business process metrics (facts) and descriptive attributes (dimensions)”. The concept of a bus is well known in the language of information technology, and is what reflects the conformed dimension concept in the data warehouse, creating the skeletal structure where all parts of a system connect, ensuring interoperability and consistency of data, and at the same time considers future expansion. This makes the conformed dimensions act as the integration ‘glue’, creating a robust backbone of the enterprise Data Warehouse. Establishment and applicability Figure 1 shows the base for a single document planning tool for the whole of the data warehouse implementation - a graphical overview of the enterprises core business processes or events each correspond to a measurement table of facts, that typically is complemented by a major source system in the horizontal rows. In the vertical columns the groups of contextual data is found as the common, conformed dimensions. In this way the shared dimensions are defined, as each process indicates what dimensions it applies to through the cells figure 2. By this definition and coordination of conformed dimensions and processes the development of the overall data DW bus architecture is realized. The matrix identifies the shared dimensions related to processes and fact tables, and can be a tool for planning, prioritizing what needs to be approached, coordinating implementation and communicating the importance for conformed dimensions. Kimball extends the matrix bus in detail as seen in figure 3 by introducing the other steps of the datawarehouse methodology; the fact tables, granularity, and at last the description of the needed facts. Description of the fact tables, granularity and fact instances of each process, structuring and specifying what is needed across the enterprise in a more specific matter, further exemplifying how the matrix can be used as a planning tool. References Business intelligence terms Data management Data warehousing