132 Customer Relationship Management Systems Handbook
First and foremost, as noted previously in this chapter, the data warehouse
must be designed to store data at the lowest level of detail (granularity)
feasible. In doing so, the designer sets the stage for flexibility and change in
the warehouse architecture. By designing the data warehouse at the lowest
level of granularity, the designer prepares for future contingencies without
needing to know future requirements. The mere fact that the data exists at
the lowest level of detail allows the granular data to be reshaped and
recombined to meet any future requirement.
Second, a designer can ensure that the interface between the applications
and the enterprise data warehouse is as automated as possible. ...