Data Warehouse Design Solution - Tools to Work with Data Warehouse

A data warehouse design solution is a plan that encompasses the audience to be served by the data warehouse, the tools they will use to work with the data warehouse, and the process to populate the data warehouse from legacy data sources.

"Legacy data sources" are all the information systems your enterprise uses to do business and to capture data related to the business. A data warehouse is a database designed to contain information from all over the organization and make it available to decision makers almost with the click of a mouse. This requires that data from individual systems be fitted together like pieces of a puzzle. The processes and procedures that accomplish this are a fundamental part of the data warehouse design solution.

Just as important as getting data into the data warehouse is getting information out . There are many ways to accomplish this task, including a number of excellent application programs sold by developers such as Business Objects, MicroStrategy, and Cognos. They all perform certain basic tasks, which allow the user of the data to point to the data he wants and have it returned to his desktop in seconds. Each of these programs provides additional tools for analyzing the resulting data, and interoperates with other tools on the users desktop. Sometimes, it may be preferable to develop custom applications to meet the requirements of the end users, especially when users will be entering as well as retrieving information.

Security is another aspect of the data warehouse design solution that needs to be taken into account. There are many reasons to control or restrict access to parts of the data warehouse, and these considerations should be part of the data warehouse design process. Query-and-report programs provide some security tools, database software provides others, and network access controls provide still more.

Developing the right data warehouse design solution requires the involvement of all the stakeholders in the enterprise who will be dependent on it. The Information Systems department might handle the project entirely in-house; however, outside consultants who specialize in this kind of work have a lot to offer. For one thing, having completed similar work for other clients, the consultants can make the process faster, keep it focused, and avoid unpleasant surprises.

One useful technique is called Joint Application Development, which is based on facilitated "workshops" in which stakeholders make their needs and views known to each other, as well as the data warehouse team. The technique encourages stakeholders to take ownership of the project, and to provide mutual support. The resulting system will be truly representative of the needs of all the stakeholders.

The Worcester Group, Inc. has been providing data warehouse design consulting services for over a decade, to enterprises in a variety of industries. We would like to help with your data warehouse design solution.