Techniques to generate data models for an item master having a number of items. Each item is associated with a number of attributes and each attribute is associated with a set of values. In one method, the items in the item master are initially classified into a number of pagesets, with each pageset being defined by a unique combination of values for a first set of (classification) attributes. For each pageset, a second set of (selectable) attributes is determined to uniquely identify the items in the pageset. The selectable attributes may be selected from a list of candidate attributes, which may include mandatory attributes designated to be used as selectable attributes and optional attributes that may be selected for use. Data models are generated for each pageset based in part on the selectable attributes, and include a set of tables descriptive of the items in the pageset.