The Data Model Resource Book, Vol. 2: A Library of Data Models for Specific Industries

CHAPTER 10

Using the Industry Models in the Real World

Now that you have an arsenal of template models at your disposal, the next question is “How can I make the most of these models to really make a difference?” This same question was addressed for the models in Volume 1, and many uses were explained for these models. Additional questions about these industry models are the following:

• How useful are these models for building transaction-oriented systems as well as for building data warehouse applications?
• What if the enterprise needing data models does not neatly fit into one of the chapters of this book? Are these models still relevant?
• How relevant are these models to specific industries? For example, can a property and casualty organization effectively use the insurance models, or does it need a property and casualty data model?
• What if the nature of enterprise needing data models is covered in several of the chapters of this book? How can I use these models?
• Should universal models be set up as specific modules instead of as applications for industries? For instance, many industries involve time and activity tracking that could be set up as a universal data model module.

This chapter addresses these questions.

Using the Models to Build Transaction-Oriented Systems and Data Warehouses

How useful are these models for building transaction-oriented databases as well as for building data warehouse applications?

It is a well-accepted principle that to build an effective transaction-oriented ...