My first Publication Agile-Data-Warehouse-Design-eBook | Page 53

32 Chapter 2 Using the 7Ws: BEAM✲ Sequence You ask 7W questions in a specific, repeatable order to discover event details The flowchart in Figure 2-2 shows the order (BEAM ✲ sequence) for using the 7Ws, along with the information that they give you at each stage. You start by using who and what to discover an event. From there you discover when the event happens and begin describing event stories using example data. After that, you ask as many who, what, when, and where questions as necessary to discover details for all of the people, organizations, products, services, timestamps, and locations related to the event. Then you ask how many, why, and how questions to discover the quantities, causes and other descriptive details needed to fully explain the event. Figure 2-2 BEAM✲ sequence: 7Ws flowchart 7W questions and event detail answers naturally flow from one to another Discovering event details out of sequence is okay Once you become familiar with using the 7Ws you will find they flow naturally from one to another; for example, quantity (how many) answers lead to why questions. If you discover a discount quantity this would naturally lead to the question: “Why do some orders have discounts?” Similarly, the why answer: “be- cause of promotions” might lead to the how question: “How are promotions implemented?” and the answer: “with discount vouchers and codes.” There is no need to be a slave to the BEAM ✲ Sequence. If stakeholders call out relevant event details at random (hopefully not all at once) or remember details out of sequence, that’s okay, but try to return to the flowchart as soon as possible to make sure all 7Ws are covered. Put a simple version of the 7Ws flowchart up on the wall, so that who, what, when, where, how many, why, and how can start working on everyone’s dimensional imagination and stakeholders know your next question type.