Blog: Jill Dyche

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Why I Like DW 2.0

In which Jill reviews why DW 2.0 rocked the house in Anaheim.

Last week’s DW 2.0™ conference in Anaheim had something for everyone. That is, everyone looking for fresh new ideas for data integration and BI projects. The conference, hosted by Wilshire Conferences and Inmon Data Systems, was a master class on the evolution of data warehousing, its incorporation of different data types and structures, and implementation best practices. Herewith, some of the highlights:

• My Baseline colleague Bryan Rockoff kicked off the conference workshops with a fresh look at leveraging new DW 2.0 to drive scorecarding metrics for incumbent data warehouses. He applied some of our established data warehouse scorecard processes to the new DW 2.0 framework. Enthusiastic note-taking and head-nodding among attendees.

• Maureen Clarry’s presentation, “Great Minds Think…Differently” was a hit. I appreciated Maureen’s coverage of team building and skills delineation, but as an “Introverted/Horizontal” I loved her deconstruction of Introvert versus Extrovert stereotypes, and she delivered her usual “aha!” moments.

• First time I’d seen Biaggio McPhee in action, but he sure knows his stuff. His presentation about ROI in Data Warehousing put a fresh spin on a well-worn topic, and it was clear he’d lived through the experience.

• Netezza’s V.P. of Marketing, Ellen Rubin, delivered a deep and broad view of data warehouse appliances, not only in terms of the various business problems they address, but of Netezza’s pioneering approach. I’ve worked with Ellen before, but it was fun to see her in the spotlight and she was her usual informed, articulate self.

• Joyce Norris-Montanari gave the ODS perspective on Master Data Management. Joyce and I variously agree and disagree on MDM principals—check out our dialog about CDI versus ODS—but she generously referenced my CDI book and piggybacked on many of the concepts I’d discussed in my morning workshop. Her packed session confirmed what I already knew: Joyce understands the evolution of the ODS like no one else.

And, of course, there was Bill Inmon’s full-day tutorial, “Introduction to the World of DW 2.0.” Bill argued that the architectural changes in data warehousing mandate a new framework for discussion. He introduced the various sectors of DW 2.0—Interactive, Integrated, Near-Line, and Archival—and discussed how metadata, unstructured data, and master data fit within the DW 2.0 framework.

What I like about DW 2.0 is that Bill has taken the discussion from one of platform to one of processing. I’ve been maintaining that IT management needs to cease the entrenched habits of examining vendor selection, stop trying to retrofit incumbent technologies to solve new problems, and approach vendor selection armed with requirements. This frees IT resources to focus more on the business processes that technologies support, and the business needs they solve. Every IT meeting should begin with the question, “What do we need to deliver?” Bill’s mission was to “elevate data warehousing to a new state of the art,” and he did his usual stellar job. It was three days worth of new concepts, fresh ideas, and great speakers, with Bill Inmon at the helm.

And speaking of Bill at the helm, watch for more on DW 2.0 in Bill’s BI Network Newsletter.

DW 2.0 is a trademark of William H. Inmon.

Technorati Tags: DW 2.0, Bill Inmon, CDI, MDM

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