Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
with management and/or the data warehouse decision makers, such as the
executive steering committee or the DW business support group.
NOTE
If no one is asking questions or requesting enhancements, then it is
unlikely that anyone is using the data warehouse! Usually a few questions will
arise even if the data warehouse is simply a new place to get the same reports.
Even more questions will be asked if the data warehouse is being used to think
outside the box to better leverage data.
The problem-tracking system can also be used to help quantify how the data
warehouse team is spending its time. It can be useful to see over time the
number of items reported, the number of items resolved, and the average time
to resolve issues. These can also be sorted by other attributes that are collected
by the problem-tracking system, including the department or the severity of
the problem.
Fixing Bugs
There will always be some problems that need to be addressed. Identification
of problems is accomplished using the tracking mechanism described in the
previous section. Sometimes these problems can be addressed immediately.
Sometimes the resolution of a problem requires changes to the ETL system or
BI application. As with any other system, these modification need to follow
an organized progression of steps, including development of the solution,
testing, and then promoting the revised program or process into the production
environment.
Many bug fixes can be handled by the data warehouse support team
without any additional direction or prioritization. Usually, there is a threshold
number of hours of effort that the DW support team is empowered to handle
directly. Modifications that require more effort hours should be included in
the planning process for expansion and growth, as long as the problem is
not severe. If a bug fix is needed to keep the data warehouse running, then
this must be addressed as soon as possible, even if the solution requires a
significant effort.
When the Data Warehouse Falls Short
As mentioned previously, many organizations have invested in data ware-
house environment but have never realized any value or have seen a slowdown
in the value. Many other data warehouses have stalled. This can happen when
launching it initially, or after five years. Sometimes it is difficult to remember
why it was built in the first place. Regardless of how you got here, you are
