A Manager's Guide to Data Warehousing

Chapter 5. Setting Up a Successful Project

Opportunities for data warehousing can be identified using the techniques described in Chapter 3. Now that the organization has determined that a data warehouse would be beneficial, it is time to set up a DW project. This involves more than just getting permission and some funding. This chapter takes you step by step through the process of starting a successful DW project:

• Setting up a project charter

• Defining the scope of work

• Formally launching the project

• Suggestions for managing change on a DW project

Setting the project up correctly is a critical step toward ensuring success. Some organizations have very rigorous project management procedures already in place. If so, please continue to leverage those methods and techniques. If not, then the following techniques can be adopted. The goal is to clearly articulate what you are trying to accomplish.

Defining the Project

The business community should be involved up front, setting overall goals and budgeting for the entire data warehouse and for specific data warehouse projects. In some organizations, this is done without assistance from IT. The business must determine what they want, and then IT must help to define what is entailed in delivering that solution. Business involvement must not stop after the project is defined. As discussed in Chapter 4, the business and systems communities need to work together.

Since the organization has progressed to this point, there is usually a good idea of where ...