Auto Guys initiated a data warehousing project four years ago but it never achieved full usage. After initial support for the project eroded, management revisited their motives for the warehouse and decided to restart the project with a few changes. One reason for the restructuring, according to the project manager, was the complexity of the model initially employed by Auto Guys.

What’s the scope of what can be considered a data warehousing failure? Discuss.

a> Usefulness to the End User

 Despite the successful implementation of the data warehouse, it cannot be a complete success unless it is useful to the end user for the intended purpose.

For example, in case of Complicated Systems, focus on the requirements of end users helped chiefly for the company to recover from its previous failure, which was mainly due to lack of involvement of end users in the process.

b> Easy Accessibility to the Data Warehouse

The consideration of accessibility of the data warehouse by end users needs to be considered from technological as well as skills points of view.

The fact behind failure of GRL to implement successful warehousing solution was that the problem of accessibility it desired to address simply took a new form. Initially it was the restriction of a COBOL-skilled person, and later it was the requirement of a person skilled in PowerBuider.

c> Open to Scalability and Adaptability

  Especially in case of high-aspiring warehousing projects, an initial release which is open for future scalability can be a good buy, instead of facing the risks of meeting failure solely due to complexity and size of the project, which is the adaptive strategy adopted by Auto Guys.

What generalizations apply across the cases?

Lack of Focus on End Goal

A lack of focus on end goal, as it is evident in most of the cases, seemed to cause critical repercussions in terms of budget allocation, deadline management and setting milestones.

Importance of Proper Business Case

A proper business case is necessary to set the proper expectations and offers a common path along which the involved parties can collaborate.

Importance of Periodic Communication and Formal Commitments

Explanation: