Designing your data model
The design process of a data model progresses from generic to specific. The first step is the conceptual diagram, which provides a high-level, generic view of how the data will be stored and connected within the information system and its relationship with business activities. It is usually technology-agnostic. With this initial diagram, the modeler seeks informed feedback from business specialists, data owners, and end users to ensure that the model accurately represents the business and that the main data relationships are represented.
Figure 5.2 shows an example of a conceptual diagram for a simple management system. This diagram contains the basic building blocks of the data model to start the modeling process. We can see how the elements are related. For example, one order item represents a product and is part of an order; the customer places an order, and the model generates an invoice with invoice items; each invoice item represents a product:
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