The data model is not a data structure. Rather it is a common and open way of accessing any data structure (both metadata and case data). A more descriptive name would be “data access model”.

The benefit of the data model is that it makes it easier for applications to be compatible with each other, even when they have been developed by different companies. Moreover, applications using the data model are not tied to any one specific data structure. In fact, they can communicate with any data structure (provided that there is a suitable DSC for that data structure).

When developing an application, dealing with the data can account for as much as 40 or 50 percent of the development time. Because the data model handles the communication with the data, it can reduce application development time dramatically. Furthermore, the data model has built-in functions, expression evaluation, and scripting capabilities that make it easy to work with market research and other survey data.