Notes on Data Warehouse Lifecycle Class at Kimble University

Overview

• The class is designed for project teams new to data warehousing and business intelligence (BI).
• Aims to provide both technical and managerial perspectives on deploying complex systems.

Planning Responsibilities

• Importance of a proper checklist for planning complicated systems.
• Three parallel threads of planning are pursued.
• Focus on understanding business requirements of the target client.

Eliciting Business Requirements

• Skill taught to approach business users effectively.
• Key Point: Avoid asking "What do you want in a data warehouse?"
  • This question can make business users uncomfortable as it places them in a system design role.
• Instead, ask: "How do you do a great job in your role?"
  • Encourages users to share insights and decision-making processes.
• Students should document these insights and translate them into business requirements.

Data Discovery

• After gathering business requirements, the next step is to find supporting data.
• This is a crucial initial engagement with the customer.

Dimensional Modeling

• The class covers dimensional modeling as a key approach.
  • This technique is a trademark of the Kimble Group.
  • Students receive a solid introduction over a day and a half of the four-day class.
• Many students go on to take a full four-day class afterwards.

Technical Aspects

• Discusses the extract, transform, and load (ETL) operations in the data warehouse.
• Covers physical database design characteristics, a technical subject.

Business Intelligence Tools

• Instruction on designing user-friendly BI tools that interface with the data platform.

Deployment Readiness

• Criteria for readiness before deployment:
  • Training for end users
  • User expectations
  • Data availability in final form
• Emphasizes not rushing designs until business users are prepared.

Planning for Growth

• Teach students how to plan for future growth and conduct system checkups.

Alignment with Agile Methodology

• The approach shares parallels with agile development methodologies.
• It empowers business users and focuses on short-term deliverables, creating comfort for those familiar with agile.

Conclusion

• The lifecycle class offers a comprehensive overview of data warehouse design tailored to both technical and business needs.