Why is Agile Data Warehousing so Important?

About this video

• Video Title: Why is Agile Data Warehousing so Important?
• Channel: TDWI
• Speakers: Dave Stata, Bruce Wilensky
• Duration: 00:05:05

Overview

This video explains the importance and implementation of agile data warehousing. Bruce Wilensky discusses how adopting agile methodologies has led to more frequent value delivery to the business and happier customers due to continuous content updates. The discussion covers the challenges of transitioning from traditional data warehousing to agile, the structure of agile teams, and the key roles involved in agile data warehousing projects.

Key takeaways

• Business Value Delivery: Agile data warehousing allows for more frequent delivery of value to the business, leading to increased customer satisfaction through continuous updates and new content.
• Transition Challenges: Moving from traditional, long-timeline data warehousing to agile with shorter, iterative cycles (e.g., two-week sprints) presented initial resistance and required adapting traditional development mindsets.
• Agile Team Structure: Successful agile data warehousing involves cross-functional teams that include business stakeholders and data warehouse developers working collaboratively, breaking down departmental silos.
• Iterative and Incremental Delivery: The process involves a prioritized backlog managed by a product owner, with agile teams committing to delivering chunks of work within short sprints, allowing for flexibility and adaptation to changing priorities.
• Key Roles: The core roles in agile data warehousing are the Product Owner (visionary, defines what needs to be done but not how), the Scrum Master (motivator and coach), and the Scrum Team (cross-skilled individuals who organize to complete the work).
• Quality Improvement: While initial challenges existed with developers needing to learn testing, the adoption of agile has led to improved quality, demonstrated by a successful migration project with zero defects and sustained performance.