Using Business Normalization for Future Business Needs Introduction

Using Business Normalization for Future Business Needs

Introduction • This is a business-driven method that is used to identify data needed for future requirements. • An advanced logical data modeling method • It is used with data mapping to develop data models with greater entity and attribute detail.

Enterprise Architecture Incremental Build Context Logical data modeling using business normalization is carried out at this stage in Step 9 as follows: Step 1: we discussed that strategy analysis identifies statements for mission, vision, core values, goals, objectives, issues, KPIs, and strategies in the strategic plan. Step 2: Strategy analysis identifies from the organizational structure those managers and business experts responsible for implementing priority areas of the strategic plan.

9 steps (cont. …) • Step 3: During a 5 -day business planning workshop, the identified managers and business experts optionally apply the strategy analysis methodology to define tactical business planning statements to implement strategic plans. • Step 4: Data mapping is used to enable business experts and IT experts to work together to identify data for integration. This begins with a 2 -day strategic modeling facilitated session. Entities that represent required information and data are listed in the What column for the Planner row [C 1 R 1].

Cont. …. . Step 5: The facilitated modeling session continues over 2 days, documenting key entities in a strategic model on a white board. The strategic model is a high-level enterprise model in the What column for the Owner row [C 1 R 2] that represents a “picture of the business” to the participating managers and business experts. Typically 90 to 120 entities are defined in these 2 days. Step 6: This step next defines strategic alignment matrices. Step 7: The strategic model or business events in the When column and Planner row [C 5 R 1] can be used to identify activities in the How column and Planner row [C 2 R 1]. These are typically common, reusable activities that deliver cost savings and benefits when implemented.

Step 8: Priority activity models from Step 7 are used to develop workflow models in the Who column and Owner row [C 4 R 2]. Step 9: The high-level strategic model from the Owner’s perspective (in column 1, row 2) is expanded to greater detail in this step, transforming it into a fully attributed logical data model from the Designer’s perspective.

Introduction to Normalization • Normalization was developed in the late 1960 s by Dr. Edgar (Ted) Codd • He applied mathematical set theory as a formal discipline to identify and structure data in relational databases. • Normalization, defined by him from this research activity, applied a formal set of rules to data. • These rules reflected an academic emphasis in the early 1970 s. • In the mid-1970 s, normalization evolved in two directions, one with a technical focus and the other with a business focus.

• Normalization evolved further in the 1980 s into two clear variants: : traditional normalization [1] and business normalization. • The first is used by data administrators (DAs) and database administrators (DBAs) to design databases, but business users find it technical and difficult to apply. • In contrast, business normalization can be used both by business experts and computer experts.

Business Normalization • Business normalization is used by business managers and business staff, as well as by IT computer staff. • It depends on knowledge of the business, rather than of computers. • Both variants of normalization define five normal form rules: • First Normal Form (1 NF) to Fifth Normal Form (5 NF) for traditional normalization; and First Business Normal Form (1 BNF) to Fifth Business Normal Form (5 BNF) for business normalization.

• 1 BNF to 3 BNF produce the same results as 1 NF to 3 NF, except that the rules for business normalization focus on “how” to apply each rule. • 4 BNF is similar to 4 NF, in that each approach defines the existence of supertype and subtype entities. • 5 BNF is quite different from 5 NF is sometimes called “Project. Join” normal form. In contrast, 5 BNF represents expert business knowledge as expert rules in tables as data. • https: //www. guru 99. com/database-normalization. html

Benefits of Business Normalization • It is based on formal rules designed to be used by business experts and also by computer experts, working together in a design partnership. • It consolidates the redundant data versions that exist in an organization into shared, integrated data resources that are readily available for use by all staff who are authorized to access that data. • When applied by business experts, business normalization results in the design of databases that can accommodate the business needs of users of the data throughout the enterprise.

• Business experts use business normalization to identify potential future business changes. Databases are designed to enable those changes to be easily applied. • This results in development of higher quality databases and systems to support current business needs; and to support future business needs as they arise.

Normalized Tables and Rules • Each column name in a table is unique, and the order of the columns in a table has no bearing on its meaning. This ensures that there is no ambiguity in identifying a relevant column within a table. Business normalization recommends that each column (i. e. , attribute) have a unique name in the enterprise to avoid any ambiguity with homonyms, that is, other columns that have the same name, but that represent different data.

• Each row in a table has a unique primary key value, and so is a unique row. The Employee table shows that Employee Number is unique, which thus makes each Employee row unique. • Notice that Employee Number in the table is in ascending sequence. This orders the rows for access purposes, but this order has no effect on the meaning of each row.