One of the main functions of any business is to be able to use data to leverage a strategic competitive advantage. This feat hinges upon a company's ability to transform data into quality information. The use of relational databases is a necessity for contemporary organizations; however, data warehousing has become a strategic priority due to the enormous amounts of data that must be analyzed along with the varying sources from which data comes. Since you are now the CIO of a data-collection company which gathers data by using Web analytics and operational systems, you must design a solution overview that incorporates data warehousing. The executive team needs to be clear about what data warehousing can provide the company.
Section 1: Design Document
Write a four to six (4-6) page design document in which you:
- Support the need for data warehousing within your company and elaborate on the best practices that the company will adhere to.
- Create a schema that supports the company's business and processes. Explain and support the database schema with relevant arguments that support the rationale for the structure. Note: The minimum requirement for the schema should entail the tables, fields, relationships, views, and indexes.
- Create an Entity-Relationship (E-R) Diagram relating the tables of your database schema through the use of graphical tools in Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length but must be included in the design document appendix. Explain your rationale behind the design of your E-R Diagram.
- Create a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) relating the tables of your database schema through the use of graphical tools in Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length but must be included in the design document appendix.
- Illustrate the flow of data including both inputs and outputs for the use of a data warehouse. The diagram must map data between source systems, data warehouses and specified data marts. The diagram should map data between source systems, data warehouses, and specified data marts.