This is the first blog from my new series about Data Warehouse models and modeling. This series will cover the reasons for modeling and using standard industry models, best practices and recommendations for the creation and implementation of the Data Warehouse model, and specifics related to various industries and technologies.
To start the series, there is the first question:
Why do you need Data Warehouse models?
In a different context, imagine that you are a successful doctor; you have bought a beautiful piece of land near a dreamy lake and are planning to build the house. What are you going to do? You can engage constructors to build the house, but they will ask you for the blueprint. You cannot make a blueprint on your own because you are a doctor, and you don’t know anything about architecture, static forces, building materials, or wiring. Of course, you will engage an architect and pay him for the blueprint. You will tell the architect what you have in mind and your requirements, and most likely, he will show you some template blueprints of his previous work based on architectural standards and best practices. Of course, you will use a blueprint for the family house and not for the warehouse or the bridge because those blueprints are used to build something completely different. The final blueprint will be customized based on your specific requirements.
On the other hand, if you want a completely new blueprint designed exclusively for you, it will cost you more because it will require more work from the architect. It will also bring in the equation some risk that this new blueprint and your new house will not be as brilliant as you want it to be. I have seen many ugly houses around beautiful lakes.
Leave it to the Data Warehouse experts!
The reason for using Data Warehouse models is literary the same. If you are in telco, retail, healthcare or any other business, this business is the field where you are strong. You are not a Data Warehouse Architect, and if you want to implement a Data Warehouse system, you need somebody experienced in that field and a blueprint that you will use as standard and guidance.
Data Warehouse model is a platform-independent solution (i.e. blueprint) that contains thousands of hours’ worth of development effort and industry expertise to help business users and IT to implement Data Warehouses, Data Marts, and analytical applications on time and budget. The model offers the scalability and flexibility needed to address existing and future data integration and analysis requirements and can be customized to meet customer needs in a specific industry. Data Warehouse model cannot be general – it is always designed to fulfill the standard needs of a particular industry, such as banking, communications, discrete manufacturing, or retail. By using the standard industry Data Warehouse model, you will reduce the cost and the risk of your Data Warehouse implementation.
In the next blog, we will discuss the benefits of implementing a standard industry Data Warehouse model.
