MAESTRO Divan BED Set, 2 DRAWERS Same Side with Spring MEMORY FOAM Mattress, Headboard not included, Size: 2ft6 Small Single – other sizes available

ASIN : B007C5YEJO
Brand: MEMORY MAESTRO
Description : This bed is made using double jersey stretch fabric with superb sleep surface. The Memory Maestro mattress is made with the famous Memory Foam and supportive comfort layer mould to the body profile helping relieve pressure and promoting good blood circulation. Structured with a traditional coil spring unit. This spring memory foam mattress offers supreme comfort with total body support from head to toe.

Memory Maestro is a luxurious bed with double jersey knitted stretch fabric cover giving comfort at an affordable price.

The product is handmade in the UK, using the finest materials, conforming to the British standards.

Measurements (Select your choice of bed size from the drop-down list above):

2.6ft Small Single: Length: approx. 190cm Width: approx. 75cm

3ft Single: Length: 190cm Width: 90cm

4ft Small Double: Length: approx. 190cm Width: approx. 120cm

4.6ft Double: Length: approx. 190cm Width: approx. 135cm

5ft King: Length: approx. 200cm Width: approx. 150cm

For all sizes: Floor to mattress height: approx. 68cm Floor to top of headboard: approx. 110cm

Note: Sizes are approximates and may vary slightly

Excellent Presents For the Groomsmen

Selecting a present for that groomsmen might be a struggle for a lot of bridegrooms. The majority of bridegrooms don’t wish to decide on a present that's as well conventional or even clichrrd they also have a problem with emotions that the present that's as well innovative might not be suitable. Probably the most significant facet of the groomsmen present isn't whether it's conventional or even distinctive however whether they fit the actual character from the receiver. So long as you understand your own groomsmen perfectly and set a genuine work in to discovering their own groomsmen presents you're sure to look for a present that'll be loved from your groomsmen.

Probably the most conventional groomsmen presents is really a flask. If this sounds like something you believe your own groomsmen may completely appreciate then go for it buy all of them the best looking gold or even leather-based flask that you could discover. It’s vital that you select a present not really due to its conventional associations however since you be aware of groomsmen will enjoy the present. If you think maybe that the groomsmen possess a make use of for any flask or even is going to be handled through getting this type of conventional present like a memento and never get worried through it's insufficient functionality a flask can be a fantastic present.

The Compact disc situation with some Compact disks selected especially for the actual groomsmen could be a excellent present knowing that the groomsmen appreciate songs. This can be a fantastic present since it is certain to be utilized frequently through the receiver as well as your groomsmen may keep in mind your wedding event every time these people pay attention to certainly one of their own Compact disks. This is the considerate present simply because such as Compact disks you know your own groomsmen will love but don't currently personal implies that you actually place an attempt in to deciding on the present. Customizing the present for every from the groomsmen additionally implies that the thing is all of them because people as well as spent the time and energy involved with producing the present distinctive for every of these.

The men’s fragrance or even scent could be an additional distinctive present for that groomsmen. Selecting a various scent for every person in the marriage celebration transmits the content that you simply didn't purchase your presents in a hurry. Making the effort to select a distinctive scent for every of the groomsmen allows them to realize that you undoubtedly value their own help as well as involvement inside your wedding ceremony.

Also try this with regard to gift idea for groomsmen would be to provide every guy another present. As the groomsmen are good friends from the bridegroom and could possess particular typical pursuits, all of them have some thing about the subject which makes all of them distinctive. You can identify their own personality through customizing a distinctive present for every of the groomsmen. For instance you can provide a diary as well as extravagant pencil towards the groomsman that loves to create as well as an range of dancing Compact disks towards the groomsman that likes likely to clubs as well as dance. Whilst typically bridegrooms possess provided all of their groomsmen possibly exactly the same present or even much the same presents, it's also appropriate to provide every groomsman a distinctive present that meets their own character.

Anklet bracelets or even wrist watches tend to be an additional conventional groomsmen present. Based on your financial allowance, you might like to buy a view or even band that's suitable to put on in your big day. This can be a fantastic present that does not just conveys your own understanding with regard to taking part in the wedding but additionally provides the groomsmen a pleasant item to put on at the wedding ceremony along with other official capabilities.

