My first Publication Agile-Data-Warehouse-Design-eBook | Page 312

A PPENDIX C: R ESOURCES F OR A GILE
D IMENSIONAL M ODELERS
Here is our list of recommended resources to help you implement the ideas contained in the book.
Tools: Hardware and Software
Use Inclusive Tools. Take Pictures
We’re very interested in the use of tablet devices for collaborative data modeling, but until they support
seamless shared drawing and become ubiquitous, to the point where everyone is comfortable using them
to scribble all over your nascent designs, we recommend that you use low-tech whiteboards, flipcharts,
large Post-It notes, or whiteboard-on-a-roll for your modelstorming sessions.
The Wi-Fi–enabled cameras in smartphones and tablets can be tremendously useful for capturing
modelstorming results and quickly transferring them to a laptop for further review (stick to black ink on
your whiteboards and flipcharts to help with that). There are many apps that can automate the workflow
of cleaning up whiteboard images and moving them to shared folders for group viewing.
Go Large
Digital projectors are our number one high-tech collaborative modeling tools. It’s amazing how quickly
everyone can spot opportunities to improve a data model when it’s blown up large on the wall. Invite
your colleagues to the screening of your latest data model. Perhaps they can stay for a movie afterwards!
Avoid Database Modeling Tools When You’re Not Talking To Databases
We recommend that you use spreadsheets and presentation software for communicating with business
stakeholders, and ERD data modeling tools for communicating with databases and DBAs. ERD model-
ing software is invaluable for forward and reverse-engineering physical database tables and drawing
detailed star schema diagrams for a technical audience, but can get in the way when working with busi-
ness people.
Try Our Template
We suggest that you try the BEAM ✲ Modelstormer spreadsheet template (see Websites shortly). It sup-
ports the transition between BEAM ✲ models and physical database models by generating SQL DDL that
can be imported by many commercial database modeling tools.
Playing Planning Poker
There are a number of smartphone apps that simulate a deck of planning poker cards.
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