COURSE SPECIFICATIONS

Course Code:		C318
Duration:		3 hours
Author:		The Information Architecture Group, Inc.
Rating:
Pre-requisites:		None
Level		Intermediate Level

Course Summary

Industry gurus such as Inmon and Kimball have recognized that the models and methods to design a Data Warehouse are unique and different than traditional data modeling practices. However, it is only recently that these best practices have evolved as analysis tools in specifying Data Warehouse requirements. 

This course covers the How-To's of performing quality business requirements analysis for data warehousing projects.

• Identify, validate and document your Client's Requirements for a Data Warehouse, Data Mart or Decision Support System with confidence 
• Ensure that raw business data harvested from legacy transaction processing systems and other data sources is transformed into powerful Business Intelligence 
• Learn the latest practical techniques & best practices for specifying DW systems 
• Work directly and interactively with business clients in defining project requirements

Finally, there exists proven and practical techniques - which can be easily applied to your DW projects - to gather and prepare quality specifications for Data Warehouses, Data Marts and Decision Support Systems.

Delivery Options

Who Should Attend

Business Analysts, Business Systems Analysts, Systems Analysts, Project Managers, Business Managers

Sample Screen Shot

Learning Objectives

In this course you will learn: 

• learn what you should be listening for to ensure that you capture all the information necessary to identify business requirements;
• learn why it is important to capture discussions while they are taking place;
• consider who should be involved in the process and what your role is;
• you will discover and practice how to effectively capture business requirements in a 'live' setting, and
• you will review when to utilize special tips and techniques to capture as much information as possible in a session.

Features

Video			Flash
Audio			Interactive Components
Exercises			Live Instructor
Quizes			Printable Reference Material
Completion Certificate

Reviews

Making sure everyone is on the same page 
Reviewer: Dan L, Harley-Davidson

This was the most substantive data warehousing training I have ever taken.

User Friendly - Clear Examples  Jan 1, 2003 
Reviewer: Karen L, Fingerhut Corporation

I have worked on several Data Warehouse projects and this approach allows you to draw out the real user needs first. Most other solutions lead you toward design too soon, resulting in delivering the wrong solution or postponing the discovery of additional requirements until later iterations.

Course Content

Eliciting Data Warehouse Requirements 
What does the course cover?
What is a Data Warehouse?
What is Data Warehousing?
Why elicit Data Warehouse Requirements
When do we elicit Data Warehouse requirements?
Who is Involved?
Identifying Business Objectives

• Types of Objectives
• Discovering Objectives
• Describing Objectives
• Organizing by Subject Areas
• The three steps to identifying business objectives

Describing Business Usage Scenarios

• What is a Business Usage Scenario
• Discovering Business Usage Scenarios
• Defining Business Questions
• The three steps to describing Business Usage Scenarios

Discovering Facts, Measures and Dimensions

• Dimensional Modeling, Fact tables, Measures and Dimensions
• Discovering Fact Tables and Measures
• Discovering Dimensions and Attributes
• Granularity
• The five steps to identifying Facts, Measures and Dimensions

Describing Facts and Dimensions 

• What is Metadata?
• Describing Measures
• Describing Dimension Attributes

Building in Quality

Reference Material Available

	A summary of the steps and questions -- that you can print and take away as a quick reference sheet
	A workbook to use when practicing the concepts
	A sample specification and template that you can download and print