Knowledge Integration Dynamics (KID) has completed a data warehousing training and skills transfer programme at health financing company Discovery Health.
Mervyn Mooi, a data warehouse consultant from KID, worked closely with Discovery Health staff throughout the implementation of the data warehouse, starting with the business analysis and design phase, through
to extraction, transformation and loading of data into the data warehouse.
In addition, KID guided Discovery Health staff through an intensive set of data warehousing training courses. Now that this process is complete, Discovery Health has an independent internal team of data warehousing professionals to continue its data warehousing growth into the future.
Sam Greenblatt, head of Discovery Health`s enterprise data management team, says: "For a health financing company, information and data are vital assets. Our understanding of the knowledge we have about our members is critical to the way we approach business problems.
"Implementation of a data warehouse was a logical step towards creating a sustainable data management and reporting environment."
Discovery Health has based the data warehouse on the Oracle 8i database and related tools, but has not yet finalised a decision on the front-endreporting tool. Implementation of the data warehouse started in December 2000 and the first data mart went live in March. The company has completed
the implementation of data marts storing claims and clinical data.
"The data warehouse allows us to store information in a central repository, which users can access reliably without impacting the performance of the operational systems. Over time, we will extend the data warehouse to support every area in the business that has a need for centralised reporting," says Greenblatt.
Greenblatt says KID was the only data warehousing services organisation that was willing to support the medical fund`s objective of developing a self-sufficient data warehousing team. KID was also prepared to take a vendor-neutral approach to the project.
"We`ve taken an approach to data warehousing that emphasises sound risk management and financial prudence. We are not just throwing money at the project, and have been able to go live in very small increments. KID was instrumental in supporting that vision," says Greenblatt.
Mooi says one of the key reasons for the success of the project at Discovery Health is the organisation`s determination to invest in its data and grow its own skills in the discipline of data warehousing.
"Discovery Health has managed to develop a team that not only understands the discipline of data warehousing - but which also understands its business and the reporting needs of its end-users."
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