Enterprise Taxonomy and Schema Management: Best Practices

1

• Enterprise Taxonomy and Schema Management Best
  Practices
• University of Washington
• January, 2006
• Gary Carlson
• Chief Taxonomist
• garyc_at_schemalogic.com

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SchemaLogic at a Glance

• Company
• SchemaLogic is a software company based near
  Seattle, WA, founded in 2001 by ex-Microsoft
  employees
• Customers
• Includes in-progress production deployments for
  customers such as Reed Business Information, HP,
  Church of LDS, Government of UK, and IBM where
  our products service all 300,000 employees, in
  more than 80 countries worldwide
• Mission
• To provide both thought and market leadership by
  delivering the industry leading Organizational
  Schema Management software

Vocabularies (Metadata)
Ontology
Classifications (Taxonomies)
Organizational Schema
Authority Lists
Thesauri
Translations
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Product goals

• An easy to deploy, COTS, JAVA web service
  solution that has been validated by other large
  organizations
• Both a modeling and management platformthe
  single source of truth for organizational schema
• A collaborative framework for change management,
  with configurable voting parameters
• Standards based (XML) import and export
• Hub and Spoke, Publish and Subscribe
  synchronization of target systems
• Pre-existing adaptors for many current
  applications
• Linear scalability up to millions of terms

4

Goal Centrally Classify the language of the
Enterprise
Oracle/ SQL Server/ etc
And Deliver Improved Information Access Change
Once, Synchronize Many
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Typical Benefits of an Enterprise Taxonomy

• Reduced time-to-action as changes to central
  models are synchronized to target systems
• Enhanced navigation, auto-categorization, and
  search from optimized taxonomies
• Reduction in labor by automating information
  tasks such as consolidating multiple vocabularies
• Accelerated decision making and improved buy-in
  resulting from collaboration of change management
  
• Leveraged value from the solution extensibility
  delivered by the custom development SDK

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Successful Management Spans and Integrates the
Enterprise

• Content management/integration
• Taxonomy reconciliation
• Standard vocabularies

• Data warehouse/reporting teams
• Reconcile for BI
• Reference data mgt

• XML developers
• Reuse of XML Schema
• Approved changes synchronized

• Enterprise Information Architects
• Model information flow
• Many-to-one mapping, standards

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Root Problem Metadata "families
Reconcilable Differences in Semantics
Structures
One Concept different expressions
Cust_ID Customer Client_no CUST1
Ambiguity
Severity 1 Sev_Code A
PRICE COST

• Contributor
• Author

Duration 1 Duration 1
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Taxonomies are used in many places
LIST OF COUNTRIES
OTHER TAXONOMY LINKS
SITE NAVIGATION RE-USED ACROSS ENTIRE WEBSITE
PRODUCTS BY GROUP
TWO VIEWS OF THE PRODUCT TAXONOMY
PRODUCTS BY BRAND
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Sharing across the Enterprise
SchemaLogic Enterprise Suite
Numbers the number system Ma-0002 Counting
Ma-0003 Integers Ma-0004 Ordering Ma-0005
Rounding Ma-0006 Place value Ma-0007 Money
Ma-0044 Mental images Ma-0011 Pi Ma-0013
Factors Ma-0014 Prime factors Ma-0016
Multiples Ma-8005 Roots Ma-8004 Powers
Ma-8001 Negative numbers Ma-8003 Irrational
numbers Ma-8002 Prime numbers Ma-0018
Standard index form Ma-5001 Odd even
numbers Ma-5005 Properties of numbers Ma-5002
Reading numbers Ma-5003 Writing numbers
Ma-8026 Number patterns Fractions, decimals
percentages Ma-0019 Fractions Ma-0020
Calculating with fractions Ma-0021 Equivalent
fractions Ma-0022 Decimals Ma-0023
Calculating with decimals Ma-0024 Percentages
Numbers the number system Ma-0002 Counting
Ma-0003 Integers Ma-0004 Ordering Ma-0005
Rounding Ma-0006 Place value Ma-0007 Money
Ma-0044 Mental images Ma-0011 Pi Ma-0013
Factors Ma-0014 Prime factors Ma-0016
Multiples Ma-8005 Roots Ma-8004 Powers
Ma-8001 Negative numbers Ma-8003 Irrational
numbers Ma-8002 Prime numbers Ma-0018
Standard index form Ma-5001 Odd even
numbers Ma-5005 Properties of numbers Ma-5002
Reading numbers Ma-5003 Writing numbers
Ma-8026 Number patterns Fractions, decimals
percentages Ma-0019 Fractions Ma-0020
Calculating with fractions Ma-0021 Equivalent
fractions Ma-0022 Decimals Ma-0023
Calculating with decimals Ma-0024 Percentages
Numbers the number system Ma-0002 Counting
Ma-0003 Integers Ma-0004 Ordering Ma-0005
Rounding Ma-0006 Place value Ma-0007 Money
Ma-0044 Mental images Ma-0011 Pi Ma-0013
Factors Ma-0014 Prime factors Ma-0016
Multiples Ma-8005 Roots Ma-8004 Powers
Ma-8001 Negative numbers Ma-8003 Irrational
numbers Ma-8002 Prime numbers Ma-0018
Standard index form Ma-5001 Odd even
numbers Ma-5005 Properties of numbers Ma-5002
Reading numbers Ma-5003 Writing numbers
Ma-8026 Number patterns Fractions, decimals
percentages Ma-0019 Fractions Ma-0020
Calculating with fractions Ma-0021 Equivalent
fractions Ma-0022 Decimals Ma-0023
Calculating with decimals Ma-0024 Percentages
Numbers the number system Ma-0002 Counting
Ma-0003 Integers Ma-0004 Ordering Ma-0005
Rounding Ma-0006 Place value Ma-0007 Money
Ma-0044 Mental images Ma-0011 Pi Ma-0013
Factors Ma-0014 Prime factors Ma-0016
Multiples Ma-8005 Roots Ma-8004 Powers
Ma-8001 Negative numbers Ma-8003 Irrational
numbers Ma-8002 Prime numbers Ma-0018
Standard index form Ma-5001 Odd even
numbers Ma-5005 Properties of numbers Ma-5002
Reading numbers Ma-5003 Writing numbers
Ma-8026 Number patterns Fractions, decimals
percentages Ma-0019 Fractions Ma-0020
Calculating with fractions Ma-0021 Equivalent
fractions Ma-0022 Decimals Ma-0023
Calculating with decimals Ma-0024 Percentages
Taxonomies and Metadata are consumed by
structured and unstructured information systems
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What are Taxonomies and Schemas used for?

