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Can you understand a table without headers?

The key to successful data warehouse integration projects: effective collaboration with source system Stakeholders. Many tend to focus only on business stakeholders during data warehouse integration projects, yet source system stakeholders are just as critical. Their involvement (securing their “buy-in”) is a key prerequisite for a successful integration - whether it’s about data loading or understanding the data itself. Effective collaboration with source system stakeholders in the assessment phase determines the success of a project through three key factors.

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1. Response Time

Fast and efficient communication is essential for smooth project progress. If response times are slow, or there is no expert available for direct clarification, delays can occur as early as the assessment phase, jeopardizing the overall project timeline.

2. Source System Documentation

Well-documented source systems help in understanding data flows. Incomplete or inaccurate documentation can lead to misleading conclusions during the assessment phase, potentially resulting in data loss or faulty integration later.

For example, if the source system doesn’t provide data types, you’re left with two bad options:

  • Play it safe, increasing database size and reducing performance, or

  • Make assumptions, risking data flow interruptions and availability issues.

3. Data Quality

Data accuracy and reliability are fundamental, and poor quality can create roadblocks from the very beginning of an integration project. This applies not only to business data but also to metadata, which is equally crucial in integration projects.


For instance, can you determine exactly what data a table contains without headers?
Such data quality issues don’t just complicate the assessment phase—they also hinder data transfers.

For a project to truly succeed, source system stakeholders must actively participate, making integration a shared goal. But what if that ideal level of cooperation isn’t possible?

There are still ways to move forward: analyzing existing reports based on the source system and gaining direct access to the system’s user interface can be invaluable in uncovering hard-to-find answers.

About author

Zsofi
Zsófi Udvardi

BI Analyst

Analytics - BI Solution Delivery

As a BI Analyst, Zsófi Udvardi focuses on assessing business processes and reporting needs, as well as designing, implementing, and operating data warehouse solutions that align with business requirements. She has experience in the commercial, energy, telecommunications, and financial sectors. Her successful project management is supported by her diverse IT project experience as a senior consultant.

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