New research reveals the challenges and benefits of using Reference Data Models

April 13, 2011 - PRLog -- A new research paper co-published by BARC and BeKS has found that the use of a Reference Data Model (RDM) improves the delivery time of BI projects.

Based on a series of interviews with key personnel at end-user organizations, the report uncovered one unanimous conclusion from all the participants: although the use of an RDM required extensive knowledge building that was unanticipated at the start of the projects, BI delivery time was improved and its benefits are expected to increase over time.

Jacqueline Bloemen, the author of the research paper said, “RDMs serve well as useful blueprints for data integration and BI deployment and frequently accelerate the initialization phase of projects. RDM utilization is found to enhance the reusability of departmental results in the context of the whole enterprise. They provide a base line for the establishment of an enterprise’s single point of truth and enhance the ability to measure the current state of the business.”

User feedback also indicated that vendor offerings for Reference Data Models could be extended.

Carsten Bange, CEO of BARC, explained, ”Most RDMs are shipped in a format compatible with leading data modeling tools. These tools support logical and physical data modeling and are geared towards data architects and database administrators. However the important tasks of collaborating with business users and collecting business requirements are usually less supported.”

‘Reference Data Models: Market Overview and User Experiences’, presents the full results and conclusions from this research project and can be downloaded free of charge at:

http://www.barc.de/en/research/reference-data-models.html

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BARC is an independent software industry analyst serving over 1000 customers each year with software evaluations, conferences, market research and consulting. Core research areas include Data Management, Business Intelligence and Document Management.