There are plenty of tools and applications available in market which perform specific tasks of data warehousing process. Here we discuss front-end tools that are available to transform data in a Data Warehouse into actionable business intelligence. This gives quick understanding of common dw tools.

The use of appropriate Data Warehousing tools can help ensure that the right information gets to the right person via the right channel at the right time.

Data Warehousing Tools - Table of Contents

• Automated Alerts
• Data Mining Tools
• Excel Spreadsheets
• OLAP Tools
• Performance Dashboards

Automated Alerts

Custom built and purchased application systems can be implemented to examine data in a Data Warehouse and initiate system generated alerts when predefined thresholds are reached, or when expected results are not attained. Alerts can be sent via an email, phone message or an electronic workflow item to the appropriate decision maker. The rules for triggering automated alerts can easily be adjusted as business requirements change.

By leveraging data in the Data Warehouse to identify business issues quickly and to provide immediate notification to the appropriate decision maker, serious business problems can be avoided.

Data Mining Tools

Data Mining Tools are analytical engines that use data in a Data Warehouse to discover underlying correlations. Data Mining Tools are used by analysts to gain business intelligence by identifying and observing trends, problems and anomalies.

Because the business environment is so dynamic, it is often difficult for businesses to quickly identify emerging patterns or trends. Data Mining Tools help businesses identify problems and opportunities promptly and then make quick and appropriate decisions with the new business intelligence.

For example, with the help of a Data Mining tool, one large US retailer discovered that people who purchase diapers often purchase beer. Upon analyzing the data, it was discovered that young husbands are frequently asked by their spouses to pick up diapers after work, and those husbands were also picking up other household necessities, at the same time!

Needless to say, the retailer quickly capitalized on this business intelligence by strategically locating the beer right next to the diapers! By doing so, the retailer sold more diapers and more beer!

Excel Spreadsheets

Excel Spreadsheets are frequently used in Data Warehousing applications to access and present data from Data Marts. Spreadsheets are powerful, flexible and relatively inexpensive tools that many decision makers are comfortable using.

Before Data Warehousing became popular, decision makers often had difficulty getting access to corporate data. It was necessary to populate spreadsheets from multiple disparate data sources and manually integrate the data. This process was both time consuming and error-prone. Privacy, data redundancy and currency issues arose when decision makers retained their own personal copies of sensitive corporate data on thepersonal computers and laptops.

In a Data Warehousing environment, a subset of the cleansed and integrated corporate data is copied from the Data Warehouse to a Data Mart. The spreadsheet then accesses the Data Mart directly. Where necessary, data from the Data Mart can be copied to a personal computer.

Excel and other spreadsheet applications provide Pivot Table capabilities that allow users to separate "facts" (numeric data to be summed) from "dimensions" (used for filtering, sorting and grouping).

Excel also provides graphing capabilities that permit the end user to present information in chart and graph formats. These diagrams can be easily incorporated into MS Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, web pages, etc.

The use of Excel Spreadsheets to present and analyze data from Data Warehouses is an inexpensive and flexible method for sharing business intelligence.

OLAP Tools

The acronym OLAP stands for On-Line Analytical Processing. OLAP Tools are used to analyze multi-dimensional data. These powerful tools allow users to identify observe trends and then to "drill-down" to discover the details behind those trends.

As the name implies, OLAP tools are "online" and are used for "analytics". Many firms are addressing their information needs by replacing their static, paper-based legacy reports with online access to corporate information via OLAP Tools.

Performance Dashboards

Performance Dashboards are "front-ends" to Data Warehouses that summarize, in graphical format, how a business is performing against its measurable goals and objectives.

Performance Dashboards are targeted at senior decision makers who need to know at a glance, how the business is performing. Performance Dashboards typically show historical trends and organizational goals or targets.

The performance measures shown on Dashboards are based on the firm's key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs can involve financial, marketing, production, customer, growth and other important metrics.