• A Codification of corporate knowledge and
  information assets
• A way of identifying, maintaining, and updating
  relationships between different types of
  information
• A tool that can be used to help users get faster
  access to the most relevant information needed
  for analysis and decision making
• A way of standardizing the way information is
  described and accessed across an organization
• Linking information

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Managing Many Taxonomies

• Often have important relationships between them
• Integration of taxonomies is similar to
  integration of systems
• Allows for re-use, consistency, and utilization
  of existing information
• Requires a higher level of governance and
  cooperation between business groups
• Shines a bright light on business processes

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Sharing One Taxonomy amongst Many Systems

• Sharing a taxonomy has many advantages
• Requires flexibility in the modeling tools
• Requires flexibility from the individual groups
  using the taxonomy
• Requires stronger process for governance
• Shines a bright light on business processes

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Three faces of the solution
Component Role
Modeling Environment Must provide flexible and robust features for the meta-model. Must allow for multiple views of the meta-model
Change Control (workflow) Must provide impact analysis so the cost of change can be determined prior to change Must allow for full notification to stakeholders
Synchronization (import/export of metadata definitions) Flexible to connect to many systems XML, JDBC, Legacy systems, etc. Full import and export of definitions
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Three primary constituencies
Stakeholders Tasks
Business Owners Product Managers, Report producers, Legal,HR, etc Drive particular business requirements for metadata initiatives. Represent many different business units
Metadata Stewards Taxonomists, Library Science Professionals Create meta-model which supports the business requirements of all business users and IT requirements. Need to work across business units.
IT - Data Architects, System Integrators, Provide input into the feasibility and cost of making changes. Provide essential background knowledge into existing models. Implement changes to the meta-model. Represent many different enterprise systems
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The Fourth Constituency

• Organization Executives
• Need a complete view of the customer
• Sales reports by and across regions
• Legal auditing requirements
• Etc

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And the Fifth

• The Customer
• Consistent information
• Good customer support
• Good on-line experience
• Etc

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Re-visit the Business Requirements
Component Stakeholders
Modeling Environment Where is the metadata managed Business Owners What metadata is needed Who needs the metadata Why is it needed
Change Control How is it modified Who is involved Metadata Stewards Who manages the overall structure
Synchronization When/Where is it used IT How is it implemented What systems are involved What level of integration is required
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The Crux of the matter

• A good Taxonomy analysis is really just a good
  business analysis.
• All components should map to a direct business
  requirement.
• A good metadata solution may (and will) comprise
  far more than metadata

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SchemaLogic Solution Architecture
Authority Lists
Classifications
Subscribe
Vocabularies
Thesaurus
Taxonomies
Onthology
Search Auto-cat

• Transform

Synchronize
Content Mgmnt
T R A N S F O R M
INTEGRATE
Model
Investigate
.SLV XML
Portal
Administer
Reports
Manage Change
Custom Apps
SchemaLogic Product Suite
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SchemaLogic Product Architecture
SchemaLogic Desktop Applications
Workshop
Catalog
ActiveTerms
Custom UI
SchemaServer SDK
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SchemaLogic Workshop

