In early 2001, a Computer Technology Associates, Inc. (CTA) property management
client within a large nationwide bank was looking to provide more timely and accurate
information to retail customers and internal managers using web-based reporting
tools. The information the client delivered at that time came from a diverse set
of systems selected for their ability to deliver specific functional capability
- SAP for financial transaction data, Strategen for lease management data, Facility
Center for asset management and vendor services data, and internally developed
web-based applications for customer-specific data. The client looked to CTA to
develop a data warehouse with a common reporting tool - a tool that had the flexibility
to integrate these disparate systems, yet was easy enough to deploy and train
CTA chose to accomplish the challenge by focusing our approach on four areas:
1. Research and analysis of requirements and reporting tool product capabilities.
2. Configuration and development of a proof-of-concept using sample data from
SAP and Strategen.
3. Development of the proposed systems architecture and data models.
4. Compilation of deliverables.
Our research and analysis began with the client's identification of two reports
that were candidates for web-based delivery: Building Inventory and Lease Obligation.
The Building Inventory report was derived from a single data source within SAP,
while the Lease Obligation report was based on data elements from both SAP and
Strategen. These reports were used to build the proof-of-concept examples.
Our proof-of-concept proved that a previously purchased application could web-enable
SAP reports and be leveraged to build a common reporting platform using multiple
data sources. In addition, we provided specific and detailed recommendations on
the form and function of a general web-based reporting platform that would act
as a data warehouse consolidating the data from diverse applications and permitting
data mining from stove-pipe systems.
As part of our proof-of-concept development, CTA refined our proposed solution
architecture for future implementation. Our proposed solution architecture consisted
of the following elements: a process for the extraction, transformation and loading
(ETL) of source data, a hardware/software architecture configuration, and data
models for both reporting and gathering of enterprise data entities (or meta data).
Throughout our client's history of systems development, the primary emphasis had
been given to the operational systems (such as SAP, Strategen, etc.) and the data
they processed. The fundamental requirements of operational systems are different
from reporting systems and data warehouses; operational systems are based on transactional
accountability, whereas reporting systems must support a high degree of query
performance and flexibility.
CTA provided the client with a robust and flexible web-based reporting solution
to overcome the limitations of sharing data between independent data sources.
CTA continues to deliver data warehouse products and functionality that enable
the client to implement their data mining capability in an incremental manner
that also provides a flexible path for expansion. Our initial recommendation to
implement a data warehouse using standardized integration templates and a flexible
data model continue to provide the client with a stable platform for developing
and deploying enterprise-level reports and have permitted the client to leverage
rapidly changing technology, embrace best-of-breed products, and integrate legacy
systems into a powerful information engine delivering timely and relevant reporting
capabilities for their customers.