Cufflinks for men or even connect videos continue to be an additional conventional present for any bridegroom to offer to their groomsmen. These things aren't common and lots of groomsmen don't personal possibly therefore providing them with as a present helps to ensure that the actual groomsmen may have these things to put on using their tux in your big day. Even though they are conventional presents, you may earn all of them more contemporary by providing every groomsman an adjunct which fits their own character. For instance you can provide your sports activities caring groomsman the connect cut that's the same shape as the baseball when you might provide your musically willing groomsman the connect cut that's the same shape as several music information. Providing all of your own groomsmen an alternative of the identical concept tends to make the the majority of conventional present seem contemporary.

Groomsmen can be challenging to purchase presents with regard to simply because most of the conventional groomsmen presents appear dull or even not practical. Conventional presents can be created more contemporary using the intro of the distort like a variance in every groomsman’s present rather than providing them with every that as well. It is important to think about when choosing a present for the groomsmen would be to ensure the present may mirror the actual character from the receiver.

Internet web server

World wide web proxies hosting server is often a program of which will get needs (demands) through clientele, like browser or file transfer protocol purchaser, and then onward the ask for to some specified Web hosting server. Just one system is very highly effective when controling the condition of limited access velocity along with info security are widely-used to take care of the world wide web wants is actually SQUID. For example system owner, is a major process to control data visitors for the circle by both inside and outside associated with network. Squid is a good replacement for create a world wide web proxy host for free and also reputable too as well as helping your ICP.

Via a world-wide-web proxy hosting server, the client seems as if the idea communicates straight together with the Web machine with the area. Actually, before the info or even ask for delivered to this destination, the information is definitely initially given to an internet host proxy, world wide web proxy host will frontward the item for the destination web server, the internet.

Benefits of utilizing a web proxy machine

Excessive Computer which utilizes a website proxy will be wanted data from the consumer will probably be rerouted to a world-wide-web server proxies web server after which go to the world wide web. In the time the data from the hosting server in the future, the details will be assigned from the Internet web server into a world wide web proxies hosting server net proxy web server after that forwards the details to the purchaser who asks that.

Along with offering information on the consumer, net proxies web server in addition merchants a duplicate of these data being a internet cache in your disk drive. If there are additional end users whom ask for the info precisely the same, next the net proxy machine can recover the details in the hard disk without having to hook up to the world wide web hosts that supply these kinds of details. Should the ask for made by the same consumer several times definitely will change the velocity involving Internet access appreciably.

Functions and a net proxy caching
By means of holding your webpage with a nearby server, world wide web proxies can easily do away with too much Throttle to help obtain exactly the same web site time and time again. So internet proxy in the beginning quite effective for net caching. Nevertheless, the online world is actually speedier, internet pages tend to be vibrant and also consumer hobbies a single organization simply includes a huge selection of webpages. These types of aspects led to a website proxy caching gets unsuccessful, other than with large organizations or perhaps ISP. While almost all regular internet browsers possess assistance regarding proxy world wide web machine, since 1996, rarely utilized.

Web proxy servers are related to the HTTP
A lot of world wide web proxy assistance solutions, including the applying layer filter perform for the firewall like Checkpoint Firewall-1, towards the common putting on the natural "web simply proxies" such as WinGate and also a web proxy pertaining to HTTP products and services for instance Jigsaw.

World-wide-web proxy server is frequently for this HTTP program for the first time designed a world-wide-web proxy due to this program. Subsequently, the net proxy perform has been placed on various other World-wide-web services are definitely the most commonly encountered. The particular case on this page make use of this HTTP assistance, nevertheless the efficiency is usually much like various other solutions.

The fact that web proxies
world-wide-web proxy operates by playing the interior client ask and also sends the demand for the additional circle almost like the web proxies web server is litigant. Before world-wide-web proxies host obtains the actual response along with general public server, he / she taken care of immediately the initial customer like he or she community machine.

Safety amount world-wide-web proxy
Net have become also has its very own traits, as well as internet proxies web server confirmed negative effects has been unexpected: they can cover at the rear of most users of the products, they can separate out Web addresses, plus they will get rid of just about any suspicious as well as outlawed content. Thus while to begin with produced as a non-security cache, the main reason for world wide web proxies host is the firewall program.

