Integrating Process and Data Models in a Horizontal Organization - High-Performance Web Databases: Design, Development, and Deployment - page 261

Exhibit 17-1. Horizontal organization structure.
IS METHODOLOGIES
Integrating IS throughout the organization is a key issue for senior man-
agement. Two popular methodologies that can be used to facilitate the in-
tegration of information systems within an organization are: a data-focused
approach and a process-focused approach.
The Data-Focused Approach
The data-focused approach is currently the more popular methodology.
Generally, data models are more stable reflections of how an organization
uses data and establishes business rules within its various components. By
focusing on the types of data and various attributes and classes they repre-
sent, a comprehensive, relational, or hierarchical model can be constructed
to reflect their relationships within the organization. This model can serve