Online data warehouses are designed to centralize information in a nonvolatile database that is accessible to all employees who need it for decision-making. They also provide a historic archive of data, and serve as an unifying source of truth and allow users to look up data from multiple sources without relying on outdated information.
When it comes to choosing the right platform, architecture and tools for the data warehouse, there are many aspects to take into consideration. Should the warehouse, for example be located on premises? Should it employ extract transform and load (ETL) methods or direct-to-database integration? How often should data be refreshed? What data capture capabilities be used to capture updates and feed them into the warehouse? The business use cases of the company should ultimately guide the selection of the appropriate technology.
A bicycle manufacturer, for instance can use its data storage facility to gain insight into actual customer preferences. It might find that women over 50 comprise the majority of its customers and might be interested in finding out more about the stores where these customers prefer to shop for bicycles. This information could help the company improve its marketing and development efforts.
Or, an IT team might use its data warehouse to assist the auditing process and regulatory compliance by efficiently supplying historical records for review. This could help save time and money by removing duplicate information.