Web proxies host to be able to bring up to date the assistance ask for on the outer system regarding their own consumer around the individual system. The idea instantly disguise this id in addition to amount of buyers around the internal system coming from external communities. Due to their place between interior customer as well as the community server, net proxy may also store generally accessed content at a general public network to relieve accessibility general public community. Nearly all genuine implementations incorporate world-wide-web safety proxies and also packet selection Multilevel Handle Language translation to build the firewall program intact. Most of these engineering might be along with world-wide-web proxies to reduce assaults from weak world wide web proxy. To the we have to perform clear internet proxies ip address for there to get a net proxies server.

You will find there's internet proxies safeguards the area network
World-wide-web proxies machine with different internet server and as a web hosting server, these people perform on the App Covering inside Network along with Transportation Coating. What this means is they just don't do anything whatsoever besides blocking TCP Or Internet protocol packages in which get right to the machine, and so they don't affect various other products and services for instance App Stratum file revealing or even distant procedure phone.

This will make the pc ready to accept hacking, but when you're taking various other measures to secure laptop computer. Despite the fact that most contemporary operating-system facilitates bundle selection, however, not as strong when they filtering a true firewall software. All you should ensure that the open public would be the just vent intended for internet proxy products and services that you are start.

Some safety specialists advise that, so as to manage the actual program as little as feasible with a distinct firewall program as well as web proxies functionality using a independent appliance for the presumption that the filtration should be as basic as achievable so they won't be taken advantage of. The problem is that exploitation can happen from numerous quantities, in case you build a internet proxy host driving the filtering, there will be cyber criminals at the rear of this filtration if it exploits an internet proxy. Using the firewall that is certainly incorporated which has a internet proxies host, this filtration remains to be able to safeguard the actual network get the job done web program proxies milked.

Overall performance towards world wide web proxy difficulty
net proxy machine features a lack of in overall performance, a world-wide-web proxy host make a bottleneck. As being a firewall software or even modem, a website proxies machine connection to the Internet can make a bottleneck when not improved when the quantity of community consumers boosts. Though world-wide-web proxies in the beginning increase functionality via caching procedure, your family will enjoy all people wait at the rear of a sluggish machine if you achieve much more buyers when compared with may be based on the actual host.

Nonetheless, be aware within passing the buck to your web proxies in the event of a real bottleneck caused by sluggish Net collections. Should you only have one Net connection, which is some sort of T1 (1.a few Megabytes) if not more slowly and gradually, all the computers that really satisfy the minimum operating-system and also world-wide-web proxy machines tend to be quickly enough to handle the pre-existing insert. Bottleneck world wide web proxies can only arise if your circle interconnection is definitely quicker than 1.a few Megabytes Or ersus or even if you have something wrong with the world wide web proxies host.

This problem is easily treated with the help of a lot more net proxies machine. Unlike general public site or host, world-wide-web proxies host does not have to possess a similar setup with other products. You can directly link almost any world wide web proxy web server that you might want to connect another network and offer each and every purchaser in your network to the one of the world-wide-web proxies server.

As an example, if you have several world-wide-web proxies host, link all the a number of customers to the web proxy web server is similar. You will get rid of several of the benefits associated with caching for the reason that consumer over a different web proxies in which accesses an internet site that won't make site open to various other net proxies.

You need to use complex application in addition to TCP Versus Ip address insert managing to deal with connections to help several web proxy, nevertheless it requires sizeable price but not very efficient. Even so, this offers a web proxies redundancy, mainly because or else the consumer could get rid of the world wide web proxies services should they be useless.

Explicit compared to. Translucent world wide web proxy
Most web proxy, internet proxies mainly HTTP, consumer software program ought to be clearly constructed to utilize a world-wide-web proxies machine to access details (for instance web pages) from the outside community. What this means is not merely virtually any internet browser, FTP consumer, as well as videophone apps that must be able to use an online proxies host (a lot of will not, as it may be programmed with all the presumption that there is free of charge internet access), but the program administrator ought to manage every one of the programs for the customer laptop or computer circle try using a net proxies or maybe show an individual tips on how to practice it.

Arrangement dilemma is not a problem pertaining to multilevel facilitators due to the fact contemporary internet explorer manage to find the net proxies settings about the network automatically. Just one more consumer software package, including FTP or even Net2Phone, not really designed to achieve that. Despite the fact that these traits profit the system owner, you can find way better regarding various other methodologies likewise , nor should set up or change the network buyer software.

