StarSoft Solutions Provides Coaching For: Technical Architecture Design This is the process to set the overall technical approach for the data warehouse. This includes understanding the current technical environment and the strategic direction for all systems for the future. Product Selection And Implementation This is the process of reviewing available technology and software offerings and mapping the capabilities to your requirements. Then selecting, installing and testing the interaction between all of the individual components of the architecture. Physical Modeling This area focuses on the physical structures necessary to support the logical database design. Primary elements of this process include defining naming standards and setting up the database environment. Initial partitioning and indexing strategies are also determined. Data Staging Design And Development Design and development of the data staging process is typically the most underestimated task for data warehouse projects. The process of extracting data from multiple sources and integrating them is complex due to the cleanliness and readiness of the individual sources. Additionally, the integration of multiple sources forces corporate business decisions about the rules for preparation of data. Once the data staging process has been developed, the historical data can be loaded. Extensive data validation must be done to ensure high quality data. The data warehouse maintenance processes are also set into motion to capture and load periodic (daily, weekly) snapshots of the data. End-User Application Specification Many end users prefer to use pre-defined report templates as the starting point for analysis. Immediately after gathering business requirements, it is helpful to develop specifications to capture the ideas for these end user applications. The application specifications details the report template, user driven parameters and the calculations required for each fact or measure. If planning to access the data warehouse via a web interface, it is also be helpful to design navigation paths to guide users to the different reports. These application specifications serve as the springboard for users to start analyses. End-User Application Development Development of end user applications involves configuration of data access tool metadata, constructing specified reports and development of any structured navigation. These applications should be build using an advanced data access tool to provide provides a powerful mechanism for the end users to easily modify existing reports as well as provide productivity gains for the core application development team. Deployment Deployment is the convergence of the technology, data and end user applications to make the data warehouse accessible from the user’s desktop. Key components required for successful deployment include smooth implementation of components on the user’s desktop, end user education (both data access tool and data), and proactive support strategy. Maintenance And Growth Now that the initial deployment is complete, more activities are required to support a production data warehouse beyond loading data. On-going support and education must be provided. A strategy must be put in place to handle enhancement requests (more users, more applications and new data sources). Usage metrics and success stories need to be captured and communicated. Project Management Once the initial project scope and plan are developed, the task of managing the entire project begins. This entails monitoring project status, issue tracking and resolution and change control. Communication, to IS and the business community, is the key to managing expectations and to keep the many facets of the project on track.   Return to the Business Dimensional Lifecycle™