Canonical Data Model

It is hard to create a good CDM. Its architect needs to have long experience with different business areas and knowledge of real life processes, also exceeding scope of the current company. Designer needs to be foreseeing. CDM entity should not just go after two domain systems and merge their attributes. Common parameters should be named and there should be a place for extensions using key-value containers. All current and future systems/messages should fit into current CDM. Popular mistake is to create too tight and too small model which needs serious changes during some project. Another mistake is to create one CDM for whole life-time which is too big and too complex for easy usage. CDM is not given once forever, it evolves over time, constantly and iteratively improving. Not using CDM is the biggest mistake.