Re: How do I design a Data Architecture ?
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 15:16:15 GMT
Message-ID: <31yh6.9081$r17.28415_at_news.iol.ie>
It IS an enormous task. I have a team of six working full-time for me in my present contract to do the enterprise data architecture for a Telco. The CRM piece alone takes three people.
The suggestion that you develop detailed interface definitions to a central middle-ware "broker" application is a good one. After several years hard labour we are moving towards that approach.
The previous method of trying to control the interfaces between each pair of systems is very difficult to manage. It's much easier to map each system to a central broker that determines where to pass messages to as it receives them. Ultimately the broker will become quite large, but it will be contained.
As for convincing your management, start by counting the number of potential interfaces between your existing systems. CRM applications seem to be only for the customer-facing (e.g. sales) systems until you turn over the rock. Then you find that the users want to dip into information further down the processing track. In our case, this includes checking if the line has been enabled as part of the order completion process. Traditionally this data was some six or seven systems down the line. This is just one of many such examples.
Good luck!
Tim Fitzpatrick
Data Architecture Manager
An European telecommunications company
<bdimple_at_my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:954ht7$c55$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com...
> Hi,
> I have been asked to propose a Data Architecture for
> my company.
>
> We are moving into E-Commerce.
>
> This requires integrating our existing legacy systems,
> and linking to external systems for CRM and maybe
> Order fulfilment.
>
> It seems like an enormous task.
>
> Where do I start, and how can I estimate the time
> required, and how can I convince my management that
> this is a major undertaking ?
>
> I'd appreciate any and all advice, especially some
> real-life suggestions of what to do and maybe what
> NOT to do.
>
> TIA
>
> B.Dimple
>
>
> Sent via Deja.com
> http://www.deja.com/
Received on Sun Feb 11 2001 - 16:16:15 CET