The Enterprise Portal is a central gateway to the processes, databases, systems and workflows of an enterprise. When personalised to the job responsibilities of employees via the Intranet, the enterprise portal provides a seamless, single point of access to all of the resources that employees need to do their jobs. When further personalised securely via the Internet and Extranets to the interests of suppliers, customers and business partners, the enterprise portal becomes the integrating conduit of the many disparate databases, systems and workflows each enterprise uses to carry out business with others. It also becomes a single place to manage rapid enterprise change.

11.15 - 12.30 Know Thy Data: Monitoring Data Behaviour
Michael Scofield, Director, Data Quality, Experian

Traditionally, Meta Data has focused upon normative definitions and descriptions of data-'normative' in that it is what some analyst or designer thinks the data ought to mean, and how it ought to behave. Many external pressures around the enterprise force it to morph, and to change its logical business data architecture, and in so-doing, stress current applications and databases to accommodate new kinds of data, and uses for existing data elements. In large organisations, these changes in meaning may not be documented, and may be discovered only by maintaining surveillance of actual data behaviour in business databases. Monitoring data behaviour need not be difficult, but it does require a simple query tool or a 4GL. The behaviour of latent data ('at rest' in databases) and data flows are both important. Particular emphasis is given to data from external sources whose rules and meaning may be (a) volatile and (b) not under your control. We show a basic plan for setting up urveillance and alarms when incoming data does not meet specifications.

1.30 - 2.15 Managing Customer Information Quality in Pan-European Databases - Challenges and Approaches
Danette McGilvray, Customer Information Quality Program Manager, Agilent Technologies

Does this situation sound familiar: You are a global company with a common customer information system being used in several countries throughout Europe. Business uses range from the field (sales reps) to conventional marketing to more sophisticated Customer Relationship Management. Knowledge workers have needs from 'within-the-country' uses and 'central pan-European' uses. Different languages, cultures, and business needs (such as differing address standards) also complicate the situation. The information collected and maintained often does not fit the various needs. Hear how one company, Agilent Technologies, is tackling this tough situation in Europe. Learn techniques to improve data quality and manage customer information to meet business needs.

• Working together - the roles of data, processes, people, and technology
• Case studies - three European organisations
• Where to focus - and where NOT to focus
• Metrics - make sure they work for (not against) you
• Challenges and best practices

2.15 - 3:00 UML Extends the Data Modelling Technology Davor Gornik, Marketing Engineer, Rational Software

UML is the modelling language of software development and expanding into database modelling, adding new possibilities for better understanding and design of persistent data. The presentation will explain use cases, use case realisations, interaction diagrams, class diagrams, component and deployment diagrams, and their value for data analysts, data designer, and DBA. The communication is the biggest add-in for data modelling using UML. For the first time, data analysts use the same language as the software developer and are full members of the software development team.

3.15 - 4.05 DAMA International Q& A and Conference Wrap-up