Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Working with the Model
Business analysts should work with the diagrams to explore how the model
works. This helps ensure that the desired reports and analyses can be run.
The following section walks through how to do this using the Call Center
business dimensional model. Figure 7-14 shows a calendar monthly report of
the number of calls by region. The calendar month perspective aligns with
how the call center interfaces with the customers, and the number of calls fact
is from the Calls fact group (refer to Figure 7-11).
CENTRAL REGION
# of Calls
Jul
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
REGION
EAST
CENTRAL
SOUTHEAST
MOUNTAIN
WEST COAST
Total
16,124
12,459
5,863
28,583
10,261
73,291
13,923
10,759
5,063
24,682
8,860
63,288
10,736
8,296
3,904
19,032
6,832
48,799
11,282
8,718
4,103
20,000
7,180
51,283
9,102
7,034
3,310
16,136
5,792
41,374
15,682
12,118
5,703
27,800
9,980
71,283
8,624
6,664
3,136
15,288
5,488
39,201
10,646
8,226
3,871
18,872
6,775
48,390
11,281
8,717
4,102
19,998
7,179
51,278
10,851
8,385
3,946
19,236
6,905
49,322
21,448
16,573
7,799
38,021
13,648
97,489
25,448
19,664
9,254
45,112
16,194
115,672
Figure 7-14
Sample Call Center Report
The report can be changed easily for an internal look by swapping out the
Calendar Month for the Fiscal Month on the report. Both of these attributes
are in the Call Center Date dimension (refer to Figure 7-3).
More detail can be pulled by drilling down on the customer regions to get a
customer state. By looking at the Customer dimension in Figure 7-6, you can
see that regions drill down into states. When you use the drill-down feature of
your business intelligence tool, you will see this same report by Customer State.
These first two changes show how you can change a report by using other
attributes within the dimensions that are already on the report. Reporting
is not limited to these dimensions. Next, you can change the report to see
the number of calls (the same fact) by employee education level, which is
in the Employee dimension shown in Figure 7-7.
You can also change the fact on the report too. Using another fact from the
same fact group, you can replace the number of calls with the call minutes fact
from the Calls fact group (refer to Figure 7-11).
Finally, you can change the fact to one that is from a different fact group
entirely. This is where you need to ensure that you have consistency between
the dimensions that are on the report. In this case, you can change the fact to
Regular Hours Worked from the Employee Time Tracking fact group shown
in Figure 7-12.
This should help crystallize how dimensional models work. When the model
is implemented, the business intelligence tools provide functionality to drill
down and modify reports as shown in this example. This should also help
you understand that the tool can only perform these functions if the data is
organized in a manner to support it.
