~ Focus Areas

1. Business Value & Strategic Direction
   • Assess the impact of the data warehouse on business performance.
   • Review the cost/benefit procedures.
   • Review prioritization process.
   • Evaluate impact of scope and mission of the data warehouse relative to business drivers.

2. Architecture & Infrastructure
   • Review existing hardware, software, integration of data warehouse tools.
   • Assess current enterprise data warehouse and data mart strategy.
   • Evaluate data distribution, replication, and synchronization strategies.

3. Evaluation & Selection of New Tools
   • Assess the methodology for evaluating and selecting vendors.
   • Assess the process/procedure for managing vendors.

4. Data Modeling (Logical, Physical, Mapping)
   • Evaluate data modeling process.
   • Review quality of existing data models.
   • Review logical to physical data model mapping.
   • Assess design review process for data models.

5. Data Analysis, Integration & Cleansing
   • Evaluate process by which data is acquired from legacy source systems.
   • Review process for measuring cleanliness of data.
   • Review data cleansing transformations.
   • Review data standards.

6. Meta Data Strategy & Repository
   • Evaluate status of existing meta data.
   • Assess effectiveness of current repository mechanism.
   • Evaluate process by which meta data is obtained and documented.
   • Review how users and IT are using meta data and the repository.

7. Standards
   • Review existing standards.
   • Determine effectiveness of those standards.
   • Assess if standards are being followed.

8. Defining the DW Organization (Roles & Responsibilities)
   • Review existing roles and responsibilities.
   • Review the structure of the data warehouse group.
   • Identify potential organizational roadblocks.

9. Procedures & Organization for Testing
   • Review the test procedures.
   • Review the organization and staffing for testing.
   • Review testing documentation.

10. Application & Delivery
    • Review data warehouse applications.
    • Assess the types of tools being used.
    • Determine effectiveness of tools.
    • Assess intranet and extranet delivery approaches.