In the end, the help-desk approach won easily. This retailing conglomerate has no regrets about inhibiting the technical education of its store managers, and no one is losing sleep about the data warehouse not being used to its fullest potential. Next, the director of data warehousing and his staff will be setting up a special analysis group dedicated to the company's executives, who are interested in monthly revenue reports. The Ultimate Success By mid-1996, BBS had deployed eight applications to the desktops of over 250 users. As a whole, the benefits of putting knowledge of the business via warehouse data directly into the hands of the businesspeople who need it far outweighed any additional costs or a longer development cycle.
Users become increasingly self-sufficient.
Users are not dependent on another group's knowledge, schedules, availability, or politics to obtain the information they need to do their jobs. More people can analyze more data faster and make better decisions. Quality improves because the data search and analysis are performed closer to the decision-maker. Because users themselves provide requirements and success metrics, customer satisfaction drives development. Businesspeople are not at the mercy of someone else's interpretation or paradigm and can ask the questions directly.