In this respect, the data map can make a significant contribution to transparency and displays a high effective benefit value for the people in charge of IT. Developing, building, and optimizing a viable (IT) strategy on this basis is not possible unless you really know your IT landscape backwards and forwards. 

Developing strategy 

Business processes are derived top-down with an orientation to principles when enterprise architecture (EA) approaches are used. They provide a framework comprising structures, standards, interfaces, and organization processes which aid in the ­selection, implementation, and business capability of a company’s data infrastructure. 

Enterprise architecture is strategy work which should generally be carried out by a team of employees using methodology and reference models – e.g., The Open Group Architecture Framework “TOGAF” – and with in-depth IT know-how concerning the firm’s own processes and business objects. Frequently outside advisors are consulted to bring in an external viewpoint and to ensure that the global demand from the constant further development of the competition is met.  

Equipped with the suitably useful tools, the team begins to map the process and data modeling at a high abstraction level. The various modeling stages and depth of detail cause the connections to the company’s own data modeling in the data landscape to become visible. The data architecture generates an overview of the data available in the company; ultimately, the architecture of the data map is the basis for discussion between business and IT. It is possible to determine at this level where what data exist, how data are distributed, and what copies are located where. EA architecture provides users with an almost complete logical and physical data model. 

Data architecture consists of a simple data model, a description of the data classes and their relationships, and the most important attributes. The effects of the business functions are nowadays described in a CRUD matrix built on the data ­architecture. This structure is a means of determining what effects the business functions have on the data. Data in business functions can be created, read, updated, or deleted. 

Along with the data model, it is just as important to clarify what categories of data the company requires and processes. This can be represented using a data map which makes available ­parameters with the aim of determining the level of detail of the data.