Dimensional Model Data Warehouse: An Overview (Why)

Dan Kirpes, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, Novato, CA

ABSTRACT MODELS
This paper is an introduction to Dimensional Model Data Warehousing.
This paper will first contrast “Report Centric” versus “Information ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP MODELING (ER):
Centric” reporting for decision support. A brief history of Data Entity-relationship modeling is a logical design technique
Warehousing will be covered, followed by Data Warehouse that seeks to eliminate data redundancy. ER models show
Definitions. The Entity-Relationship model and specifically the the relationship between data. These models are difficult to
Dimensional Model will be reviewed. Business Intelligence read and understand unless trained in the model
relationship to data warehousing will also be discussed. methodology. Also, it is difficult to understand the business
from viewing the ER model. See appendix for an example.
DIMENSIONAL MODELING
REPORT CENTRIC VS. INFORMATION CENTRIC Dimensional modeling is the name of a logical design
Many companies are Report Centric in its decision support design. technique used for data warehouses. Every dimensional
For many Decision Support or Management Information departments, model is composed of a “fact” table and a set of “dimension”
hundreds and most likely thousands of reports are created each month tables. Conformed fact and dimension elements are
in an effort to satisfy the user’s appetite for information. Unfortunately, elements that conform to the enterprises centralized
this approach will never satisfy this need. Users continue to develop metadata database. For example, “store_id” would have a
new report requests, adhoc or one-off reports, which can not be common definition and attributes across the enterprise and
handled by the report centric design. The users are spoon-feed the as such would have the same information across dimension
data in precise formats, they use these reports for their job functions, tables. See the appendix for an example of a Dimensional
and then react to the information. Model.

It is recommended to move to the Information centric design where BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND DATA
users are empowered to query or browse the data themselves and as
a result would be pro-active. This is a cultural shift for most
WAREHOUSING
organizations; management, report users, and report application Today' s business environment requires a responsiveness
designers/developers. The Information Centric design requires that that can only be achieved with timely and accurate insight
the data be arranged in a manner that is user understandable, user into business conditions. To be successful, businesses need
friendly to query, and consistent in its results. rapid, easy access to information about their customers,
their internal finances, and external market conditions—
collectively known as business intelligence.
The Data Warehousing Dimensional Model design in conjunction with
a Business Intelligence tool provides the business or organization with
an Information Centric design. Business Intelligence is the process of analyzing your
organization' s accumulated raw data and extracting useful
insight from it.
HISTORY OF DATA WAREHOUSING
1960’s: General Mills and Dartmouth University in a joint project BI provides decision makers with the right information, at the
developed the terms “dimension” and “fact”. This was the beginning of right time, in the right place, enabling them to make better
the first data mart business decisions.
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
1970’s: Nielson Marketing Research took the techniques of
“dimensions” and “facts” forward for grocery and drug store audit data. A: Data: Centralize data from multiple sources into a data
warehouse.
B: Insight: BI tools analyze the data to help better
1980’s: Nielson Marketing Research and IRI used grocery and drug understand the business.
store scanner data to tie together with customers’ internal shipment C: Action: Act on the insight provided by BI tools by
data. reallocating resources.
DATA WAREHOUSE DEFINITIONS
Data Warehouse: The queryable source of data in the enterprise.

Data Mart: A logical subset of the complete data warehouse.

Operational Data Store (ODS): The point of data integration for

Metadata Database: All of the information in the data warehouse

1
 2. Information Centric reporting via the data warehouse’s
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE IS MADE UP OF MANY RELATED dimensional model puts the effort in the organization
ACTIVITIES and storage of the data for easy access instead of
Data Mining Discover relationships among data points creating endless reporting applications.
3. Information Centric reporting empowers users to be
OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) proactive instead of being reactive.
Online analysis of transactional data 4. Information Centric reporting provides for an increased
efficiencies, increased productivity which results in
Query & Reporting increased profitability.
View and manipulate data via multiple report formats 5. Data warehousing and Business Intelligence provide
the foundation for Information Centric reporting.
Proactive Information Delivery
Receive information on a scheduled or event-driven basis REFERENCES
via web, wireless, or voice device Dimensional Modeling,
www.ou.edu/class/aschwarz/DataWarehouse
APPENDIX
Welbrock, Peter R., Startegic Data Warehousing Principles
1. ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP MODEL Using SAS Software, Cary NC: SAS Institute Inc., 1998.
384pp.
PRODUCT
CUSTOMER Kimball, Ralph, The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete
SKU (PK)
customer_ID (PK) ERD
customer_name
description Guide to Dimensional Modeling, New York, NY: John Wiley
brand
purchase_profile and Sons, Inc., 2002. 436pp.
category
credit_profile
address
Kimball, Ralph, The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit:
ORDER-LINE
ORDER
order_num (PK) (FK)
Expert Methods for Designing, Developing, and Deploying
STORE order_num (PK)
SKU (PK) (FK) Data Warehouses, New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons,
store_ID (PK) customer_ID (FK)
store_name store_ID (FK) promotion_key (FK) Inc., 1998. 771pp.
address clerk_ID (FK) dollars_sold
district date units_sold
floor_type dollars_cost CONTACT INFORMATION
Your comments and questions are valued and encouraged.
CLERK PROMOTION Contact the author at:
clerk_id (PK) promotion_NUM (PK)
clerk_name promotion_name
Dan Kirpes
clerk_grade price_type Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company
ad_type 777 San Marin Drive
Novato, CA 94998
(415) 899-3561:
Email: [email protected]

2. DIMENSIONAL MODEL

DIMENSONAL PRODUCT
TIME
product_key (PK)
time_key (PK) MODEL SKU
SQL_date
description
day_of_week
brand
month FACT
category
time_key (FK)
store_key (FK)
STORE clerk_key (FK) CUSTOMER
store_key (PK) product_key (FK) customer_key (PK)
store_ID customer_key (FK) customer_name
store_name promotion_key (FK) purchase_profile
address dollars_sold credit_profile
district units_sold address
floor_type dollars_cost

CLERK PROMOTION
clerk_key (PK) promotion_key (PK)
clerk_id promotion_name
clerk_name price_type
clerk_grade ad_type

CONCLUSION
1. Information Centric reporting is an 180 degree shift from the
current Report Centric reporting environment that most
organizations use.