Adapting Agile Practices for Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence, and Analytics

Business surveys indicate that fewer than 30% of data warehousing and business intelligence (DW/BI) projects meet the stated goals of the budget, schedule, and quality. Agile methods have been suggested as a possible solution, but because of the large size of the typical DW/BI project, it may be difficult to apply the agile values and principles. In this article, the following research questions are raised: Can agile practices be adapted for DW/BI development? What factors influence agile DW/BI development? Six semi-structured interviews were conducted using a questionnaire. The interview transcripts were coded using the grounded theory approach. Eight categories emerged from the analysis: business value, project management, agile development, shared understanding, technological capability, top management commitment, complexity, and organizational culture. Based on the categories, a research framework is proposed. The findings reveal that agile methods are suited for only certain aspects of DW/BI projects and need to be augmented with project management practices.