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Why is project management for a data warehouse different than most other applications? The answer is - a data warehouse is never really a completed project. Although there are phases with start and end dates, the data warehouse itself never reaches an end state until it is terminated. Data warehouses are a different breed. They are organic and need to be nurtured to grow. Being organic, they are ever changing: dynamic, in other words. This is what makes project management for a data warehouse so unique and challenging.
There are two paths to project managing a data warehouse. The first is to approach the project strictly from a project management perspective by managing the project scope and timeline. The second route is to follow through with the traditional responsibilities of project management and, at the same time, do a deep dive into the inner workings of the data warehouse. Understanding in detail what is "under the hood" will allow you to speak with authority on the capabilities and issues of the data warehouse. Intimate knowledge of the data and its relationships is the distinction between a generic project manager and data warehouse project manager. A technical project manager is not the same as a data warehouse project manager because a data warehouse does not function like any other system. Only firsthand knowledge of what makes a data warehouse hum can brand someone as a data warehouse project manager.
This is not to be disrespectful in any way to all the good project managers out there, but the reality is, project managing a data warehouse is very different than other applications. If you have a peer who is a data warehouse project manager, take him to lunch and pick his brain to see for yourself. Whether you consider yourself a data warehouse project manager or not, the following content is relevant to you as the project manager. You still need a team, solid requirements and a roadmap to deliver a quality product on time and within budget.
Project Team Members
As a project manager you sometimes have the luxury of putting your team together. Often, your team "appears" because the prior project has completed and these people are available. Keep in mind what was previously...