Data Warehouses

A data warehouse is a centralised information system that aggregates and stores data from multiple sources in a unified format for analysis and reporting purposes. It allows organisations to collect, integrate and manage large volumes of data efficiently, supporting business decision-making and strategic planning.

Data warehouses are designed specifically for analytical purposes, enabling complex queries to be executed without compromising the performance of operational systems. They provide a historical view of organisational activities, assisting in trend identification and forecasting.

Data warehouse implementation typically involves ETL processes (Extract, Transform, Load), where data is extracted from source systems, transformed into a suitable format, and loaded into the warehouse. Modern data warehouses can also be cloud-based, offering flexibility and scalability to meet the evolving needs of an organisation.

See also: SQL