Data Warehouse Options

While there have been databases in existence for over half a century, many of the database system models have not come into play until recent years. One model of data storage and management that has stood the test of time is the data warehouse, a system that has been exclusively for reporting functions and for storage of large amounts of data. Unlike other forms of databases, the data warehouse is less concerned with the data management and is meant to simply collect the data that is sent.

The data warehouse works in three main areas. The first is a staging process, which simply means that data storage that is retained for use by the database administrators and developers. The second part of the system is integration, a term that signifies the separation of certain information that is dependent on a certain amount of abstraction from the users. The last level is called access and is the process by which the information is sent to the end users. At the basic level is a large amount of data that is processed to glean insights that add to business intelligence. This is done in a process called data mining.

Given a large enough sample, the business intelligence can grow to a point where a company can use data to back their decision rather than simple conjecture. An example would be a convenient store company that would like to open a new location. In tracking the number of cars that pass by a certain point on the road over a period of time, the raw data is meaningless. However, if the data management team also tracks the percentage of cars that stop at a convenient store in a similar location, a reasonable estimate can be made of the traffic that will stop at the proposed location for a new store. This type of data management is allowing businesses to make better informed decisions.