Alena Bashmakova

Advantages for automated testing in Business Intelligence far outweigh disadvantages: Reliable/repeatable/reusable; Better quality software; Fast; Long-term savings. These all jump to mind when talking about automated testing in Business Intelligence. In most cases, automated testing makes sense for BI.

Many people think that if they have tested the database they’ve tested the data warehouse. But that’s a mistake. A BIG mistake. OLTP (on-line transaction processing) testing is database testing. But OLAP (on-line analytical processing) system testing applies to the data warehouse, and more specifically, ETL testing.

Well written, unambiguous requirements are the first step to successful BI/ETL implementation, and good testing of these requirements can significantly reduce your project’s cost and risks. Glancing at the diagram below, it is immediately apparent how important it is to start testing from the very first stage – at the requirements. The cost of a...

More businesses – even small to medium ones – are finding they need a data warehouse to manage their business intelligence functions. And as they learn about the challenges of building these systems, they also learn that building in quality with rigorous testing is the best foundation for success. So when should you begin to think about testing? The answer is simple - at the beginning of the project. Quality must be baked into the data warehouse or users will quickly lose faith in the business intelligence produced. It then becomes very difficult to get people back on board.