Clear world-wide-web proxy Changing the policies
Present day fire walls may redirect just about all asks for moving into port or maybe a specific computer as well as personal computers that may fulfill the interiors specific ask for (for instance a world wide web host for the network indoor is safe by way of a firewall). Just as, the actual firewall program can certainly interrupt along with divert outbound traffic to a specific pc, like a internet proxies web server regarding world wide web needs. The customer personal computer doesn't have to be aware that this traffic ended up being abandoned as the firewall program may transition the internet proxies web server reaction to the actual inquiring consumer as if almost nothing had took place (using Circle Target Language translation mechanism is now wide-spread). You will find instructions for implementing the Internet plan with BSD or even A linux systemunix plus a bundle like the Jigsaw web proxy.

Work with a Firewall Legitimate
What is important that you can do to safeguard yourself is to employ a world-wide-web proxies for the plan functions of a true or perhaps a fit any plan when in front of your online proxy server to guard that. There isn't any answer why a website proxies machine should be attached straight away to additional communities except it's employed for internet proxies world-wide-web change proxy fill evening out an internet site.

Shut off this Direction-finding
If you are using an online proxies because primary protection against cyber criminals, make sure you turn off your routing through a internet proxy. In case you start direction-finding by using a web proxy, web proxies will never conduct security functions appreciably like a consumer you are going to be observed online. Concealment feature in the net proxy consumer deactivation hold of course-plotting protocols to avoid quite a few low-level problems.

Usually the redirecting on the internet proxies can be turned off, nevertheless often you'll need a support as well as project which has virtually no particular proxies net services or maybe cannot be within the web-proxy. Don't lured to simply convert routing. In the event the service you should not take the web proxies, makes use of the System Tackle Language translation. If your service can't be converted or internet proxy, avoid the use of whatsoever.

Safe the bottom Operating System
Getting the beds base operating system is very important inside efficiently while using the internet proxies to be a safe practices system. When cyber-terrorist are unable to manipulate the net web server the spot that the proxies will be managing, they are unable to alter basic safety configurations for the net proxies as a result of.

This is significant specially in this Unix as well as House windows conditions. Equally os's are usually infamously at risk of hacking, in order for the world wide web proxy that is run on them also since susceptible.

Make use of a robust safety discounted and also dock along with standard protocol filter on the os to ensure the internet proxy web server to serve merely the preferred protocol. Learn the recent coughing details to your operating-system and make certain to use the pads along with very hot treatments on the outside stability machine after they tend to be granted. More valuable to the open hosts safe in comparison with secure. Fails that will taken place at a time by using a way or even a hot-fix that has not really recently been tried solely result in a momentary decrease of services.

Let down this Outside Admittance
Do not ever let litigant to a additional network ended up being by way of a world-wide-web proxy server, even if this looks cost effective to the actual remote control person. By offering external accessibility web proxy host, this permits online hackers to exploit your web proxies server to face mask the IP link and make this seem to be as though the internet proxy web server you are well on this bad. This can cause you to accountable for the damage they are doing.

Switch off unnecessary admittance
Tend not to manage all community services on the very same equipment with a net proxies hosting server. The overall guideline is essential, specially when employing a protection mechanism for example a net proxies hosting server. If products and services for example File transfer protocol as well as SMTP allows cyber criminals to access the internet proxies server, this hacker may disable world wide web proxy machine basic safety options to get additional usage of your current network. In case your services are divided into various machines, specific episodes is only going to give you File transfer protocol access to the FTP host, not the whole system.

In addition to for this purpose you can use a web proxy server in order to fill the internet or obtain records better. Nevertheless, many do not let the application of world wide web world-wide-web internet proxies because it requires verify your Internet protocol to access the world wide web (in particular the private). Pertaining to customers regarding virtual worlds could use an online proxies hosting server isn't a unknown person ever again. However there are some things to know with the beginning of the world wide web proxies web server.

Net proxies host is actually doing the job just like a pre-owned (as well as middleman) amongst our pcs along with internet resources that any of us would like access. Byte of information as well as information who go from the authentic world-wide-web solutions for instance om google go to a web proxy host initially and then processed in a way in the data source known as "cache" prior to being utilized in each of our computer systems. Ordinarily a internet proxies machine currently provides the info being obtained in order that he'll have for us all right with no studying the process of access from the authentic supply. Brilliance world-wide-web proxies may be the security as well as rate connected with transport as well as the security and personal privacy supplied. The downside, if the move didn't have fortune possibly irregular and slower, notably if you are using a new community net proxy server.

