The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling

Chapter 3. Inventory

In Chapter 2 we developed a dimensional model for the sales transactions in a large grocery chain. We remain within the same industry in this chapter but move up the value chain to tackle the inventory process. The designs developed in this chapter apply to a broad set of inventory pipelines both inside and outside the retail industry.

Even more important, this chapter provides a thorough discussion of the data warehouse bus architecture. The bus architecture is essential to creating an integrated data warehouse from a distributed set of related business processes. It provides a framework for planning the overall warehouse, even though we will build it incrementally. Finally, we will underscore the importance of using common, conformed dimensions and facts across the warehouse's dimensional models.

Note

Chapter 3 discusses the following concepts:

• Value chain implications

• Inventory periodic snapshot model, as well as transaction and accumulating snapshot models

• Semi-additive facts

• Enhanced inventory facts

• Data warehouse bus architecture and matrix

• Conformed dimensions and facts

Introduction to the Value Chain

Most organizations have an underlying value chain consisting of their key business processes. The value chain identifies the natural, logical flow of an organization's primary activities. For example, in the case of a retailer, the company may issue a purchase order to a product manufacturer. The products are delivered to the retailer's warehouse, where they are held ...