Data catalogs-theory into practice

摘要

Restricted data availability, difficult access and uncertain quality mean additional business costs, loss of value and inefficient working practices in the oil and gas industry. Initiatives to address these problems have only been partly successful. Much of the problem stems from an incomplete view of the business, which has influenced software solutions. For many years the relationships between people, process and technology have influenced the way that new software has been developed and deployed. However, this relationship model does not address the key component of data in systems, information in documents and the knowledge in people. Catalogs can provide a step change in industry knowledge-information-data (KID) integration, which provides business benefit through improved efficiencies, reduction in costly errors and value addition through collaborative working and knowledge sharing. The question now facing the industry is how to maximize access to data, information and knowledge across disparate data sources, data stores and virtual organizations. Today the maturity of internet technologies such as XML, Java, portals and Web-services, and Web-based products such as geographical information systems (GIS), when used in conjunction with data standards such P7/2000 and POSC cataloging initiatives, can provide the building blocks to deliver a step change in the way knowledge, information and data is accessed, used and distributed.