Capturing Reporting Dimensions

More often than not, the companies that become my clients have a common problem.  That problem is they're drowning in data but are crying out for meaningful and actionable information.  I'm currently working with a client in just such a position.  A technology manufacturer with a global footprint, this client has an Enterprise application to generate and capture transactional data.  In fact, they have three of them.  What they don't have is a common data repository and common data definitions to accurately capture and tag the data for reuse. 

Best Practice companies are adept at capturing data once and using it repeatedly.  They have also made significant progress on that most cherished ideal - the One Version of the Truth.  The companies that do this invest in the technology - the data warehouse and concommitant tools - to provide the common data repository.  But this alone is not sufficient.  They also excel at governing data with the proper oversight and definitions.  By doing so, they strategically align their defined reporting dimensions with their business.   This way, the various Lines of Business and Geographies  can report and analyze their business in a way that is consistent with the overarching strategic goals of the organization.