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Are you migrating data models from SAP PowerDesigner to Idera ER/Studio Data Architect? You’ll soon find that the standard PowerDesigner LDM import in ER/Studio doesn’t convert everything properly

George McGeachieLeave a comment

Are you migrating data models from SAP PowerDesigner to Idera ER/Studio Data Architect? You’ll soon find that the standard PowerDesigner LDM import in ER/Studio doesn’t convert everything properly. For example, some data types aren’t converted in the way I would like them to be converted.
I came across this issue when I imported the FIB-DM model (in PowerDesigner format) to ER/Studio. I could manually update the incorrect data types, or write a macro to do it. The macro would need to know which data types to fix, based on knowledge of the data types in the original PowerDesigner model.
I didn’t want to hard-code the attribute names in a macro, instead I’ve used the template language within PowerDesigner to generate a macro to update the exact objects that I know there will be problems with.
If you’re converting any PowerDesigner models to ER/Studio, you’ll come across the same issues as I did, so take a look at what I’m doing –

Generating a macro to update an ER/Studio model from a #PowerDesigner model

How about a #PowerDesigner day in Paris on Sept 21st? #PDDayEU

George McGeachieLeave a comment

The SAP conferences are humungous affairs, with some content for those interested in using PowerDesigner, but I’m sure the majority of PowerDesigner users don’t get to those conferences. In the US, we now have a PowerDesigner track at the ISUG-TECH conference in Atlanta, though the equivalent annual conference in the UK has zero PowerDersigner content.

Morgan Stanley were kind enough to host a day of sessions for PowerDesigner users in London in 2013, and I’d like to see that repeated somewhere in mainland Europe

SAP are willing to host an event in Paris, but it’s taking a very long time to organise. Nothing will happen this month, it’s August in Paris, and the city is closed.

I think we should hold the event before Paris cools down for the winter, and avoid clashing with Data Modelling Zone, which is in Hamburg on September 28-29, and in the US the following week.

We have speaking offers from people from all over Europe who can talk about Data Vault, other Data Warehousing experience, Enterprise Architecture, HANA, and extending PowerDesigner. Other offers are still welcome.

My proposed date, which needs to be confirmed with SAP, is Monday September 21st. Please can you indicate whether or not this is a good date for you.

I’m going to blog and tweet about this, using the Twitter hashtag #PDDayEU. Please pass it on.

Thanks

#PowerDesigner track at ISUG-TECH conference in April 2014

George McGeachieLeave a comment

ISUG-TECH is an annual conference for users of ex-Sybase products – this year we expect more than 500 technical attendees.

This year’s conference will take place at the Hilton Atlanta, Georgia, United States, from April 14th to April 17th, with additional workshops on the 18th. This year there is a dedicated PowerDesigner track, so there’s even more reason for people to attend. Details of sessions are currently being posted online, and the agenda builder will be available on or about February 1st, 2014.

I’m running an all-day workshop on the 14th – Building the Data Model Pyramid with SAP PowerDesigner, and Martijn Evers is running one on the 18th – SAP PowerDesigner Power Programming: The Road to Automation.

You can register for the conference here – http://my.isug.com/techwave2014/register.

Does TK Maxx need to employ data modellers? #datamodeling #datamodelling #dataquality #businessrules

George McGeachieLeave a comment

On Channel 4 in the UK last night, the Dispatches programme investigated some of the pricing practices of discount retailers and outlet stores. I’m not going to comment on the business ethics of those stores, but I do want to comment on their responses to the claims made by the programme. Some of the issues that arose could easily have been avoided.

Stores will often show the RRP (Recommended Retail Price) on a price ticket, to indicate to the customer the scale of the bargain they’re about to buy. For example, a product in TK Maxx was priced at £24.99, with a claimed RRP of £68.99; a significant saving, it appears. According to the programme, Government guidelines say “you should not use a recommended retail price if it differs significantly from the price at which the product is generally sold.” (Pricing Practices Guide, Department of Business Innovation & Skills, 1.6.1). The product in question, though it has what appears to be a fancy but unfamiliar brand name, is actually a TK Maxx brand, which is not sold by anyone else, so the RRP is actually meaningless and misleading. TK Maxx told the programme that it is their “policy not to put RRP on own brand products”; in the few instances where this hasn’t happened, it is “a product of human error.”

That’s the interesting part for me – how could they allow ‘human error’ to cause the RRP to be defined for own-brand products, and to be printed on tickets, in breach of their own stated policy? Where were the business rules that should have prevented this from happening? Where’s the data model that makes it obvious that own-brand products do not have a RRP? If they have a ‘target full retail price’ for own-brand products, that’s a different piece of data. Where’s the business process definition that describes how to print pricing tickets for own-brand products?

Perhaps the lack of all this is the ‘human error’ that TK Maxx referred to? If so, then they need to employ some humans to fix it, document their business rules, create their data models, and then implement them.

Looking for PowerDesigner Training or expertise?

George McGeachieLeave a comment

As the author of “Data Modeling Made Simple with PowerDesigner”, I am in a unique position to provide your organisation with the insights and knowledge you need to understand PowerDesigner, and how to make best use of it.

I can deliver off-the-shelf PowerDesigner training in the tool’s capabilities, as well as training geared towards data modellers and data architects, which can be tailored to suit your environment if you choose. If you need training geared towards other users of PowerDesigner, please contact me to discuss your needs.

Please click on “Tool Training/expertise” at the top of this page to find out more.