Question 1
What’s the scope of what can be considered a data warehousing failure? Discuss.
Failure in delivering any kind of proposed motive behind building a data warehouse can be considered a data warehouse failure. A data warehouse which cannot strengthen the decision making or analytical aspects of an enterprise is bound to fail. A number of aspects can contribute to this cause, such as technical issues, poor project management, lack of user adaption, complexity of data model or failure to provide the expected business value.
Question 2
What generalisations apply across the cases?
One generalisation that was common in most of the cases was the inadequate management support. Management support and involvement are crucial for the success of a data warehousing project. Lack of this support can greatly hinder with the progress of developing some key components of a data warehouse, such as identifying user’s analytical needs and the business model. Another aspect was not being able to identify the end users of the warehouse. It is nearly impossible to satisfy the analytical expectations without keeping into account the people who will be interacting with the system.
Question 3
What do you find most interesting in the failure stories?
One interesting aspect is the impact of change in operational data flow while developing a data warehouse. Applications evolve with time and thus there arises the need to tackle evolved workflows. Developing a warehouse in a point of time when the operational data flow structure is likely to be changed, might not be a viable choice. This may further introduce inconsistency within a warehouse. Proper strategic planning is to be required in-order to synchronise these workflows with a data warehouse.
Question 4
Do they provide any insights about how a failure might be avoided?
Yes. A number of insights to avoid failure are provided and can be also be deduced from the cases. Firstly, strong management support should be ensured right from the beginning of a project. Clear sponsorship and involvement from top-level management can help shape the direction of the project. Secondly, selecting a proven technology is recommended. Widely accepted technology can be reliable and also fit the requirements and capabilities of the organisation. Thirdly, managing expectations and requirements of the stakeholders can help avoid disappointments from the project. Lastly, proper budgeting and resource planning can also help project future directions and contribute to the success of the project.