The Data Life Cycle Businesses run on data that have been processed into information and knowledge. Managers then apply this knowledge to business problems and opportunities. Businesses transform data into knowledge and solutions in several ways. The general process is illustrated in Figure 6.1. It starts with the collection of data from various sources. The data are stored in a database(s). Selected data from the organizations databases are then processed to fit the format of a data warehouse or data mart. Users then access the data in the warehouse or data mart for analysis. The analysis is performed with data analysis tools, which look for patterns, and with intelligent systems, which support data interpretation. We discuss each of these concepts in this chapter.