Adrienne Tannenbaum is president of Database Design Solutions, Inc. (www.dbdsolutions.com), a New Jersey-based consulting firm specializing in the revitalization of corporate data. The firm focuses on data issues within large organizations and supports all data reconstruction efforts with a solid meta data backbone. Tannenbaum is the author of two popular meta data-focused books: Metadata Solutions: Using Metamodels, Repositories, XML, and Enterprise Portals to Generate Information on Demand (2001, Addison Wesley) and Implementing a Corporate Repository (1994, Wiley).

Do you have any advice for providing some structure for a new master data management project?
May 1, 2007

Why hasn't the data warehouse and BI been more active in areas that go beyond just making money?
March 1, 2007

We are going to change the numbering format for our customers for database across the organization. What should we consider before beginning the project?
March 1, 2007

Is it possible to have transactional databases replicated as a DW, provided the data is clean and similar to the DW structure? What are the pros and cons of this approach?
March 1, 2007

How do other companies vet report requests from internal customers when rolling out the DW?
February 1, 2007

Please suggest some hints/methodology to help us redesign the data model which will make all the reports obsolete.
February 1, 2007

Metadata's New Clothes
February 1, 2007 This article discusses the history of metadata and its current environment, including the meta-metamodel.

Do you see the ODS and the DW blending into a single data store?
January 2, 2007

How can I convince management to allocate resources for data quality?
November 9, 2006

Would you recommend deleting inconsistent data in our sources?
November 9, 2006

How is an information warehouse project different than a typical project for a transaction system?
October 2, 2006

What is the best way to test a data warehouse?
October 2, 2006

Ask the Experts
August 25, 2006 A sample of questions that our panel of experts receives and responds to.

How do we evolve our current business intelligence infrastructure to support operational business intelligence
August 1, 2006

Why can't you experts agree on terminology?
June 13, 2006

Are Web-based analytics solutions actually useful for many organizations?
June 13, 2006

Should the size of a company affect the need for a decision support system, a data warehouse, and an expert system to improve its sales figures and profitability?
June 13, 2006

Ask the Experts
May 26, 2006 What is the current state of data warehousing and data mining?

What should we provide as support for BI development and customized reports in the insurance industry?
May 11, 2006

Should we load null values into the data warehouse?
May 11, 2006

Can we have data marts which have the same structure but at different locations?
May 11, 2006

When is the appropriate time to load stored procedures?
May 11, 2006

We are currently evaluating several BI solution options and realized that there are solutions that manage by data kept in data warehouses and those that manage by data kept in analysis cubes.
July 8, 2004 We are currently evaluating several BI solution options and realized that there are solutions that manage by data kept in data...

This has to do with a data design issue.
July 8, 2004 This has to do with a data design issue. The setting is a shipping company, but I'll ignore the usual from/to, customer,...

Can data mining be implemented if there is only data for 2,000 customers?
June 10, 2004 Can data mining be implemented if there is only data for 2,000 customers?

Any time I get to a data related project I have a choice of ETL tool vs.homegrown solution.
June 10, 2004 Any time I get to a data related project I have a choice of ETL tool vs. homegrown solution. Over the years I have created...

I have to model a transportation data mart.
June 10, 2004 I have to model a transportation data mart. There are 3 levels of events. These facts are a mixture of numeric and datetime...

It's always scary to trot out one's core beliefs in front of the pros, but I need to hear your constructive criticism.
June 10, 2004 It's always scary to trot out one's core beliefs in front of the pros, but I need to hear your constructive criticism. The...

What would be considered data management best practices?
January 8, 2004 What would be considered data management best practices?

I have a data modeling question regarding patient diagnosis and hospital procedures that I can’t get to work.
November 5, 2003 I have a data modeling question regarding patient diagnosis and hospital procedures that I can’t get to work. Each patient...

If a piece of information traverses several applications before placement in the DW is the data quality of that information more in question than data that arrives directly from the operational source?
August 22, 2003 If a piece of information traverses several applications before placement in the DW is the data quality of that information...

What is the difference between the terms "business intelligence" and "data warehousing?"
August 22, 2003 What is the difference between the terms "business intelligence" and "data warehousing?" People seem to be using these...

Have companies that have implemented data warehouses, particularly financial institutions, established a special data warehouse organization?
August 22, 2003 Have companies that have implemented data warehouses, particularly financial institutions, established a special data...

I am newly involved in the BI/BPM space.
August 22, 2003 I am newly involved in the BI/BPM space. One of the things we are experiencing with our solution is that our client's...

I have read many articles about knowledge management over the years.
August 22, 2003 I have read many articles about knowledge management over the years. In all of these I have never seen any software to...

We are currently looking for a best-in-class, pure Web-based BI tool for reporting, ad hoc and analysis needs.
August 22, 2003 We are currently looking for a best-in-class, pure Web-based BI tool for reporting, ad hoc and analysis needs. Any...

Meta Data Solutions and Their Return on Investment
January 11, 2002 Calculating the ROI for a meta data solution effort is sometimes required. Dollars can be assigned to the organization’s...