Gaining Competitive Advantage on the Basis of Data Warehousing and Data Architecture

This paper discusses the relationship between data warehousing, data architecture, strategy and strategic thinking. How the business organizations can use these as business applications and competitive advantage tools. This paper will attempt to demonstrate data warehousing and data architecture strategically, for that we must first understand strategy and strategic thinking. Once we understand those concepts, the strategic logic of data warehousing becomes clear and the path to an optimum implementation emerges. We will demonstrate that data warehousing is best appreciated as a realization of the deep and far reaching strategic idea of a rising tide strategy. The maximum return from data warehousing occurs when it is conceptualized, implemented, managed, and evolved within that context. Before doing that, however, it is beneficial to level set and review the data architecture origins of data warehousing.