Libraries Use Data Warehouse to Cut TCO, Speed Efficiency, and Transform Services

Microsoft SQL Server Customer Solution Case Study

"By deploying a central BI solution on the SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse, we expect to cut the total cost of ownership by 50 percent." Peter Vieveen, Project Manager, ProBiblio To cut costs, innovate, and speed library processes nationwide, ProBiblio engaged third-party KVL to deploy a central solution on the Microsoft platform. By doing so, ProBiblio expects to cut expenses by 50 percent. It also increased efficiency, insight, branch collaboration, and its ability to transform library services.

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published December 2011 Business Needs e-books, we expect that over the next They also used Microsoft SQL Server ProBiblio manages 46 public libraries in five to ten years, there will be a 2008 R2 Integration Services to the northern and southern regions of transformation from physical copies of connect the data warehouse to the Holland. Before 2011, each library relied books to digital content,” says databases so that they can store the on a separate IT solution to support Vieveen. “Therefore, we need to mission-critical information needed to operations. Stand-alone databases, develop new library services to meet support all processes in the data which used technologies from eight the changing needs for information in warehouse, with the largest table vendors, stored information about our communities.” spanning 2 billion rows. Engineers clients’ book and financial transactions. used SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting The disparity in technologies and lack of To help speed efficiency, cut costs, and Services to set up 20 standardized integration between systems restricted support innovation, ProBiblio decided reports and dashboards based on 370 data insight and slowed processes. to deploy a central IT solution that million performance indicators. They could facilitate business intelligence also created a custom portal to For example, renewing a book online (BI), improve customer relationship provide access to the solution. was a cumbersome, five-step procedure management (CRM), and streamline that involved multiple systems. In processes. KVL deployed the solution in just three addition, every month, one ProBiblio months. ProBiblio made it available to employee at each library spent three to Solution the public and employees—more than five days creating reports for Because it is not an IT organization, 1.4 million users—in June 2011. It government officials. These employees ProBiblio evaluated solutions from includes 2 terabytes of data and used IBM SPSS Statistics to collect third parties that included facilitates 210 million library information from the disparate systems, technologies from Microsoft and transactions every week. which were not all available around the Oracle. In January 2009, ProBiblio clock. To analyze this data, people engaged Microsoft partner KVL to Benefits manually exported it into Microsoft deploy a solution based on the By implementing a central IT solution Excel spreadsheet software. Peter Microsoft SQL Server Fast Track Data for its libraries, ProBiblio accelerates Vieveen, Project Manager at ProBiblio, Warehouse. Compared with other customer service and efficiency, saves explains, “It was quite a challenge to get offerings, the Microsoft solution costs money, increases business insight, information about key performance less, delivers excellent flexibility, and enhances collaboration between indicators (KPIs) because we had to can seamlessly interoperate with branches, and facilitates innovative harmonize data definitions to match Microsoft Office to deliver easy-to-use services. those of other Dutch government BI and CRM information. In addition, agencies. Also, the KPIs that we could KVL could rapidly implement the Speeds Customer Service obtain were very general and, in some solution because the SQL Server Fast Because the new solution provides a cases, more like estimates.” Track Data Warehouse includes consolidated data warehouse for pretested reference architectures and library processes, customers enjoy With increasing pressure to reduce configurations. To further speed faster service. Giving an example, costs, ProBiblio wanted to simplify deployment, KVL would use its Vieveen says, “Clients can access a operations wherever possible. However, Dynamic Data Modeling (DDM) Studio widget on our website that shows the lack of insight into operational data data warehouse creation tool. which books they have at home. To hindered the organization’s ability to keep a book for another three weeks, analyze its processes. Vieveen says, “We In August 2009, KVL began to install all they have to do is select a box.” couldn’t do benchmarking or easily the data warehouse. It runs on one share information with other libraries to Dell PowerEdge RS710 server Increases Efficiency and Cuts TCO see what worked or how we could computer, the Windows Server 2008 Today, ProBiblio employees are more improve our business.” R2 Enterprise operating system, and productive. “Because our new BI Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 solution automatically creates reports In addition, by 2008, ProBiblio needed Enterprise data management software. based on data available around the more information about its operations KVL engineers used DDM Studio to clock in the SQL Server Fast Track Data to redefine its services and facilitate the generate a database schema based on Warehouse, library employees spend future of libraries. “As publishers push metadata from 60 library databases. almost no time creating reports,”

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published December 2011 Vieveen explains. “In seconds, with just solution on the SQL Server Fast Track transforming the role of libraries from a click of a button, they have their Data Warehouse,” says Vieveen. “Now a book lender to a community information.” The increased efficiency we have much greater insight into information portal. “We plan to create translates into significant cost savings processes and client behavior, so that local community hubs based on data for the libraries and ProBiblio itself. “By we can see what works well and then in the SQL Server Fast Track Data deploying a central BI solution on the share this information with other Warehouse,” says Vieveen. “People can SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse, libraries and agencies.” come to their library’s website to get we expect to cut the total cost of media recommendations, find out ownership by 50 percent,” says Vieveen. Scales to Deliver Innovative Services what is happening in their town, post To help further streamline government information including photos, and Improves Insight and Collaboration operations, the new solution at easily connect to museums, local Today, employees have a clear view of ProBiblio will ultimately support all of archives, and newspapers. This kind of operations. “The quality of the the country’s 167 libraries and 16 community portal was just not possible information in reports has dramatically million residents. This includes in the past.” improved since we implemented our delivering more digital media and

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published December 2011