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

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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.