The Art of Restructuring

  Business Intelligence   Strategy  

In my columns over the last two years, I've implored all of you to follow the many tenets of data warehousing: a sound data model, a robust architecture and a solid team. Data warehousing is not a new field; it has been around since the early 1990s, and there are many people who specialize in the field. However, it still amazes me that there are so many bad data warehouse implementations around the world. Given this fact, it is crucial that we map a path towards turning failure into success. Make no mistake, turning failure into success is not easy. It may mean dismantling the one good thing about your warehouse so that the whole warehouse can improve. It may mean spending a significant amount of money. It may even mean business discontinuity. None of these choices are easy, but planning your restructuring, prioritizing the pieces that you need to change first and plotting a tactical and strategic approach will put you on more solid footing.

Get With the Program

The plan is the key to a successful restructuring effort. In a data warehouse restructure, you must treat the effort like a program rather than a project. The reason that program management is paramount is because you will need to juggle multiple activities while you are restructuring. In most restructuring efforts, the warehouse is already in production and will continue to require functional enhancements. …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.