If you are a SQL developer, not much an analyst, you would probably not pay attention to why users need to standardize certain data elements. But that is not my point. My point is actually opposite. As SQL developers, we need to pay close attentions to what our users are saying.

Here is an example. In our enterprise asset management master database, we need to standardize on operating systems for all IT computer assets. Here is the business case for that – auditing, licensing.

From an analyst:

…standardized so for example all Windows 2003 Server OS’s would show as Windows 2003 Server and not MS-Windows 2003 Server or Microsoft-Windows 2003 Server.

From an IT Engineer:

Just for clarification, the specific wording is not as important as it is that the entries are all consistent…. It probably is appropriate to make sure you store the edition information somewhere since licensing audits will need that later…we are all too familiar with the licensing needs for the data.