Enterprise Data Modelling Methodologies: A Comparative Analysis of Inmon, Kimball, and Data Vault

Abstract

The design and governance of enterprise data warehouses constitute foundational decisions in modern data-driven organisations, with long-term impact for analytical capability, operational agility, and regulatory compliance. This paper presents a structured comparative analysis of three prevailing data warehousing methodologies: the Inmon approach, the Kimball approach, and Data Vault. The paper first establishes the technical foundations common to all three enterprise frameworks, in particular the distinction between Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) systems, the principles of relational normalisation, and the core techniques of entity-relationship and dimensional data modelling. The comparative analysis examines each methodology across a set of dimensions including architectural philosophy, modelling technique, scalability, agility, query performance, audit capability, and suitability for different organisational profiles. Findings indicate that no single methodology is universally optimal; rather, the appropriate choice is contingent on an organisation's scale, regulatory environment, analytical maturity, and tolerance for upfront architectural investment. This paper concludes with a synthesis of decision criteria to guide practitioners and researchers in selecting the methodology most aligned with their strategic objectives.