A Data Warehouse is not an individual repository product. Rather, it is an overall strategy, or process, for building decision support systems and a knowledge-based applications architecture and environment that supports both everyday tactical decision making and long-term business strategizing. The data warehouse model positions a business to utilize an enterprise-wide data store to link information from diverse sources and make the information accessible for a variety of user purposes, most notably, strategic analysis. Business analysts must be able to use the Warehouse for such strategic purposes as trend identification, forecasting, competitive analysis, and targeted market research.