Common dimensions

When a data model is defined within a data warehouse context it is important to properly define the dimensions. In this way the same dimension can easily be re-used within another context. Common dimensions are standard dimensions, which can be shared among various data models or star schemas. They are dimensions which mean the same thing within every possible fact table to which they can be joined Typically these are dimensions (master data) that appear in different operational sources (ERP, CRM, …) and document essential information elements like customers, products, employees, legal entities etc ...