Data Warehousing

Introduction
A data warehouse is a relational/multidimensional database that is designed for query and analysis rather than transaction processing. A data warehouse usually contains historical data that is derived from transaction data. It separates analysis workload from transaction workload and enables a business to consolidate data from several sources

Depending on the business, a data warehouse may contain very different things, ranging from the traditional financial, manufacturing, order and customer data, through document, legal and project data, on to the brave new world of market data, press, multi-media, and links to Internet and Intranet web sites. They all have a common set of characteristics: sheer size, interrelated data from many sources, and access by hundreds and thousands of employees.

Data Warehousing Best Practices at iDecisions Consulting.

The best practices followed go beyond simple technical and feature aspects of any developmental activity. They explain how a project team needs to implement and integrate the data warehouse in the diverse environments present in an organization. They take into account the different project, program and political considerations that a customer may encounter.

Best practices cover the differences between proof-of-concepts, development, test/QA, and production environments. Discussions of trade-offs between options is also an important confirmation.

ID consultants implement following key practices in each of the phases of the development life cycle:

Project management
Involvement of project management activities at each stage ensures that the work is done most efficiently.

Status and communication
Regular status updates, supported by efficient horizontal and vertical communication allow everyone to be on the same page regarding the project status and thus plan the further activities accordingly.

Scope and Change management
As the project progresses, changes in the scope of the deliverables are inevitable. These changes can be fatal to the success of the entire project if they are not appropriately accommodated. Timely and efficient management of these changes help us achieve consistent success throughout the life cycle.

Quality Control
The overall quality of the deliverables is largely dependant on the quality of the deliverables at each stage of the project. The quality process which we employ helps us in ensuring a quality delivery on time, every time.

Knowledge transfer
Shared knowledge is the key to the competitively superior performance of our organization. The entire project information is organized and located in a central secure repository which can be accessed by the team members as per their requirements and rights. This, and other effective communication methods combined together enable the team to have the latest and most accurate data to prevent the perils arising from the lack of same.