Privacy Policy for solid-business.blogspot.com

Privacy Policy for solid-business.blogspot.com 

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at solidheap@gmail.com. 

At solid-business.blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by solid-business.blogspot.com and how it is used. 

Log Files
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Cookies and Web Beacons 
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DoubleClick DART Cookie 
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Business Intelligence - What to Analyze?

Business intelligence or BI refers to skills, processes, technologies, applications and practices used to support business decision-making.

Several factors are analyzed in the process of making high quality decisions. Customers, competitors, business partners, economic environment and forecasts, and internal operations data all play a part in the business intelligence dynamic.

Customers: By collecting customer data, either (POS) Point-of-Sale or surveys and polls owners and managers can use this data to make important business decisions in marketing, budgeting, inventory, demographic targeting, and much more.

Competition: Competitive analysis can help your business in two major ways. First, by analyzing your competitors, you can take the very best of their ideas, and if you're not doing them, add them to your business mix. In addition, knowing each competitor well, allows you to look for areas where you can make your business stand out from them.

Partners: Making sure to use a careful selection process in selecting partners, and that all of your partners deliver on a timely, professional basis and offer affordable prices are keys to making your business run smoothly. Your business is only as good as the company it keeps, so make sure careful pro-active analysis and ongoing assessment is done on partner performance and consistency.

Environment: The economic landscape and especially that of your own particular industry are very important areas of business intelligence to focus on. By analyzing the economic climate, and making your business flexible enough to change with the times to keep up, you can use business intelligence to stay ahead of your competitors who are not keeping up-to-date.

Internal Analysis: Internally, you should analyze your businesses weaknesses and strengths often.Assets, liabilities, credits and debits also need regularly monitoring. (KPI) Key Performance Indicators are one of the most common ways businesses today measure their progress. KPI analysis can be done on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, or yearly basis. Business intelligence can help you decide which schedule is right for your company. KPI gives businesses a way of analyzing data, and forming strategies based on that analysis.

Many businesses use outside IT consultants to help them develop a "digital dashboard" to monitor all of their business intelligence data from one central focus point. An outside IT expert can help you design and carry out a network approach, where all BI technologies are able to community with each other, both inside and outside the business. Companies need assurance that they have a sound business intelligence infrastructure in place first, though. A business intelligence consultant can also help your business with this step.

Without a good BI plan, you are doing business in an information vacuum. It is a crucial part of starting, operating and preparing your business for changes. In the years to come, it is those businesses that outwit their competitors through flexibility, competitive analysis, and quick retrieval of crucial data that will stand the test of time.

Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence

An integrated set of software and hardware that is designed to meet a specific use is what constitutes a data warehouse appliance. This generally is made up of many servers, data storage devices, operating systems etc being very affordable and effective has emerged as a vital part of the data warehousing market. This appliance can be used to optimize different areas of data processing. Many appliances use languages like the SQL for interacting with the appliance on a database request level. Generally a true appliance requires no indexing or fine tuning and like other ordinary household devices is very easy to use and maintain. This makes it possible to set up a big data center warehouse in just a short span of time.

A data warehouse tool draws power from Massive Parallel Processing nodes and can deploy countless query processing nodes in a single appliance package. An appliance is capable of giving performance advantage that is practically a hundred times faster than general-use data warehouses. This amounts to low costs and low maintenance and automatically lesser power and cooling requirements since processors are not made to handle voluminous data. Data warehouse appliances are advantageous because they allow big companies to staff their warehouses better and help smaller organizations to resolve business challenges. Data center warehouse is therefore largely responsible for the manner in which businesses operate today.

Business intelligence implies activities that a company undertakes to get data about their competitors covering areas like market analysis, industry analysis and competition analysis. Even industrial espionage, it is believed, is a part of business intelligence. Here either an organization hires an outside agency or builds its own intelligence group to get inside information about the company's performance and areas that need improvement. It may then go through records of other businesses in the same field and customer surveys and at times also employ a spy to discreetly gather data. Unlike classic information gathering techniques, business intelligence systems make use of advanced technologies in data mining. Here all segments are interconnected and help to inform each other about their insights to get the complete picture. Business agility grows with business intelligence allowing an organization to exploit constantly changing market conditions.