• Allows all the constituencies to work in one
  place
• Primary UI
• Role-based behavior
• Plug-in architecture
• Large vocabulary manipulation
• Java WebStart

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SchemaLogic Workshop
List of Vocabularies
Term Editor with support for Advanced Search
Bulk Editing
Custom Fields
Hierarchical View of Terms
Quick Access to System Objects
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Impact Analysis
Change Impact
Objects impacted by change
Email Notification of change request
Users impacted by change
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Change Management
Collaboration and Voting Process
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Languages
Term Relationship Editor
Support for Localized Values
Double-Byte Enabled
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Full Audit Support
All events written to Activity Log
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SchemaLogic Integrator and Adaptors
Hub and Spoke, Publish and Subscribe Schema
Synchronizations

• Adapters
• Access in Workshop UI
• Binds to Target Systems
• Perform Synchronization
• File Transfer Integrations

Integrator 1
Integrator UI
Adaptor 1
Workshop
Synchronize
Adaptor 2
Synchronize

• Integrator
• Servlet-based Web Service
• Lightweight, highly scalable
• Logging/Versioning/Audit Trail
• Reduces Adaptor Complexity

Integrator 2
Synchronize
Integrator 3
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Example SchemaLogic SharePoint Adaptors

• Benefits
• Site Governance
• Site Consistency
• Rich Thesaurus
• Enhanced Search

SharePoint Site Server
Site Templates
(Structured Lists)
SharePoint Template Adaptor
Template Synchronization
Template Synchronization
SchemaLogic Integrator
SchemaLogic
SharePoint Thesaurus Adaptor
Index and Search
MS Search
MS Thesaurus
Thesaurus Synchronization
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The SchemaLogic Taxonomy Solution
SchemaLogic enables global terminology to be
centrally managed across distributed teams and
consuming systems.
Taxonomies and Classification Models imported
from source systems and synchronized into
enterprise taxonomy.
Standard vocabulariesare used for document
creation which establishes accurate semantic
context of information.
Search engines are aware of information context
which improves search-result relevance.
Standard classifications applied to all content
silos ensure content-store metadata is consistent
and complete.
Global expertise is better leveraged via greater
ease of portal and content navigation.
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The SchemaLogic Solution

• ECM
• Consistent enterprise terminology employed at
  check-in
• Consistent terminology across disparate silos
• Downstream positive impact helps optimize
  information navigation and access

Content Stores
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The SchemaLogic Solution

• Portal
• Distributed content consistently categorized
• Content stored with same terminology used to
  navigate to information via portal
• Users able to navigate to distributed information
  using their own terminology

SharePoint Instances
Documentum Instances
Web Sites
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The SchemaLogic Solution

• Search
• Improve guided navigation
• Taxonomies teach the search engines something
  about the information context prior to crawling
  and indexing
• Models are then passed back to knowledge workers
  for refinement

Autonomy Verity Omnifind
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SchemaLogic Integrator

• Adhoc or scheduled synchronizations

• The SchemaLogic integration framework
• Adaptors for target systems

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Customer Scenario 2 Enterprise Taxonomy
Management for Global Employee Portal
In 2005, SchemaLogic will enable management of
the Expertise and Enterprise Taxonomies that
support Bluepages and the On Demand Workplace.
On Demand Workplace
Bulk Import
OmniFind Search
Corporate.com
Manual Edits
XML Repository

• Skills
• Roles

Bulk Update (Translations)
User Reports
Marketplace is helping consultants find niche
skills and get to work on contracts faster,
factors that could help boost revenue, not just
cut costs. ? Wall Street Journal, August 2005
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Customer Scenario 3Global Pharmaceutical Company
Centralized Governance, Thesaurus and Search
for Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint
Portal Server
Document profiles List metadata Site
templates Synonyms Facet Expansion Abbreviations
Localization Misspellings
BenefitEnhanced Findabilityand Governance
1000 SharePoint Portal Sites
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Search Strategy 12MM Member Church
INDEXES
METADATA
SchemaLogic
Static, Authoritative
DMAM (Telescope/Virage)
Dynamic
Monitor metadata
Index to Periodicals
Index
Content Reference/ Article Reference
DICOM (Documentum)
Additional Indexes
Topical Guide
WCM(Vignette)
SeeSee also
Bible Dictionary
Provide access for metadatafor manual assignment
Enterprise Taxonomies
Terms/Nested Terms
Other
Guide to Scriptures
Provide concept clusters under specified taxonomy
points Captured searches Ontology capability
Mine existing date toAdjust taxonomiesAssist
in building dynamic indexes
Automatically assign metadata
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Discussion
Contact Information

• Gary Carlson
• Chief Taxonomist
• garyc_at_schemalogic.com
• 425.952.2152