Chapter 5 Planning for a Successful Warehouse

Financial Justification zIntangible Benefits (45%) - Remain competitive - Respond to changing business conditions - Support reorganization zBetter Data and Better Decision Making (25%) - Reduce IS costs - Better response time - Rigorous reporting zProductivity or ROI (30%) - For internal users - For external users

ROI and Associated Costs zBuild a strong case - Costs - ROI - Profitability - Efficiency - Objectives zConsider - Impact of time for ETT - Additional storage requirements - Cost of redundant data - Cost of database, software licenses, labor

Funding the Project zState that initial systems integration costs are high. zDetermine who funds the project: - Information systems--development group - Department--users Information systems Selected subject for pilot Department More subjects funds by end-user organizations Small staff Short duration

Charging Back Costs zSome warehouses do not charge initially. zBenefits: - Encourages efficient use - Provides shared costs zDrawbacks: - Users cannot dwell on detail - Users try to reduce costs - Machine resources are taken up monitoring use.

Obtaining Business Commitment zEnsure that the warehouse: - Has total support - Is driven by the business zResearch the problem zIdentify goals, visions, priorities zResearch the solution zIdentify the benefits zIdentify the constraints

Data Warehouse Champion zMaintains intergroup communication zSettles conflicts zIdentifies and solves issues zArticulates the vision zBrings in business expertise zOrganizes and supports the team zCommunicates progress zBrings the data warehouse to life

Steering Committee zBusiness executives zInformation systems representatives zKnowledge workers zProvides direction zDecides upon implementation issues zSets priorities zAssists with resource allocation zCommunicates to all levels at all times

Warehouse Data Ownership zUsers must own the data zUsers must be involved throughout zUsers must be part of the steering committee: - Enhances cooperation - Reduces friction - Helps meet requirements - Enhances feedback

Managing a Warehouse Project zDetermine organizational readiness for the warehouse zAdopt an incremental approach to warehouse development zSet expectations zManage expectations zAssemble the project team zEstimate the data warehouse project zRecognize critical success factors

Determining Organizational Readiness for the Warehouse 1. Are the objectives and business drivers clearly defined, compelling, and agreed upon? 2. Have you selected a methodology for design, development, and implementation? 3. Is the project scope clearly defined, with a focus on business rather than technology? 4. Is there strong support from a business management sponsor? 5. Does the business management sponsor have specific expectations?

Determining Organizational Readiness for the Warehouse 6. Are there cooperative relations between business and Information Systems staff? 7. Have you identified which source data will be used to populate the data warehouse? 8. What is the quality and “cleanliness” of the source data? 9. Are you authorized to choose and acquire hardware and software to implement the warehouse? 10. Are you prepared to select and train your implementation team?

Setting Expectations Incremental Scope Rollout time Phases

Managing Expectations zDocumenting zInforming sponsors zReporting progress to end users

Assembling the Project Team zProject manager/Project leader zArchitect zExecutive sponsor zData analyst zDatabase or system administrator

Estimating the Data Warehouse Project Bottom-Up Project Estimate

Recognizing Critical Success Factors zFocus on the business, not the technology zUse an iterative development methodology zInclude end users on the project team

Identifying Planning Phases Strategy Analysis Design Build Production Scope

Strategy Phase Deliverables Strategy Analysis Design Build Production Scope Phases Business goals and objectives Data warehouse purpose, objectives, and scope Incremental milestones Source system data flows Subject area gap analysis Data acquisition strategy The Strategy Phase

Strategy Phase Deliverables Strategy Analysis Design Build Production Scope Phases Data warehouse architecture Technical infrastructure Data quality strategy Data warehouse administration strategy Metadata strategy Training strategy The Strategy Phase

Defining the Warehouse Project Scope zFocus on the business, not the technology zBreak down the project into manageable phases zEncourage rapid turnaround on deliverables zAlways include the end users on the team Strategy Analysis Design Build Production Scope Phases

Scope Phase Deliverables Strategy Analysis Design Build Production Scope Phases Business requirements definition Data sources Load and refresh plans Technical architecture Data warehouse architecture The Scope Phase

Scope Phase Deliverables Strategy Analysis Design Build Production Scope Phases Business requirements definition Data sources Load and refresh plans Technical architecture Data warehouse architecture The Scope Phase

Scope Phase Deliverables Strategy Analysis Design Build Production Scope Phases Data Quality Warehouse administration plan Metadata integration plan Data access plan Training plan The Scope Phase

Summary This lesson discussed the following topics: zCultivating management support, both financial and political, for the warehouse zDeveloping a realistic scope that products deliverables in short time frames to help ensure success zAssessing your organization’s readiness for a data warehouse zSetting realistic expectations