Business intelligence in Australia is highly developed with the country ranking amongst the top five IT nations in the world. It can boast of good broadband connectivity, great internet security and strong government backing. It services are found to be taking control over nearly all spheres of the economy here ranging from social services and education to business, engineering projects to media and computing applications.

How Do I Implement Business Intelligence? (Part Two - Get to Know the Kitchen)

Characterize the Environment

The following list outlines the items and issues to cover in attempting to characterize the environment within which your challenge is encapsulated.

• Characterize the Environment
• Organizational Scope
• Project Sponsorship
• Business Context
• Business Objectives
• Current Data Landscape
• Solution Objectives
• Technical Environment
• Resources
• Funding

The topics outlined above may not all be necessary for some smaller organizations and in any case, it is not recommended to take a heavy approach to most of these items. All that is required is that they be given some thought and be documented if there is any useful information to be captured.

Organizational Scope

It may be that you are launching a BI initiative that is intended to eventually serve the entire organization. Titles like 'Enterprise Data Warehouse' (EDW) and 'Corporate Information Factory' (CIF) have frequently been given to such initiatives.

On the other hand, it may be that only a subset of your organization is the intended user and customer of the product. A division of your company, or possibly even a single department.

An all-too-common practice has been the creation of Data Marts an a virtually ad-hoc basis, resulting in an unknown and uncontrolled proliferation of such entities. It was recently published that Hewlett Packard launched an offensive against such a proliferation when it was discovered that there were more than 750 Data Marts in existence across the organization. This is when Business Intelligence could start to lose its true intended purpose.

Capturing the details of the organizational scope of your BI Initiative will serve to define the limits of the project.

Project Sponsorship

Any project needs to have its sponsors well defined. It is a good strategy to encourage a vibrant relationship between the sponsors and the delivery team. Record who they are and work on that relationship. If you are the sponsor then be prepared to maintain close contact and involvement with the person or team implementing your BI solution.

Business Context

Within the organization that is sponsoring or requesting a BI facility, there may any number of business processes, databases, application systems and sub-organizations. Take time to make a record of those for which the solution is to relevant, either as data sources or expected areas of enhancement.

Business Objectives

Why do we need a BI solution? Someone in the organization came to the conclusion that this would be beneficial. Someone is aware that the solution will meet one or more needs. What are those needs? What does that person or group expect to achieve? In what way will their aspirations be met? They must have a reason, or many reasons, perhaps for going ahead. Those reasons will indicate and help crystallize the objectives of the BI Initiative.

Current Data Landscape

Now that we have organizational scope, project sponsors, a business context and objectives, we should try to define the data sources that need to be leveraged in order to provide the candidate information from which some intelligent business decisions can be derived.

At this level it is sufficient to speak of this in terms of databases or applications or functional areas covered by an application.

Additional information about the data sources should be collected. How easy will it be to learn about the data source? Is it well documented? Are there still people available who developed, maintained or supported the database that can contribute inside knowledge? Is the source 'out-of-bounds'? Can we only obtain data from it under some constraint, such as time, frequency, security policy, etc.?

Solution Objectives

The information gathered so far will help direct your efforts and maintain control over scope, cost and delivery aspects of the project. They may not, however, define everything we might be able to learn about the nature of the target solution. It is possible that corporate or IT policy may also impact the size and scope of the project.

It is possible that technical limitations exist or resource availability limitations exist. There may even be limits on funding that prevent all the business objectives from being pursued all at once.

Sometimes, it makes sense to extend the scope a little because the effort of visiting one or more data sources just to obtain the requested data me be wasting an opportunity to pull more useful (but not yet requested) data, This is a very important consideration because returning to the same source later is far more expensive than picking up data now that may even be in adjacent columns to that which we have come looking for. This is one area where an experienced Dimensional Modeler is able to point to 'easy gains' that could soon satisfy a growing appetite for analytic data.

Technical Environment

It will be much easier to estimate the size of the project if we know something about the challenges it may present. One such challenge is dealing with the issues surrounding the way the data is currently hosted. Is it all in the same kind of database? Is it all in the same location? Are there common standards in place governing naming conventions, data type usage, data structure designs, etc?

