Your Cake and Eat it Too” - Leveraging Automation with a Business Focus

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AI Summary

Session Summary

Introduction

• Topic: Leveraging automation with a business focus in data warehousing, specifically using Data Vault.
• Presenters: Peter and Hans.
• Collaboration: Genesys Academy for Data Vault training certification and Pet Bellis for Data Vault Builder automation.

Data Vault Modeling & Automation

• Data Vault Modeling: Suited for automation from the beginning, using templates and repeatable patterns.
• Automation in Data Warehousing: Historically designed to automate business processes, suited for consistent, structured, and stable tasks.
• Challenges:
  • Technical and Business Divide: Communication gap between IT and business, leading to semantic issues.
  • Perspective and Context: Different departments have varying perspectives and contexts, complicating integration.
  • Complexity: Arises from abstractions and subtypes in operational business perspectives.

Business-Driven Enterprise Model

• Need: A true business-driven enterprise model that leverages automation.
• Approach:
  • Start with a Business Model: Define core business concepts and natural business relationships.
  • Ensemble Logical Model (ELM): A conceptual logic view of a Data Vault model.
  • Automation: Use tools like Data Vault Builder to convert business models into working code.

Case Example: Groom Bark

• Business: Dog grooming service.
• Process:
  • ELM Workshops: Define business model with business users.
  • Mapping: Identify hubs and links for the foundational model.
  • Automation: Pass the model to Data Vault Builder for implementation.

Data Vault Builder Demonstration

• Process:
  • Import Model: Extract metadata from Excel sheets and map to a meta-meta model.
  • Generate Tables: Create hubs, links, and satellites based on the model.
  • Load Data: Connect to source systems, stage data, and load into the Data Vault.
  • Create Interfaces: Define outputs for data consumers without writing SQL.
  • Documentation and Lineage: Automatically generate documentation and data lineage.
  • Deployment: Use Git for version control and deployment.

Conclusion

• Business Model Stability: The business model is stable and should be the starting point.
• Technical Implementation: Data Vault Builder enables synchronization between the business model and technical implementation.
• Training and Resources: Genesys Academy and Data Vault Builder offer training and tools for implementing a business-focused data warehousing approach.

Additional Notes

• Automation Benefits: Reduces manual work and accelerates time to market.
• Harmonization: Best done at the interface layer, not during data loading.
• Data Lineage: Essential for understanding data flow from source to report.
• Two-Way Sync: Important for keeping external models and technical implementation in sync.