Author: Bob Lambert
-
Consider the source in health care data integration
The Atlantic, not typically a technical rag, recently presented an article by business and economics editor Megan McArdle on health care data integration entitled “Paging Dr. Luddite”. The article brings to a mass audience an understanding of both the importance and difficulty of data integration, but the title and general anti-healthcare-professional tone seem counterproductive.
-
Special considerations in health care data
I’ve worked with health care data for the past few years, and in a recent conversation I realized it might be valuable to detail some of the complexities of health care data for those who might enter this growing field. Of course these considerations aren’t unique to health care, but they are typical of the…
-
Building a writing culture in application development
One of the key skills needed in today’s IT shop is communication, and one of the best ways to improve ability to communicate is to write blog posts and articles. In spite of “IT guy” stereotypes, communication and analytical thinking about business are among the most important skills in application development. Developers, analysts, and managers…
-
Agile development: rugby analogy considered harmful
Recently my friend Mark Hudson posted about the inappropriateness of the term “sprint” for an agile project phase, preferring the cycling term “interval.” That post really struck a chord with me. As a rugby union fan and former wing/fullback I’ve always thought the whole rugby analogy was wrong. Agile development is continuous and fluid, yet…
-
Metadata goals, ROI, and point solutions
Recently there has been a long, and very interesting, discussion of do-it-yourself versus third-party metadata tools on LinkedIn’s TDWI BI and DW discussion forum (membership required to follow the link). I have followed but haven’t commented, but I suppose I contributed when Information Management kindly published my article on DIY metadata. The discussion is extremely…
-
Followership III: Real projects for real people
I recently read a fascinating article in the New York times but I zoned out in the middle of it several times, as the article predicted. The article was Discovering the Virtues of a Wandering Mind by John Tierney. To sum it up, our minds wander about 30 percent of the time, and that’s not…
-
Use conceptual data modeling in requirements definition
I’ve often thought that conceptual data modeling was an underused tool in the arsenal available to requirements analysts, and in a recent conversation I found that many were surprised that it would be used in the requirements phase at all. Checking the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) I found data modeling listed among the…
-
Richmond Code Camp 2010.1: The Business End of Data Modeling
Thanks to all who attended my presentation at Richmond Code Camp 2010.1 on May 22. Here’s a link to the PowerPoint presentation: The Business End of Data Modeling (2.5m) The presentation was about what to expect before you start database design and what to do if you don’t get it. Software development professionals apply technology solutions…
-
Thoughts on the Jazz Process
I always thought the analogy would be cheesy, but Adrian Cho’s “Jazz Process” is a carefully researched and well presented “framework for improving collaboration, innovation and agility inspired by the way in which jazz musicians deliver strong, innovative performances.” Mr. Cho, with deep roots in both jazz and application development, presents a method for app dev…
-
SQL Saturday #30, Richmond Virginia, April 10, 2010
Thanks to all who attended my presentations at SQL Saturday on April 10. Here are the materials from my two presentations: – The Business End of Data Modeling (2.5m powerpoint presentation) – Normalize Metadata For Data Integration Analysis (5.5m full version, zip including presentation and code samples) – Normalize Metadata For Data Integration Analysis (small)…