The aim of online data warehouses is the centralization of data in a stable, standardized system that’s accessible to all relevant employees for making decisions. They act as a historical archive of information and a single source of truth, providing users with the ability to compare data from various sources without having to rely on outdated data.

When it comes to selecting the right architecture, platform and tools for the data warehouse, there are a lot of factors to consider. Should the warehouse, for instance be on premises? Should it be using extract transform and load (ETL) or direct-to-database integration methods? How often should data be updated? What change data capture capabilities be used to record updates and feed them into the warehouse? Ultimately, selecting the right technologies should be based on the company’s specific business needs.

For instance a bicycle review maker could make use of its data warehouse to learn more about current trends in customer behavior and trends. It could find that women over 50 are the majority of its customers and it might be interested in learning more about the retail outlets where these customers prefer to buy bicycles. This information can aid the company in improving its marketing and development efforts.

A group of IT professionals could make use of their data warehouse as a tool to support auditing processes and regulatory compliance by providing historical records that can be analyzed. This could save a company time and money by removing unnecessary information.