How to identify the data elements

       Vendor name            Vendor address              Invoice date
       Invoice terms          Vendor phone number         Vendor fax number 
       Vendor web address     Invoice number              Item part number  
       Item quantity          Item description            Item unit price   
       Item extension         Vendor sales contact name   Vendor sales contact extension 
       Vendor AR contact name Vendor AR contact extension Invoice total
      

Description

• Depending on the nature of the system, you can identify data elements in a variety of ways, including interviewing users, analyzing existing systems, and evaluating comparable systems.
• The documents used by a real-world system, such as the invoice shown above, can often help you identify the data elements of the system.
• As you identify the data elements of a system, you should begin thinking about the entities that those elements are associated with. That will help you identify the tables of the database later on.