Data Dictionary Best Practices

Adhering to Data Dictionary best practices will help ensure the successful use of the tool. Before implementing the use of the Data Dictionary it is important to review the best practicesthat are listed below.

Best Practices:

  1. When starting an implementation project:
    • Establish a team to define the categories, naming conventions and definitions for Data Dictionary terms.
    • Assign an individual as the Data Dictionary owner who will approve all terms added to the dictionary.
    • Turn on the Data Dictionary as soon as possible.
  2. Use security privileges in the Rules Palette to control access to the Data Dictionary tool. Only configuration team members should have access to the Data Dictionary.
    • DataDictionary-View: this privilege restricts a user from adding new terms. The user is only able to select from existing terms defined in the Data Dictionary when configuring rules.
    • DataDictionary-CheckIn/CheckOut: user is able to add new terms to the Data Dictionary and can use the new term or existing terms in configuration. User is also able to add new categories to the Data Dictionary. Adding new terms means that the Rules Palette user will be able to name the term, define the term type, associate the term to one or more pre-defined categories and add a definition to the term.
  3. Set the level of compliance for math variables in the DataDictionaryEnforcement business rule to Ignore.
  4. Use standardized naming conventions for fields and math variables when defining Data Dictionary terms.
    • Minimize the use of abbreviations. Ex: NewEffectiveDate NOTNewEffDate

    • Ensure the name is relevant to the data the field or variable is representing.

    • Do not use spaces between words in a name.
    • Do not use underscores or special characters in names.
    • Use an uppercase letter for each word in the name.
  5. Use standardized naming conventions when defining categories for the Data Dictionary.
    • Minimize abbreviations when at all possible.
    • Ensure the category name is meaningful to the configuration team as they will be using categories to filter the Data Dictionary terms.
    • Spaces can be used in category names.
    • Use an uppercase letter for each word in the category name.
    • Special characters are supported in category names, such as dashes or underscores.
  6. Manage the addition of new terms.
    • Provide the DataDictionary-CheckIn/CheckOut privilege to a small number of configuration analysts. When adding a new term, use an agreed-upon prefix in the definition, such as ‘FOR REVIEW-xxxxxxxxx’.
    • Provide a query to run against the Data Dictionary tables that will pull any entries that have the prefix to be reviewed by the Data Dictionary owner.
    • If a new term is approved, then the prefix can be removed and will be available for the team to use.
    • If the term is changed in any way, alert the team so any existing configuration can be changed to the approved name.

    An alternate method for managing new terms is to use a spreadsheet rather than the online Data Dictionary in the Rules Palette. The spreadsheet should be filled out when a new term is deemed necessary and approved and should include all of the necessary data to populate the Data Dictionary tables. Scripts can be run to directly insert those terms into the database, making those newly added terms available in the Rules Palette for use by the configuration team.