Parameter Mapping for ArcHouse.

What is a parameter?

A parameter is simply a piece of information that can be associated with another piece of information. For example, in the context housing, a property might have 'heating type' parameter. This parameter would enable the type of hearing to be specified. A property might have a heating type of 'Gas fired-Central Heating', 'Coal Fire', 'Night storage heaters' or many others. Each implementation of ArcHouse allows parameters values to be created to best help the processes that use tohem to work most efficiently.

Why do parameters need mapping?

When moving from one system to another it is rare to have everything in the old system look identical in the new system. A new system will usually work in new and imporved ways and will need the information it uses to be set up differently to allow it to work effectively. The mapping process matches up information from the original system to allow it to be placed into the new system.

How does it work?

Paremeter mapping is mainly a manual task. PickSoft try to make the task as easy as possible by using a process that is consistent for each parameter and has been proven on several projects. To start, all the places that a particular parameter is used in the existing system are identifed. Next, a list of all the values used are found along with a list of all the values that are available in the destination system. These values are then displayed on a spreadsheet along with any mapping rules that have already been defined.

The spreadsheet is generated as part of the Data Extraction and transformation process and will reflect any changes made to the existing system and destination system. The spreadsheet is usually examined by each person directly involved in part of the system that the parameter would be used in. Picksoft believe the more people that look at the sheet, the more likely issues will be spotted sooner and resolved more easily.

What effort is usually involved?

Usually each spreadsheet simply needs someone to decide what existing value needs to be made to which new value. Each new value can be used by more than one original value. There is no need for all new value to be used.

Sometimes values are being used that no-one is aware of. It is common for us to be told that "there are no records using that value, we stopped using it years ago." We often prove that the value is used and then either it need s to be mapped, or changed in the source system. If it is changed in the existing system, the Data Extraction process will register the change the next time it is run and the parameter value will dissapear from the sheet.