Database Reference
In-Depth Information
EXERCISE 3-1. THE PLANNING PHASE
In this exercise, you take on the role of a consultant performing interviews. You then outline the goals of the
BI solution you are being asked to create. There is not much to do in this activity, because for the sake of
providing a simple scenario, we have to give you both the questions and the answers. Your job is to follow
along to get an understanding of what needs to be accomplished.
Scenario
Your new client (let's call them Publication Industries, Inc.) has a small business. They are booksellers that
manage books produced by various publishers and sales to various stores. Although they do not publish
books themselves, they do act as an intermediary in selling the books wholesale.
Their current method of managing their data is to track the sales of boxes of books to various stores in a SQl
database. They also track additional information about the sales supplied to them from the publishers they
represent.
All reports are made in an ad hoc fashion (meaning there was no prior existing system, and there is not
a specific standard as to how they collect and manage the information), and clients are finding that they
often create reports with conflicting information. The company wants a new business intelligence reporting
solution that will provide them with accurate information about their company sales.
Some Questions Asked of the Client
Q. Why do we need it?
A. Our current reporting solution is inaccurate, and we need something better.
Q. What is the BI solution's goal?
A. To provide accurate information about our sales.
Q. What is the hoped outcome of the solution?
A. Our company will end up with one location where all the information is consistent so that everyone who
needs it can access it for accurate information.
Q. Who will use the solution?
A. We have managers who read most of the reports. It is rare that all employees will read these reports.
Q. What are we building?
A. We would like several reports involving sales information. Ideally this solution will include a much cleaner
database that we can develop our reports from and more accurately track our sales information.
