Concept model

What is a Concept Model?

A Concept Model is a visual model consisting of conceptual definitions that aim to strengthen communication between people and define the language of business.

Concept models can be used in several different situations where we document activities. When mapping the organization and its processes, it is optimal to use the concept model to define the occurring words and create an unambiguous interpretation of all other operational models.

What is a Concept within a Business?

When we discuss concepts from a generalized perspective, we refer to our mental conception of phenomena in reality, which exists only in our minds. We use language to communicate these concepts and gain a common understanding of what we mean.

In an organization, concepts refer to all tangible and intangible values that are important to the organization and about which the organization, therefore, needs to manage information.

Why should you use a Concept Model?

Using the concept model to improve communication within an organization has several advantages:

1. A Common Language
   The concept model helps create a common language or set of terms everyone in the organization can understand. This reduces the risk of misunderstanding and ensures that we all discuss the same thing when discussing complex ideas or processes. This, in turn, is crucial to ensure that all teams and departments are working towards the same goals and objectives.
    
2. Simplify the Complex
   The conceptual model breaks down complex processes or structures into more digestible components, making it easier for our employees to understand the intricate details of the organisation.
    
3. Create Understanding
   In contexts where we use visual models to represent relationships, structures, or processes, the conceptual model is a powerful tool for helping individuals understand the bigger picture. This is particularly beneficial for people who prefer visual explanations and have difficulty with text-heavy documents or verbal explanations.
    

How do you create a Concept Model?

When we map our activities, we accumulate several concepts that we need to define in the conceptual model. We do this by relating them to each other.

In the example below, we can see that we have placed an object called ‘Order’. We then place objects that visualize how other concepts relate to ‘Order.’ We make this clear by linking relations between the objects. For example, we can see that an ‘Order‘ is placed by a ‘Customer‘ or that an ‘Order‘ refers to a ‘Service.’

A concept model describing an order by relating it to the service, the customer and the order date. 
In this way, we have clarified in a visual model what an order means. The conceptual model is a good stage before you start information modeling. In an information model, there is more structure, and you should be more careful about which concepts from the business should be entities, what the properties are, and what type of relationship exists between the various entities. For example, suppose you have identified Orders and Order dates in a conceptual model. In that case, you will probably document Orders as an entity and Order dates as a property of Orders, not as an entity, in an information model.

Want to know more about the Concept Model?

Our consultants have written an article on Concept and Information modeling in 2c8 Apps. Click here to read more!