Choosing a data warehouse without the sales pitch

Every vendor will tell you their warehouse is the fastest. For most organisations, speed is not the problem. These questions matter more.

What do your people already know?

If your team writes SQL daily, any mainstream warehouse will do. If they live in Excel, the best choice is the one that connects cleanly to it.

Where does your data have to sit?

For many UK public sector and healthcare clients, data must stay in a UK or EU region. Check the region options before you check the price.

What will it cost when it is busy?

Some warehouses charge for storage, others for each query. Ask for a worked example using your own volumes, including the awkward months.

How easy is it to leave?

Keep your data in open formats and your logic in version-controlled code. That way, the warehouse is a decision you can revisit rather than a marriage.

If you are unsure, a short discovery sprint can compare two options on your real data for far less than the cost of getting it wrong.