The proposition for a centralized and integrated data warehouse can be very attractive and if well implemented, it can yield abundant benefits.
  • Corporations that have successfully implemented data warehouses often reap a very high return on investment (ROI), up to 600% of ROI; 
  • Gain competitive advantage over their competitors by allowing decision-makers to tap into information previously unknown, such as market and customer trends;
  • Business processes are streamlined because of improved business knowledge; there is improved customer service satisfaction because of rapid response to customer demands; and 
  • Increased productivity of corporate decision-makers because of one consistent view of integrated data that allows mangers to perform a more substantive, accurate, and consistent analysis (Westerman, 2001; Singhal & Jajodia, 2006). 
However, many organizations fail to recognize that its implementation is not a one size fits all. Consequently, the high cost of data warehouses limit their use to large business organizations -- and the high failure rate has left a tarnished image dilemma at the moment.