Business Intelligence Requirements Workshop

Get your Data Warehouse Rolling Fast

David Haertzen, Principal Enterprise Architect

Would you like to learn a productive way to gather requirements while building support for your data warehousing project?  The Business Intelligence Requirements Workshop is a great way to get that done.  Read this article to learn:

• Who does what?
• Setting the Agenda
• Preparing for the Session
• Room Layout and Equipment
• Building and Maintaining Momentum

Roles and Responsibilities

The Facilitator leads the BI Requirements Workshop and has responsibilities including:

• Setting goals and preparing the agenda
• Keeping the session on task and within scope
• Encouraging participation
• Gaining and articulating consensus
• Leading exercises such as brainstorm or consensus building
• Identify follow up tasks and gain commitment to next steps

The Data Warehouse Modeler asks questions to identify the data required to support business intelligence.  This may include diagramming facts and dimensions or asking related questions such as: "What are we measuring here?" or "How would you slice and dice that information?".

The Scribe records the results of the session including:

• Participants
• Decisions
• Requirements
• Follow up tasks and assignments

The Executive Sponsor provides a high level picture of the goals of the Business Intelligence program and show that executive management is committed to the program.  The User Manager provides expert input and encourages team member participation.  Business users provide subject matter expertise.

Room Layout

Arrange the room to be effective for workshop activities.  This means encouraging interaction between participants while focusing on the business intelligence requirements gathering that is the goal of the workshop. 

Conducting the BI Requirements Session

 The successful BI Requirement Session requires

• Preparing the Inputs for the Session
• Objectives of Requirements Sessions
• Developing the Agenda
• Producing Results
• Following up the Session

Group Methods and Techniques

The Session Facilitator will use group methods and techniques to ensure a successful BI Requirements session:

• Asking Questions and Probing for Answers
• Consensus Building
• Generating Ideas
• Evaluating Ideas
• Using Presentation Materials and Equipment
• Dealing with Difficult Group Members
• Taking Risks
• Encouraging Participation

Outcomes of Effective BI Requirements Session

 The BI Requirements Workshop can have a number of positive outcomes:

• Requirements are gathered
• Benefits are identified
• Costs of not having BI are identified
• Analytical processes are identified
• Participants better understand BI and the BI program
• Preliminary Facts and Dimensions are identified
• Preliminary Models are created
• Risks and mitigations are identified
• Follow Up Tasks are identified and assigned
• Forward momentum is increased

 The benefits and costs gathered are great supporting material for the Business Intelligence Business Case which in turn is key to the success of the program.