Central WarehousingCentral Warehousing

Work Session of Friends of the Chair Group

Bern, Switzerland

6 – 8 June 2007

Marie Brodeur/Michel Girard

Statistics Canada

OverviewOverview

Categories of warehousesCategories of warehouses

Data and analysisData and analysis• Business Intelligence softwareBusiness Intelligence software• Comparing data from various sourcesComparing data from various sources

Characteristics of data warehousesCharacteristics of data warehouses

ExamplesExamples

IntegrationIntegrationSuite of centralized toolsSuite of centralized tools

Collection – Processing – Collection – Processing – AnalysisAnalysis PIPES – Improving provincial statisticsPIPES – Improving provincial statistics

• Improving consistencyImproving consistency• Improving coherenceImproving coherence

Story using data from various sourcesStory using data from various sources Coherence among surveys, entities…Coherence among surveys, entities… Breadth and depth of business survey dataBreadth and depth of business survey data

IntegrationIntegrationStatistical agenciesStatistical agencies

Ability to validly compare data and Ability to validly compare data and aggregate statistics across industries aggregate statistics across industries and/or institutional sectors and/or and/or institutional sectors and/or other aspects of economic interestother aspects of economic interest

Rely on standardizationRely on standardization• Standard unitsStandard units• Standard classificationsStandard classifications• Common analytical frameworkCommon analytical framework

WarehouseWarehouse

Link with source data at the cell levelLink with source data at the cell level• Even at the micro levelEven at the micro level

Common classifications/concordancesCommon classifications/concordances Source data are treated according to Source data are treated according to

same concepts and definitionssame concepts and definitions Promote Promote integrationintegration not only not only

reconciliationreconciliation Capacity to show adjustmentsCapacity to show adjustments

WarehousingWarehousing Evolution of the conceptEvolution of the concept

Unified Survey Tracking, Analysis and Unified Survey Tracking, Analysis and Retrieval Tool (U-START)Retrieval Tool (U-START)

SNA Analytical Warehouse (SNA AW)SNA Analytical Warehouse (SNA AW)

CANSIM (STC Dissemination)CANSIM (STC Dissemination)• Tabulations and metadataTabulations and metadata• Focus is on aggregate dataFocus is on aggregate data• Issue with comparabilityIssue with comparability

U-STARTU-START

PhilosophyPhilosophy• Contains survey and administrative dataContains survey and administrative data• Feeding CSNA from one central pointFeeding CSNA from one central point

Coherence of analysisCoherence of analysis• Residential construction/wood productionResidential construction/wood production• Feeding CSNA analytical outputFeeding CSNA analytical output

U-STARTU-START Point and click access to data and metadataPoint and click access to data and metadata

• Collection, edit, imputation and estimation phaseCollection, edit, imputation and estimation phase A data/document querying toolA data/document querying tool

• Including questionnaire imageIncluding questionnaire image Quick access to user defined static reportQuick access to user defined static report

• Frequency reports, grouped tabulations, contribution Frequency reports, grouped tabulations, contribution reportsreports

Ability to summarize large databasesAbility to summarize large databases Drill down - macro to micro and navigationDrill down - macro to micro and navigation Exporting tool: off-the-shelf software/databasesExporting tool: off-the-shelf software/databases Links to analytical outputs/survey notes or Links to analytical outputs/survey notes or

information (Corporate knowledge)information (Corporate knowledge)

SNA WarehouseSNA WarehouseBeing implemented…Being implemented…

Accessing source data and metadataAccessing source data and metadata Common way to manipulate the dataCommon way to manipulate the data Not a place to processNot a place to process Excellent to compute consistently derived Excellent to compute consistently derived

statisticsstatistics Analytical toolAnalytical tool

• Promoting common judgmentPromoting common judgment• Dealing with new staffDealing with new staff• Facilitate Facilitate integration not only reconciliationintegration not only reconciliation

U-START and SNA WarehouseU-START and SNA Warehouse

Quick access to dataQuick access to data Learning tool Learning tool Consistency of derived statisticsConsistency of derived statistics Capacity to analyze data at various Capacity to analyze data at various

stages of productionstages of production AdjustmentsAdjustments Promote coherencePromote coherence Must work on documentation aspectsMust work on documentation aspects