DATA WAREHOUSING FUNDAMENTALS: A Comprehensive Guide for IT Professionals

Appendix B. CRITICAL FACTORS FOR SUCCESS

• Do not launch the data warehouse unless and until your company is ready for it.

• Find the best executive sponsor. Ensure continued, long-term, and committed support.

• Emphasize the business aspects, not the technological ones, of the project. Choose a business-oriented project manager.

• Take an enterprise-wide view for the requirements.

• Have a pragmatic, staged implementation plan.

• Communicate realistic expectations to the users; deliver on the promises.

• Do not overreach to cost-justify and predict ROI.

• Institute appropriate and effective communication methods.

• Throughout the project life cycle, keep the project as a joint effort between IT and users.

• Adopt proven technologies; avoid bleeding-edge technologies.

• Recognize the paramount importance of data quality.

• Do not ignore the potential of data from external sources.

• Do not underestimate the time and effort for the data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) functions.

• Select the architecture that is just right for your environment; data warehousing is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

• Architecture first, technology next, and only then, tools.

• Determine a clear training strategy.

• Be wary of "analysis paralysis."

• Begin deployment with a suitable and visible pilot to deliver early benefits.

• Do not neglect the importance of scalability. Plan for growth and evolution.

• Focus on queries, not transactions. The data warehouse is query-centric, not transaction-oriented.

• Clearly define and manage data ownership ...