Pragmatic Principals - Agile

The Data Warehouse exists to provide Business Intelligence. Its users will not always start with the end in mind. They will browse, discover, probe and dig. As designers it is our responsibility to construct solutions that allow users to answer questions which emerged as they were browsing. 

How then, can we ask for a precise specification document typical of waterfall projects? 

Sure there are elements we can map out in advance; Dimensions we know will be needed,architecture which will form part of the ETL process. But not everything can be defined.

My preferred approach is to get a proof of concept up and running quickly. This stirs the creative juices of the business users, especially those who think visually, and leads to feedback which drives the design and development forward.

This Agile is not the same as the Agile methodology, but it works.