From the Editor

Dear Readers,

Spring has arrived. Each year the promise of warmer weather brings with it rejuvenated energy and the desire to accomplish a thorough spring cleaning. For me, this not only means scrubbing, but also simplifying in every possible way. Whether I’m focusing on organizing my surroundings or devoting my attention to the simplification of a complicated project, I begin by looking at what’s vitally important and focusing on the fundamentals. Breaking each task down to the basics allows me to review and revise the basic and complex processes associated with each item.

Looking at the fundamentals is a theme in much of our editorial content this month. In our cover story, Ralph Kimball takes this approach by taking us through the steps required for developing an enterprise architecture for the integrated enterprise data warehouse. Read his specific guidance for the necessary design elements in part one of “Essential Steps for the Integrated Enterprise Data Warehouse”. Then be sure to read part two of the article next month.

The task of providing meaningful Web analytics can be overwhelming, especially when business managers may want to measure everything. Paul Legutko suggests a process for organizing and analyzing Web site information in an architecture that preserves the detail, but also allows an easily digestible way to tackle this challenge.

Many people recognize the fundamental importance of data quality, but some people still question the best ways to accomplish and maintain high quality data over time. Vicki Raeburn breaks down the people processes of data quality in her column, “The Five Keys to Data Quality”.

Peter Graham, who we welcome as our newest columnist, discusses the basic issues in developing an information foundation within an organization. His future Strategy Execution columns will break down the issues and concentrate on five areas CIOs must evaluate to build an information-empowered organization.

I’m sure that your work is full of complicated projects, and I hope that you encounter some proud moments when success is evident. DM Review’s Innovative Solution Awards are our way of recognizing these successes and commending exceptional solutions. If you wish to nominate a solution for consideration, please contact me at julie.langenkamp@sourcemedia.com for additional details.

As I think about the basics, I am reminded of the fundamental nature of our industry and our work: to manage data and information in a way that provides meaningful insight for better decisions. It is my sincere pleasure to provide guidance from industry thought leaders in the magazine and on DMReview.com to help you with this basic, yet vital, purpose.

Enjoy,