- Relational data warehouses, although reliable, centralized repositories for corporate data, were not built to handle the speed and volume of data and analytics today.
- IT is under immense pressure from business units to provide technology that will yield greater agility and insight.
- While some organizations are benefitting from modernization technologies, the majority of IT departments are unfamiliar with the technologies and have not yet defined clear use cases.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- The vast majority of your corporate data is not being properly leveraged. Modernize the data warehouse to get value from the 80% of unstructured data that goes unused.
- Avoid rip and replace. Develop a future state that complements your existing data warehouse with emerging technologies.
- Be flexible in your roadmap. Create an implementation roadmap that’s incremental and adapts to changing business priorities.
Impact and Result
- Establish both the business and IT perspectives of today’s data warehouse environment.
- Explore the art-of-the-possible. Don’t get stuck trying to gather technical requirements from business users who don’t know what they don’t know. Use Info-Tech’s interview guide to discuss the pains of the current environment, and more importantly, where stakeholders want to be in the future.
- Build an internal knowledgebase with respect to emerging technologies. The technology landscape is constantly shifting and often difficult for IT staff to keep track of. Use Info-Tech’s Data Warehouse Modernization Technology Education Deck to ensure that IT is able to appropriately match the right tools to the business’ use cases.
- Create a compelling business case to secure investment and support.
Build a Data Warehouse Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should be looking to modernize the relational data warehouse, review Info-Tech’s framework for identifying modernization opportunities, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Build a Data Warehouse – Phases 1-3
1. Assess the current data warehouse environment
Review the business’ perception and architecture of the current data warehouse environment.
- Drive Business Innovation With a Modernized Data Warehouse Environment – Phase 1: Assess the Current Data Warehouse Environment
- Data Warehouse Maturity Assessment Tool
2. Define modernization drivers
Collaborate with business users to identify the strongest motivations for data warehouse modernization.
- Drive Business Innovation With a Modernized Data Warehouse Environment – Phase 2: Define Modernization Drivers
- Data Warehouse Modernization Stakeholder Interview Guide
- Data Warehouse Modernization Technology Education Deck
- Data Warehouse Modernization Initiative Building Tool
3. Create the modernization future state
Combine business ideas with modernization initiatives and create a roadmap.
- Drive Business Innovation With a Modernized Data Warehouse Environment – Phase 3: Create the Modernization Future State
- Data Warehouse Modernization Technology Architectural Template
- Data Warehouse Modernization Deployment Plan
Workshop: Build a Data Warehouse
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Assess the Current Data Warehouse Environment
The Purpose
Discuss the general project overview for data warehouse modernization.
Establish the business and IT perspectives of the current state.
Key Benefits Achieved
Holistic understanding of the current data warehouse.
Business user engagement from the start of the project.
Activities
1.1 Review data warehouse project history.
1.2 Evaluate data warehouse maturity.
1.3 Draw architecture diagrams.
1.4 Review supporting data management practices.
Outputs
Data warehouse maturity assessment
Data architecture diagrams
2 Explore Business Opportunities
The Purpose
Conduct a user workshop session to elicit the most pressing needs of business stakeholders.
Key Benefits Achieved
Modernization technology selection is directly informed by business drivers.
In-depth IT understanding of the business pains and opportunities.
Activities
2.1 Review general trends and drivers in your industry.
2.2 Identify primary business frustrations, opportunities, and risks.
2.3 Identify business processes to target for modernization.
2.4 Capture business ideas for the future state.
Outputs
Business ideas for modernization
Defined strategic direction for data warehouse modernization
3 Review the Technology Landscape
The Purpose
Educate IT staff on the most common technologies for data warehouse modernization.
Key Benefits Achieved
Improved ability for IT to match technology with business ideas.
Activities
3.1 Appoint Modernization Advisors.
3.2 Hold an open education and discussion forum for modernization technologies.
Outputs
Modernization Advisors identified
Modernization technology education deck
4 Define Modernization Solutions
The Purpose
Consolidate business ideas into modernization initiatives.
Key Benefits Achieved
Refinement of the strategic direction for data warehouse modernization.
Activities
4.1 Match business ideas to technology solutions.
4.2 Group similar ideas to create modernization initiatives.
4.3 Create future-state architecture diagrams.
Outputs
Identified strategic direction for data warehouse modernization
Defined modernization initiatives
Future-state architecture for data warehouse
5 Establish a Modernization Roadmap
The Purpose
Validate and build out initiatives with business users.
Define benefits and costs to establish ROI.
Identify enablers and barriers to modernization.
Key Benefits Achieved
Completion of materials for a compelling business case and roadmap.
Activities
5.1 Validate use cases with business users.
5.2 Define initiative benefits.
5.3 Identify enablers and barriers to modernization.
5.4 Define preliminary activities for initiatives.
5.5 Evaluate initiative costs.
5.6 Determine overall ROI.
Outputs
Validated modernization initiatives
Data warehouse modernization roadmap