Many companies start by reporting directly from their ERP. That works, until reports slow the system down, data from other tools needs combining, or history needs analysing in ways the ERP was not built for. That is when a data warehouse earns its place.
Signs you are ready
- Reports combine ERP, CRM, eCommerce and spreadsheets by hand
- Heavy reports slow down the ERP for everyone else
- Different teams quote different numbers for the same KPI
- You want years of history, forecasting or AI on your data
What a warehouse actually is
A separate database designed for analysis. Automated pipelines copy data from your business systems on a schedule, clean it and organise it into a model that tools like Power BI can query quickly.
Options
| Approach | Fits |
|---|---|
| PostgreSQL or Azure SQL warehouse | Small to mid-sized data, cost-conscious teams |
| Microsoft Fabric / Azure Synapse | Microsoft-centric organisations using Power BI heavily |
| Snowflake or BigQuery | Large volumes, many sources, elastic scale |
Start lean
Begin with one or two sources and the KPIs leadership uses most. Add sources and models step by step, keeping definitions documented.