From nightly replica to real-time information with the data warehouse package

The Data warehouse package is one of the most popular extensions of GreenCommerce. Recently, the underlying structure has been expanded, enabling real-time data access in dashboards. Whereas previously, data from the previous day was always used, the new structure allows companies to work with the most up-to-date data. This opens up numerous new possibilities for businesses that want to base their planning on the latest information.

With the new technical structure, data is sent to the data warehouse database with each change in GreenCommerce. The data can then be flattened and enriched multiple times per day. As a result, data dashboards are updated several times a day, ensuring that critical information is always available. This development creates opportunities for larger companies and offers more possibilities for external BI collaborations.

Current situation vs. new structure
With the current database structure, a replica of the database is created every night, after which all data is reloaded into the BI tool. This process is intentionally performed at night because processing and reloading the data takes several hours each time. As a result, users are always working with data from the previous day. For most purposes, this is sufficient, such as drawing conclusions from monthly or weekly data. However, it falls short when it comes to anticipating future developments.

With the new structure, it becomes possible to always work with the most up-to-date data while the proccessing and reloading runs in the background and is made available more quickly in the BI tool. The key difference from the current situation is that only the modified data is processed and sent back to the database instead of backing up the entire database. This approach not only reduces the strain on the database but is also significantly less time-intensive. As a result, the replica is no longer limited to a nightly update but is continuously kept up to date. When companies can work with the most recent data, they gain more options, such as creating shipment schedules based on real-time data. This allows businesses to take the next step in data-driven operations.

The choice is yours
Within the data warehouse package, we offer various options for database hosting. We provide a solution where we take care of hosting for you, but some companies choose to manage the database themselves or outsource it to an external provider. This choice remains entirely up to you.

Additionally, we now offer an extra option to work with the new technical structure, allowing you to use the most recent data from GreenCommerce. Interested in making use of this? Feel free to contact us.

Questions or more information?
Are you curious about the possibilities for your company or would you like more information? Contact us at info@greencommerce.nl or call +31 174 642 622.