So you don’t need a methodology?

Creating a data warehousing "blockbuster" begins with the Teradata

Solutions Methodology
by Robert J. Davis and Paul A. Barsch

In a movie, the right script makes all the difference between a blockbuster and a box
office disaster. The same holds true for your data warehouse solution.

Implementing a data warehouse can be a complex undertaking and is almost

completely unmanageable without the right “script.” To get it right—and to get the
right results—you need a strong data warehousing methodology.

A good methodology helps ensure quality, consistency and project timeliness. When
incorporating the data warehouse option into a business, hundreds of thousands, if
not millions, of dollars are at stake. The only acceptable outcome is success as
measured at the “box office” or the return on investment (ROI).

Sadly, many IT professionals choose to work without a methodology and, instead,

choose a data warehouse based only on their experience with other IT projects.
While in some instances a successful implementation can be accomplished without a
methodology, in most cases, the project will experience missed tasks, schedule
delays, cost over-runs and lack of user acceptance of the data warehouse.

The value of a data warehousing-only methodology

A methodology is simply a collection of intellectual property which includes methods,

procedures, techniques and proven practices.

However, not all methodologies are created equal.

A good data warehousing methodology shows the logical progression of a data

warehouse implementation; in other words, which resources should accomplish what
tasks. It also assists in leveraging specific inputs to “yield” detailed outputs and
objectives.

The Teradata Solutions Methodology

The Teradata Solutions Methodology is a patent-pending collection of integrated

processes, customized tools and quantifiable metrics from initial strategic planning to
technical implementation, user training and customer support.

This methodology is continually refined with best practices developed with many of
the world's most successful data warehouses.

Available in eight languages, the Teradata Solutions Methodology visually displays,

defines and orchestrates the sequence of work of more than 280 separate tasks
associated with an enterprise data warehouse (EDW). It tracks and accounts for the
interaction of the work to be completed by Teradata engineers, partners, customers
and third-party contractors.

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The Teradata Solutions Methodology is the product of more than 20 years of
experience incorporating highly successful data warehousing solutions. The phases of
this methodology are depicted in figure 1, below.

Figure 1. Teradata Solutions Methodology 5.0

Graphically mapped for each unique data warehouse engagement, the Teradata
Solutions Methodology helps Teradata practitioners and their clients visually walk
through task flows and dependencies. Based on the estimated effort the system
identifies for each task, a fully detailed project schedule is developed, including the
“critical path” to ensure the entire project is completed on time. This visual mapping
also helps analyze the risk and impact of not completing some of the tasks.

Codified from more than 1,000 data warehousing projects, this proven approach
includes best practices from some of the world’s most successful data warehousing
implementations—a combination that is hard to beat.

Skilled practitioners make it happen

Today, more than 2,000 experienced Teradata Professional Services consultants

worldwide stand ready to help ensure data warehouse success from conception to
reality.

Users must make choices on how to develop their data warehousing projects: forego
the use of any methodology, use a generic implementation methodology or leverage
a data warehousing-specific methodology.

With the use of the Teradata Solutions Methodology, like any good Hollywood movie,
a data warehousing project should have a storybook ending.

Teradata Solutions Methodology in action

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Following are examples of how two companies benefited from Teradata Solutions
Methodology:

> A nationwide commercial bank in Asia wanted a unified data warehouse

methodology to consolidate its ever-growing number of data marts and create a
centralized enterprise data warehouse (EDW) platform. To comply with their
stated principle of needing a “unified scheme, data standard, data modeling and
technical standard,” the bank wanted a phased implementation that would offer
results incrementally. After a six-month evaluation period, the bank decided on
the Teradata platform and the Teradata Solutions Methodology as the best
approach for delivering incremental business value.

> A majorinternational manufacturer had an internal program management

methodology used for application development. However, the client knew this
application methodology would do a poor job of successfully estimating and
executing a data warehouse project. Through careful consideration of the
Teradata Solutions Methodology, the client realized that the solution was much
more precise in project estimation and offered more accurate budgeting,
scheduling and execution data. As a result, the client hired Teradata Professional
Services consultants who used the Teradata Solutions Methodology to create and
install the data warehouse.

Robert (Bob) J. Davis has 24 years experience with NCR/Teradata in sales and services and
leads a team of highly skilled practitioners responsible for the support and continued
enhancement of the Teradata Solutions Metholodology. He can be reached at
robert.davis@teradata-ncr.com.

Paul A. Barsch is the Professional Services Marketing Manager for Teradata. He can be reached
at paul.barsch@teradata-ncr.com.

PAGE 3 Teradata Magazine Vol. 6 No. 4 ONLINE ONLY ©2006 Teradata Corporation