Steps 2-5 are discussed in some
detail in Chapter 3, which addresses the overall process of building a data warehouse
(or data mart or cube; the terms are clearly defined there.) Step 6 is what is covered
in the rest of the book, including the PerformancePoint Server product and its
capabilities. Figure 1-1 shows these various steps in an overall business intelligence
process. It should now be obvious that business intelligence covers more than just
building a data warehouse; indeed, it includes one or more ways to access and
analyze data that deliver value across the business.
While the process of building a data warehouse is critical to the success of the
project, it is a subject best handled by books dedicated to the tools used for data
warehouse creation: SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and SQL Server Analysis
Services (SSAS). Books such as Hands-On SQL Server 2005 Integration Services and
Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 cover these topics
in great detail. This book, on the other hand, focuses on the tools that allow companies
to use the warehouse and to achieve the benefits of being able to monitor the health of
the organization, perform complex analysis of their data, and plan for the future using
the strength of the warehouse. In order to better understand these pieces, however, it is
important to understand the various roles played by the users of the system.
SQL
Text
XML
101010
010101
Extraction Transformation
Loading
Data
Warehouse
Cube(s)
Scorecards and
Dashboards
Reports
Analytic Tools
Custom Applications
Item
Try also
Figure 1-1 The Business Intelligence process from end to end
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C a s e f o r B u s i n e s s I n t e l l i g e n c e 7
The Consumers of Business Intelligence
People perform vastly different roles within organizations and therefore have varying
needs for how and why they consume information.
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