The truth is, modeling tools that have been turned into Data Catalogs are faced with important adoption issues with the teams (they have to make huge efforts to learn how to use the tool, only to not find wha t they are looking for).Ī prospective client recently presented us with a metamodel they had built and asked us whether it was possible to implement it in Zeenea. It is quite a challenge for data teams and a challenge that seems difficult to justify from an operational perspective. Understanding the information provided by these tools requires a solid understanding of modeling principles (object classes, logical levels, nomenclatures, etc). But the built-in complexity of the information won’t go away. We could consider improving user friendliness of course to open it up to a wider audience. A modeling tool is complex and handles an important number of abstract concepts which require an important learning curve. The second flaw?: It is not user -friendly. They are very useful communication tools in a variety of domains, but they are not an exact reflection of the day-to-day operational reality which, for me, is crucial to keeping the promises of a Data Catalog (enabling teams to find data, understanding and knowing how to use the datasets). However accurate it may be, a model remains a model: a simplified representation of reality. By their nature, modeling tools produce top-down models to outline the information in an IS. But we can identify two major flaws in their approach. After all, they do already manage a great deal of information on physical architecture, business classifications, glossaries, ontologies, information lineage, processes and roles, etc. There is also a market phenomenon at play here: certain historical business modeling players are looking to widen the scope of their offer by positioning themselves on the Data Catalog market. But we seriously doubt that these modeling tools can provide a decent Data Catalog. They play a key role in the urbanization, the schema blueprints, the IS management, as well as regulatory compliance. We do not question the value of these models. They have developed several layers of models (conceptual, logical, physical) and have put in place an organization that helps the maintenance and sharing of these models with specific populations (business experts and IT people mostly). Some organizations, usually large ones, have invested for years in the modeling of their business processes and information architecture. A Data Catalog is NOT a Business Modeling Solution

Business modelling tools