We talk a lot with end users, be they IT Data Warehouse experts or Business Users. We love to understand how they use indyco, why they use it, in what way indyco helps… and where indyco su**s.
That’s why we like to read books like –This is service design thinking-, and this is where stories like Redesigning the Business Model of the Supply Chain come from.
When talking to users we always learn something new, and here I want to tell you about a usage of indyco we have never thought of: indyco as a project management tool. Something to keep your Data Warehouse on track.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Tracking the status of a project is a painful task and above all is usually poorly done.
One of the main reasons is that tracking usually focuses on activities, while end users care about outcomes (that depend, for example, on features). And guess what, indyco focuses on outcomes too: it visualizes facts and dimensions that are elements that users manipulate and analyse to make better decisions.
That’s why a client of ours decided to use colours inside indyco, to keep track and communicate the project status to his own user. Watch this representation of a Dimensional Fact Model:
What do you see? What do red circles stand for? I’m sure you got it: at any given moment, anyone can access indyco and understand if and how a new dimension, KPI, fact, etc., … has been released and is then ready to be used (outcome) to make decisions.
Plus… they use the Custom Properties to add expected release date.
To sum up, with Indyco you can, among many other things:
- publish the DFM model on the BI front end to let users know which attributes or measures the IT is currently working on.
- use the DFM colours during Business Intelligence Competence Center meeting to clearly highlight your priorities.
- use DFM while discussing with your key users to manage their expectations about the Data Warehouse roadmap.
Powerful!
