Data Warehousing For Dummies

Data warehousing is one of the hottest business topics, and there‘s more to understanding data warehousing technologies than you might think. Find out the basics of data warehousing and how it facilitates data mining and business intelligence with Data Warehousing For Dummies, 2nd Edition.

Data is probably your company‘s most important asset, so your data warehouse should serve your needs. The fully updated Second Edition of Data Warehousing For Dummies helps you understand, develop, implement, and use data warehouses, and offers a sneak peek into their future. You‘ll learn to:

• Analyze top–down and bottom–up data warehouse designs
• Understand the structure and technologies of data warehouses, operational data stores, and data marts
• Choose your project team and apply best development practices to your data warehousing projects
• Implement a data warehouse, step by step, and involve end–users in the process
• Review and upgrade existing data storage to make it serve your needs
• Comprehend OLAP, column–wise databases, hardware assisted databases, and middleware
• Use data mining intelligently and find what you need
• Make informed choices about consultants and data warehousing products

Data Warehousing For Dummies, 2nd Edition also shows you how to involve users in the testing process and gain valuable feedback, what it takes to successfully manage a data warehouse project, and how to tell if your project is on track. You‘ll find it‘s the most useful source of data on the topic!

From the back cover:

There‘s more to data warehousing than you think, so start right here!

You don‘t need a forklift to work with a data warehouse, but you do need a hefty load of know–how to make wise decisions when setting one up. Data is probably your company‘s most important asset, so your data warehouse should serve your needs. Here‘s how to understand, develop, implement, and use data warehouses, plus a sneak peek into their future.

• Know your stuff — understand what a data warehouse is, what should be housed there, and what data assets are

• Get a handle on technology — learn about column–wise databases, hardware assisted databases, middleware, and master data management

• The intelligent view — see how business intelligence and data warehousing work together

• Ask the right questions — explore data mining and learn to find what you need

• Do the groundwork — choose your project team and apply best development practices to your data warehousing projects

• Keep the user in mind — involve your users in defining business needs through testing, and learn how to get valuable feedback

• Fix or replace? — learn how to review and upgrade existing data storage to make it serve your needs

• Buyer beware — be prepared when dealing with data warehousing product vendors

Open the book and find:

• What to expect from your data warehouse

• The difference between data warehouses and data marts

• All about specialty database technologies

• What to look for in a consultant

• How your data warehouse feeds dashboards and scorecards

• Secrets for managing a successful data warehouse project

• How to effectively capture business needs and requirements

• Ten signs your project is in trouble

About the Author:

Thomas C. Hammergren has been involved with business intelligence and data warehousing since the 1980s. He has helped such companies as Procter & Gamble, Nike, FirstEnergy, Duke Energy, AT&T, and Equifax build business intelligence and performance management strategies, competencies, and solutions. Alan R. Simon is a data warehousing expert and author of many books on data warehousing.