Data is not always sitting in a database, nor is it always easily accessible. Sometimes it is necessary to access data that has already been extracted from its original source and stored somewhere else. It may be necessary to reuse the data feed of such a transfer of data from the destination. This can introduce serious issues of data reliability and stability. if the second destination has itself transformed the data or if the data has been summarized to a higher level of granularity or even stored as a periodic snapshot instead of at an atomic level, there will be issues.

Resources

Besides the need for resources on the BI project, there is often the need to call on the help of others outside the project. The lack of such resources, or limitations on their availability can cause problems for the BI Initiative.

Funding

Large companies tend to be able to fund large projects. Conversely, small companies cannot. However, outside of this fact, there is a need to consider whether a large project is actually the most effective approach to BI. Many initiatives have come to grief because the challenges involved, compounded by the inherent difficulty of coordinating large scale projects, leading to massive over-runs and wasted time.

One of the key areas for devastating misjudgments is that in which organizations inexperienced in DW and BI take on projects that are too large and too complex for their relatively inexperienced team.

Regardless of whether funding is easily obtained or not, it is strongly recommended that some kind of 'pilot project' be initiated first, to gain experience and confidence in dealing with the new technologies involved. Then after an initial smaller success, the team (or individual, as is often the case) can move on to take more territory.

Key to success is knowing how much to attempt rather than how much to fund.

Establish a Roadmap

The mode under which the BI Initiative will be conducted is the most important consideration at the start of the project.

Historically, most software application development projects followed a phased plan that was essentially serial in nature. Often referred to as 'waterfall model' processes, these were so named because the product of the first phase 'poured' into the second phase, the second into the third and so on, regardless of the name or purpose of each phase.

Eventually, it became obvious that this approach could be responsible for many of the ills that plagued such projects. The fact that any given phase is dependent entirely on the quality, appropriateness and timeliness of the products of its predecessor meant that any single phase had the potential of setting the limit on the overall project success, of being the weakest link.

Furthermore, the very act of feeding one phase with the documented results of another could introduce defects due to the misunderstandings, ambiguities, lack of clarity, etc., resulting from this form of communication. Surprisingly, the creators of one phase's deliverable were often not available for consultation with the recipients of their efforts in the next phase. Many weaker processes did not mandate a review (or quality gate) at the end of each phase.

Yet another issue with Waterfall models is that the project is not finished until all phases are complete. As this could extend into years, it would be necessary to 'freeze' requirements until the project was complete. Business changes would have to go unattended to because interrupting this process was too disruptive to be tolerated. Also, any error in delivering against the original requirements may not come to light until the very end of the string of phases, when it is then the most expensive to repair.

Evolving the Solution

Avoiding all the above issues is not a trivial task. Splitting the project into 'waves' is sometimes attempted to reduce the work going through the sequence of phases and therefore reducing the time frame of each wave is one, often used approach for very large projects. However, this does not remove the problem-causing imperfections of waterfall models, only 'divides' in order to 'conquer' them.

The approach that often produces the most successful result is that of 'Iterative' development, or prototyping. The main aim in this method is to work as quickly as possible toward a reduced end-product but one which can still be used, or at least, demonstrated.

Its advantages are: a quicker end point at which the product can be evaluated; an opportunity to learn from mistakes, misunderstandings or unseen challenges and the availability of a version of the solution that the sponsors can try out to see if their ideas were sound or in need of refinement. Indeed, the all-round learning process afforded by the first iteration is one of the strongest arguments for the approach. This takes us away from the need to 'get everything absolutely correct, at the first and only attempt.

The virtual impossibility of such an outcome with the waterfall model is certainly what leads to the creation of a 'Phase II' on most projects. Phase II may include new features but it usually includes a lot more in the way of 'rework' of the initial release.

Establishing a road-map for the project involves the decision to use the appropriate style of process and determining what to deliver by way of a prototype.

Dividing the project into two or more iterations offers many advantages if that option is available.

..to be continued in Part Three of 'How do I Implement Business Intelligence?'.

MeasureGroup™ co-founder, president and CEO, Derek A. Ashton is a career professional with more than forty years of IT experience. He was the designer of the world's first ATM for TSB Bank (now Lloyds). Mr. Ashton has been a speaker to audiences at major venues on Software Process Improvement and worked directly on all of the company's Data Warehouse assignments, either in a leadership role or as the DW Architect.

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