The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit

Conclusion 59

BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION (continued)

stable footing from the beginning. From there, risk is mitigated by biting off

small, manageable chunks of effort, while still ensuring business alignment.

Regular, frequent monitoring of progress and proactive communication and

involvement with the business boosts the likelihood of an on-time delivery of

capabilities that the business is clamoring for. Each major Lifecycle box or

milestone should conclude with a business acceptance task.

Assuring Quality

Getting the right resources on the team goes a long way to assuring quality. Of

course, seasoned veterans with track records of success are optimal. If your

team is young and green, be prepared to spend money on education and/or

guidance from skilled resources at key decision points.

Key Roles

Key roles for program/project planning and management include:

◆ The project manager and business project lead drive the project definition

activities, with heavy involvement from both the business and IT sponsors.

◆ Project planning is also guided by the project manager and business project

lead, with active participation and input from all other team members.

◆ Ongoing project management responsibilities rest primarily on the shoul-

ders of the project manager, again with assistance from the business

project lead.

◆ Ongoing program management is typically handled by the DW/BI director

or program manager, working in conjunction with the executive governance

steering committee.

◆ Though the business sponsor(s) is not responsible for any major project

tasks, their involvement is critical throughout the program/project planning

and management activities, especially when it comes to prioritization, issue

resolution, and organizational culture changes. Departure of the business

sponsor is the most common cause for DW/BI program/project stagnation.

Key Deliverables

Key deliverables for program/project planning and management include:

◆ Program/project scope and charter

◆ Program/project business justification

(continued)