The Microsoft® Data Warehouse Toolkit: With SQL Server™ 2005 and the Microsoft® Business Intelligence Toolset

14.3. User Training

Back in Chapter 9 we described how one of the main purposes of the BI applications is to provide information for the 90 percent of the organization who'll never learn to access the data directly. Unfortunately, the remaining 10 percent will never learn either, unless you teach them. Offer classes that will help ad hoc users climb the learning curve to master both the ad hoc tool and the underlying data. While you're at it, even though the BI applications should be self-guiding, offer a short class to all folks who will be using the BI applications, even if they never touch the ad hoc tool.

Teaching the advanced users how to directly access the system breaks down into two phases: development and delivery. Development is all of the work it takes to design the curriculum and create the training materials. Delivery is the actual stand-up classroom presentation of the materials and exercises, and the web-based delivery of the materials.

14.3.1. Training Development

It's hard to know when to start developing end user training. You need to start after the database is stable and the front-end ad hoc tool has been selected, but long enough before the actual rollout begins to be able to create and test a solid set of course materials. Development breaks down into two primary tasks: design and development of the course materials. Beyond these, the DW/BI educator might also need to create supporting materials and a training database.

INTRODUCTORY ONE-DAY AD HOC QUERY ...