Info-Tech analysts are frequently asked a seemingly simple question: “Should we deploy a data warehouse before our BI initiative or should we wait?” While the question is simple, the answer is not. Info-Tech's guidelines assist decision makers through this challenge.

So What is a Data Warehouse?

A data warehouse (DW) is a typical element of many reporting infrastructures. They are common in large organizations and are becoming increasingly prevalent in the mid-market. Info-Tech defines a data warehouse as a dedicated software and hardware platform for integrating enterprise data from multiple sources. It uses scheduled routines for pulling data from transactional systems and for cleansing data. The purpose of a data warehouse is to establish a comprehensive source of enterprise data.