TRADITIONAL DATA MODELS EVOLVE

For the last 20 or 30 years, classic data warehousing has been based on the same regimented approach. However, the future is changing this. Traditionally, processes such as identifying data lineage, documenting metadata, and being able to reconcile data across different reports coming from different data tables in different data marts have been critical to ensure that numbers are correct. This standard approach to data warehousing has been important, in order to have confidence in your data and meet regulatory and compliance requirements. However, over time businesses have become more complex and are doing things at an ever-accelerating pace, and as a result, data storage needs for analytics are changing. For example, there was a time when the core business of a retail establishment was to understand and sell a single line of products through a bricks-and-mortar presence. However, within the last 5 to 10 years, that has evolved into retail establishments needing to sell and fulfill their products through multiple online, offline, and mobile channels, while understanding the dynamic way consumers research and choose to purchase a retail product. Similar issues also exist in the telecommunications industry. In the early days of the industry, companies sold fixed lines, and the only product flavors were local, long-distance, and international calls. Today, companies must deal with mobile, data over mobile, data over different bandwidths, and all of the ...

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