Data Warehousing: A Definition

A data warehouse is a single integrated store of data

which provides the infrastructural basis for
informational applications in the enterprise
Kelly, Data Warehousing, p55

Will be a collection of tools - not just a database

query system to support decision making
Ability to trawl (mine) in a way that suits the user
integrated store of consistent, up to date data

Main aim to maximise the effective use of data within a

business.
Create a bridge between disparate systems
Data Warehousing

Old Rationale for IS

Automate the business process

reduce costs
Information seen as a fortuitous by-product
Emphasis on IS as a input/processing/output
define functions
specify what system does
difficult to change outputs

Data Warehousing

Problems With a Data Processing Approach

Data problems

resident in different systems

inconsistent
different attributes
different time bands/frames
irreconcilable
Deletion vs. archiving of data
inappropriate and inconsistent data models

Data Warehousing

Issues in Moving to Data Warehousing Philosophy

Ownership issues
Planning across department/functional areas
Economic issues
Standardisation of data model
similar data entities in multiple systems
data inextricably bound with application

Standards in application design

piecemeal approaches to system implementation

Multiple interpretations of reality

Data Warehousing

The Business Case for Data Warehousing

Reduce costs (?)
Increase business e.g. through better
understanding of customers
Develop competitive advantage
Change the nature of the business

Data Warehousing

Advantages of Data Warehousing

Removes query and reporting load from TPS
Allows more appropriate technology for queries
and reports
Provides a more simple query interface to users
May provide a higher integrity DB than a TPS
Easy way of reporting across multiple systems
May provide a DB with a longer memory than a
TPS!
May make TPS more secure by reducing access
Data Warehousing

Disadvantages of Data Warehousing

May rely too heavily on data generated only from TPS
May complicate business processes by
institutionalising reports, data for datas sake
Learning curve too long - technical and business aspects
Culture of developing quick and dirty strategic
applications
End-users may not have skills for building queries
Availability of data warehousing skills
Data warehouses require high maintenance
Cost of information may outweigh its benefit
Data Warehousing

Problems to Consider
Extracting, cleaning and loading of data may be time consuming
Undetected error in systems feeding the warehouse
Warehouse project may highlight unrecorded data in existing
systems
End user training in query and reporting tools may increase
requests for IS written reports
End user approaches to calculations may differ due to different
business views
Creation of a large-scale data warehouse may homogenise data reducing content
Conflict between need to know and right to know mindsets

Data Warehousing

Data Warehousing Tools

Meta-data modelling
Data transformation
Extract
Cleanse
Load

Database (relational, parallel)

Query language
Data Warehousing

Relationship Between Data Warehouse and Other Systems

User
Application

Information Retrieval
Application

Data
Warehouse

Application
Importing
Process

Periodic transformation
And integration process

TPS
1

TPS
2

TPS
3
Data Warehousing

Some Political Issues (IS)

Who should a data warehousing development group
report to?
Who should administrate over the warehouse? (DBS or
development group)
How should the support of feeder system developers be
gained? What about errors in the feeder system?
Who has responsibility for data quality monitoring?
What about changes to the feeder systems?

Data Warehousing

Some Political Issues (User-IS)

Why should users give up control of
user managed databases?
How is the co-operation gained of a user
whos spreadsheet is being automated?
Should design be for the needs of the
masses or the most demanding users?
How many data marts should there be?

Data Warehousing

Some Political Issues (User-User)

Who has access to what data?
Do all users define and interpret data the
same way?
Who has the final say about the
correctness of data

Data Warehousing

General Political Issues

Imposes new obligations whose
responsibilities are unclear.
May require a change in processes that
an organisation may not be comfortable
with.
Requires agreement on some and not all
definitions of data

Data Warehousing

Some Useful References...

Http://pwp.starnetinc.com/larryg
Kelly, (1998) Data Warehousing,
Wiley

Data Warehousing