The document proposes a data warehouse model to help the Alaska Humane Society Cat Shelter better organize and analyze data related to its operations. It identifies key business objectives like increasing adoptions and donations. Current record keeping is paper-based with some Excel files. Recommendations include creating an integrated database system, assigning a volunteer IT manager, and using the data online and in signage to help adoptions and funding. Dimensions include cats, adoptions, volunteers and donations. Data quality will require roles like a data steward to ensure accuracy and completeness. The conclusion emphasizes that meeting goals depends on properly maintaining and using the collected data.

1. AHS CAT SHELTER
DATA MODEL
DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMANTATION OF
A DATA WAREHOUSE
MODEL, WHICH WILL
HELP THE ALASKA
HUMANE SOCIETY CAT
SHELTER TO BETTER
STORE AND
ANALYZE ALL THE
DATA RELATED TO ITS
ACTIVITY.
LAUREN
RILEY
PATRICK
McCORMACK
MARIO
RONCADOR
CIS A670
APRIL 23, 2015

2. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
INTRODUCTION
 Alaska Humane Society
 Houses 150 cats
 Run solely on volunteerism and donations
 Filing system is still largely paper with some records kept in Excel
 Outdated usage of sites such as Petfinder.com and Facebook to
showcase adoptable cats

3. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
1. PROJECT PLANNING
 Business Objectives:
 Integrated & organized record keeping system
 Increase Adoption Rate
 Grow Monetary Donation
 Organizational Obstacles:
 Lack of organization
 Ex. volunteer and adoption records
 Financial instability
 Enterprise Business Requirements
 Low cost (one-time versus subscription)
 Data easily exported to Excel for use with sites such as
Petfinder.com
 IT Support
 Cloud Based (optimally)

4. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
 Finding #1: AHS does not have a working data management
system in place.
 Recommendation: Create an integrated, organized record
keeping system and assign one long-term IT savvy volunteer to
maintain the database. Utilize 501(C)3 status to find an
affordable database solution.
2. CONSOLIDATED FINDINGS

5. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
 Finding #2: AHS current adoption rate is substandard.
 Recommendation:
 Raise overall awareness of individual cats available for adoption by
leveraging the database for online sites such as Petfinder.com, where
the majority of people looking to adopt a pet start their search.
 Make the physical location easier to find by increasing roadside
signage. The shelter does not have extensive phone or email
communications so it is imperative that potential customers can find
the shelter during office hours.
2. CONSOLIDATED FINDINGS

6. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
 Finding #3: AHS funding is not stable from year to year.
 Recommendation:
 Instead of relying on one-time donations (the bulk of which come
form Pick.Click.Give), utilize current volunteer experience in grant
writing and search for renewable grants that provide a more
sustainable funding method for non-profit entities.
 Increased funding may allow for a full time paid employee who could
maintain the database. This will be imperative to assist in tracking
grant management and making sure the shelter is fulfilling the grant
requirements.
2. CONSOLIDATED FINDINGS

7. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
3. DIMENSIONAL MODELING
Measures
of
Interest
Measures related to the “Cat care
and Adoption”:
1. Cats
2. Adoption
3. Health History
4. Vaccination
Measures related to “Facility and
Volunteers”:
1. Volunteers
2. Donations
3. Maintenance

8. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
3. DIMENSIONAL MODELING

9. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
3. DIMENSIONAL MODELING

10. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
Data quality ensuring measures
3. DIMENSIONAL MODELING
RELEVANT ATTRIBUTES
DATA STEWARTSHIP ROLES
Completeness
Reliability
Accuracy
Conciseness
Usefulness
Anita Shell
Lauren Riley technical issues
database population

11. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
 Data management has been identified as a key area of
importance for AHS
 Once the information has been catalogued, volunteers will
need to be assigned the task of maintaining the updated
database
 Overall business objectives such as increased adoptions and
donations will be effected by their ability to properly maintain
and leverage their data
CONCLUSION

12. AHS CAT SHELTER DATA MODEL
THANK YOU!
Lauren
Patrick
Mario