User Satisfaction in Datawarehousing: an Empirical Investigation of Salient Variables

Corporations are increasingly turning to data warehouses for support of critical corporate decision-making; however, much remains to be learned about the success of data warehousing. Building a data warehouse is no small endeavor, requiring considerable resources from the corporation in terms of both time and money. Ensuring the success of the system will generate for the firm a return on its considerable investment. The research presented in this article investigated success in data warehousing as measured by user satisfaction. Data warehouse users at an online travel company were asked to complete a quantitative survey exploring their satisfaction with the company’s data warehouse system. Individual differences were explored to determine what variables influenced the satisfaction of users of differing education levels, computer expertise, data warehousing expertise, job classification, and tenure with the firm. Results of the research will assist organizations in maximizing the potential returns from the significant investment required to build a data warehouse.