Real-Time Data Warehousing: GIS

Mark Rittman links to DM Review - Real-Time Data Warehousing: GIS by Simon Terr, who learns a great lesson:

Another interesting discovery was that upon closer inspection data warehouses have geographic information. In fact, virtually every dimension and fact table has some geographic component to it from customer addresses in the customer dimension to transactions and their locations in the fact table.

I have always thought that a geographic dimension based on zip code is one of the great untapped stores of knowledge in any data warehouse. A dimension based on geographic and demographic data (much of it available for free) is extremely powerful in the hands of a marketer, and is easy to add. Think that mapping systems are only for research facilities, the military, and huge corporations with millions to burn? Think again. Microsoft's Mappoint (a little over $200 delivered) has a free OLAP plug in that makes maps like this a cinch:



This was built with Mappoint 2002 off an otherwise very normal sample star schema. Lattiude and logitude data associated with each zip code (in the census files linked above) allow you to do cool proximity and closest-location searches. Add in a market survey/study for your industry (probably the most expensive thing mentioned here) and all of a sudden any data warehouse is exponentially more powerful.

I've mentioned this before, but until way more people catch on, i'll mention it again I'm sure.