With the number of unsuccessful data warehouse projects in the last several years reaching significant numbers, more and more organizations are becoming frustrated with a return on value of analytics solutions. Recently there has been a wave of unpleasant reminders of how significant amounts of money and time can be spent, only for an organization to receive little value and have to start over or abandon their efforts.

An asset is something that will have value in future periods and the data warehouse (if it’s any good) certainly fits into that definition. Companies capitalize their ERPs and the guys with the green eyeshades don’t object. Why not the data warehouse? A number of us have long maintained that the DW is a real asset that has significant value to an organization – some of us even believe that the DW will make the difference between a company living and dying. Since the DW provides value in future periods, the DW represents an intangible asset that should be capitalized on a company’s balance sheet along with the tangible assets: cash, accounts receivable, inventory, plant and machinery

Traditional systems development and implementation has focused on processes, rather than on data as the foundation of the enterprise. A data orientation led by data governance represents a major cultural change. It is not only a change in the way an organization delivers information, it also implies a new way of perceiving, accessing and respecting the evolving asset of information by the business community.