Adding attributes
The most important detail in a dimension is its unique identifier. This determines what constitutes a unique instance of each entity in our business. Examples of unique identifiers include things such as serial numbers for parts and employee IDs for a company’s human capital. Domain experts from each business area can confirm these and other necessary details. We will use the CUSTOMER
dimension as an example to identify the relevant details and incorporate them into the model.
Suppose we sat down with the head of the sales team to learn about how our organization identifies customers and their relevant attributes. The domain expert explains that besides typical customer attributes such as name and address, our organization is also interested in tracking the account balance and identifying its market segment. The sales team also explains how customers are grouped into regions based on their NATION
attribute, maintained in a separate LOCATION
dimension. Besides...