Getting started with data modelling
It is rarely the thing that gets a project approved, and often the thing that decides how it goes. A short on-ramp to data modelling for teams who have not touched it before.
Data outlives the applications built on top of it, which is why the model deserves more thought than the screens. It is the sort of thing that looks like polish right up until it costs you an enquiry.
What is actually at stake
The model outlives the application built on top of it. The teams that handle this well are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets. Most teams find the first pass takes an afternoon and the maintenance takes minutes a month.
Your first week
- Find out what is already in place
- Name things the way the business names them
- Change one thing and measure it
Model what is true, not what is convenient this quarter. There is a version of this that is over-engineered, and it is worth avoiding. It rarely shows up as a line item, which is exactly why it slips.
How to tell if yours is fine
Numbers get quoted in meetings long after anyone remembers how they were calculated. Three things worth confirming about data modelling before you move on:
- Someone can say what the current setup is without going to look
- Name things the way the business names them — and you know whether that is true here
- There is a way to tell whether the last change to this helped
If you want a second opinion on how yours is set up, ask.