not to use), and the salesperson tried to solicit new

business; this caused Sands Distribution to nearly lose this account. Hence,

they had the need to capture the proper purpose and usage for various

contact mechanisms. Notice that aside from being able to classify contact

mechanisms with purposes (‘‘Bill to’’) and usages ...