The list below describes the essential steps to begin using the Cadastral Data Content Standard.

1. Conduct a crosswalk between the attributes in your existing database (or the database you will be creating) and entities and attributes in the Standard.  See the crosswalk example for an illustration of typical survey data attributes which correspond with entities and attributes in the Standard.
2. After you have crosswalked your data to the Standard, decide which of the entities and attributes in the Cadastral Data Content Standard you will actually use.
3. Contact the other offices and agencies with whom you share and exchange data.   Provide them a list of the elements in your database which correspond with entities and attributes in the Standard.  Ask the other offices and agencies to provide you with the same kind of information --- a list of their data elements which have corresponding entities and attributes in the Standard.
4. (a) If you are building a new database, design the database so that your cadastral data elements are in compliance with the Standard (see the section on compliance for further details).  (b) If you are already working with an existing database, re-work the database so that your cadastral data elements can link to other databases for sharing cadastral information.