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

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.

ProBiblio manages 46 public libraries in the northern and southern regions of Holland. Before 2011, each library relied on a separate IT solution to support operations. Stand-alone databases, which used technologies from eight vendors, stored information about clients’ book and financial transactions. The disparity in technologies and lack of integration between systems restricted data insight and slowed processes.

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

With increasing pressure to reduce costs, ProBiblio wanted to simplify operations wherever possible. However, the lack of insight into operational data hindered the organization’s ability to analyze its processes. Vieveen says, “We couldn’t do benchmarking or easily share information with other libraries to see what worked or how we could improve our business.”

In addition, by 2008, ProBiblio needed more information about its operations to redefine its services and facilitate the future of libraries. “As publishers push e-books, we expect that over the next five to ten years, there will be a transformation from physical copies of books to digital content,” says Vieveen. “Therefore, we need to develop new library services to meet the changing needs for information in our communities.”

To help speed efficiency, cut costs, and support innovation, ProBiblio decided to deploy a central IT solution that could facilitate business intelligence (BI), improve customer relationship management (CRM), and streamline processes.

Because it is not an IT organization, ProBiblio evaluated solutions from third parties that included technologies from Microsoft and Oracle. In January 2009, ProBiblio engaged Microsoft partner KVL to deploy a solution based on the Microsoft SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse. Compared with other offerings, the Microsoft solution costs less, delivers excellent flexibility, and can seamlessly interoperate with Microsoft Office to deliver easy-to-use BI and CRM information. In addition, KVL could rapidly implement the solution because the SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse includes pretested reference architectures and configurations. To further speed deployment, KVL would use its Dynamic Data Modeling (DDM) Studio data warehouse creation tool.

In August 2009, KVL began to install the data warehouse. It runs on one Dell PowerEdge RS710 server computer, the Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise operating system, and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise data management software. KVL engineers used DDM Studio to generate a database schema based on metadata from 60 library databases. They also used Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Integration Services to connect the data warehouse to the databases so that they can store the mission-critical information needed to support all processes in the data warehouse, with the largest table spanning 2 billion rows. Engineers used SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services to set up 20 standardized reports and dashboards based on 370 million performance indicators. They also created a custom portal to provide access to the solution.

KVL deployed the solution in just three months. ProBiblio made it available to the public and employees—more than 1.4 million users—in June 2011. It includes 2 terabytes of data and facilitates 210 million library transactions every week.

By implementing a central IT solution for its libraries, ProBiblio accelerates customer service and efficiency, saves money, increases business insight, enhances collaboration between branches, and facilitates innovative services.

Because the new solution provides a consolidated data warehouse for library processes, customers enjoy faster service. Giving an example, Vieveen says, “Clients can access a widget on our website that shows which books they have at home. To keep a book for another three weeks, all they have to do is select a box.”

Today, ProBiblio employees are more productive. “Because our new BI solution automatically creates reports based on data available around the clock in the SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse, library employees spend almost no time creating reports,” Vieveen explains. “In seconds, with just a click of a button, they have their information.” The increased efficiency translates into significant cost savings for the libraries and ProBiblio itself. “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,” says Vieveen.

Today, employees have a clear view of operations. “The quality of the information in reports has dramatically improved since we implemented our solution on the SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse,” says Vieveen. “Now we have much greater insight into processes and client behavior, so that we can see what works well and then share this information with other libraries and agencies.”

To help further streamline government operations, the new solution at ProBiblio will ultimately support all of the country’s 167 libraries and 16 million residents. This includes delivering more digital media and transforming the role of libraries from a book lender to a community information portal. “We plan to create local community hubs based on data in the SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse,” says Vieveen. “People can come to their library’s website to get media recommendations, find out what is happening in their town, post information including photos, and easily connect to museums, local archives, and newspapers. This kind of community portal was just not possible in the past.”