PPM Data warehouseThere’s no doubt that data is critical in today’s business world. It drives the decision-making process in all aspects, from targeting the right audience to measuring product success. To make time-sensitive decisions, though, data needs to be readily accessible and easily reported – so that the right data can make its way into the hands of the right end users. PPM data warehouses were created to solve this dilemma, enabling quicker and more efficient data access for intelligent, insightful reporting.

What is a PPM data warehouse?

A data warehouse is a database that has been organized and arranged based on schema – or a logical database architecture. That schema makes data access quicker and more efficient than the underlying database, which merely serves as a place to store information.

A PPM data warehouse is built with reporting in mind, using a defined schema to apply relationships to your data and aggregate it in a way that makes it easy to retrieve, and thus easy to report. The result is a set of staged data for your PPM that makes addressing business questions easier and more logical.

You’ll be able to answer questions like:

  • Which projects are behind schedule, over budget, and not delivering results?
  • Why are these projects late or overbudget, and what can we do to improve performance?

A PPM data warehouse converts data to actionable information. It also sets the stage for future reporting – positioning data as useful information for questions the PMO has not yet even considered. It becomes one of the most critical investments a PMO and CIO can make in their PPM system deployment.

The Significance of Schema

With PPM data, it’s crucial to not only have access to the data, but access to a logical schema that maps the relationships between different elements. A PPM data warehouse is designed with a schema that has been assembled to support the relationships between key project, portfolio, resource, and work elements that are required for successful operational reporting.

Ask yourself:

  • Is it important for your PMO to understand project progress and resourcing, as well as track key decisions and changes throughout the lifecycle?
  • Is the focus more about work plan versus actual tracking by (for example) resource or business unit?

Understanding which questions you are looking to answer drives the schema design, which can vary organization to organization – depending upon each PMO’s specific requirements.

  1. There’s a good chance that the next question someone asks will require a new data element or report.
  2. When management wants a new view of your PPM data, they want it now – because no one has the patience to wait for a data sync or download.
  3. Your PMO needs to be responsive to new demands, especially with today’s self-service BI expectations.
  4. If PMO doesn’t deliver the information users want, users will call someone else – and it will probably be your IT group!
  5. A day will come when you will be asked for a historical view of your PPM data for compliance, audit, or regulatory reasons.
  6. You need to own your data – even if you’re only renting your PPM system.
  7. Your PPM deserves a real enterprise reporting strategy.
  8. OData reporting directly from Microsoft Project Online will regularly disappoint and frustrate you.
  9. PPM systems need future-proof flexibility, and it’s much easier to design and deploy a system now instead of later, when you are already knee-deep in data and looking for solutions.
  10. You can use your PPM to validate that the PMO is a forward-looking, strategic investment.

Where can you find a PPM data warehouse?

Projility offers a pre-built PPM data warehouse with Hammerhead Projects, its proprietary software solution that works with Microsoft’s Project Server and Project Online. Using dynamic dashboards with complete, role-based controls, plus full integration with Power BI, Hammerhead allows users to manage PPM data efficiently – without costly customization – and it enables both self-service and remote/tablet based reporting. It comes with a full, pre-built data schema, reporting library, and unique synchronization engine that keeps data available, fresh, and relevant. The solution also supports the inclusion and reporting of non-traditional data elements – such as management decision points, change requests, and management controls – to provide a full look across ALL PPM data, and not just your schedules.

Hammerhead delivers the visibility and insight enterprises need to make strategic, informed, and impactful decisions. If your PMO is looking to drive results with its PPM system investment and reduce its time-to-value, give Projility a call today. We’ll show you how Hammerhead and its PPM data warehouse can transform your enterprise’s decision-making process. For information watch our webinar.

Why do I need a PPM data warehouse for Project Online? from Rob Hirschmann on Vimeo.

Projility provides expert solutions for effective change. We offer enterprise portfolio and project management solutions based on Microsoft Project Server and Project Online, with tailored dashboard reporting, analytics, and decision-making tools via our Hammerhead technology. Projility also implements professional services automation systems established on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Project Service, and presents cloud-based strategies, migrations, and hosting solutions through Microsoft Azure. Contact us for more information.