Every report an executive reads depends on a chain of systems: transactions captured in an ERP or line-of-business application, data moved through pipelines, stored in warehouses and presented in dashboards. When the chain is weak, the symptoms are familiar: conflicting figures, slow month-end close, failed integrations and analytics projects that cannot find usable data. Leaders who understand the engineering behind the symptoms steer investment far better than those who delegate entirely.

This executive programme is technical enough to be credible but never requires coding skill. Participants begin with how databases work and how to design data models that reflect the business. They then study pipelines, quality controls, orchestration, warehouses, lakehouses and cloud services, and learn how to evaluate build-or-buy choices and total cost. The second half concentrates on ERP data: master data governance, migration and cleansing, integration patterns, extraction for reporting, access control and audit trails. Final sessions address team structure, vendor management, delivery governance and benefits tracking.

The format is a mix of guided demonstrations, small hands-on exercises in SQL and spreadsheets, and decision workshops. Each participant finishes with an architecture review checklist, a data ownership map and a prioritised investment roadmap.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain how relational, NoSQL and analytical databases differ and when each suits a business need.
• Read entity-relationship diagrams and challenge data models that do not fit business processes.
• Describe ETL and ELT pipelines, orchestration and data quality checks in plain terms.
• Compare data warehouse, data lake and lakehouse architectures on cost, flexibility and risk.
• Identify the master and transactional data that underpin ERP finance, procurement, inventory and HR processes.
• Plan data migration, cleansing and cut-over for an ERP implementation or upgrade.
• Evaluate integration, security and reporting options for ERP data.
• Build a business case and governance structure for a data engineering programme.

The programme serves senior people who commission, sponsor or depend on data platforms and ERP systems, such as:

• Chief information, technology, data and finance officers
• Heads of ICT and digital transformation directors
• ERP programme sponsors and steering committee members
• Senior managers in finance, supply chain and operations
• Heads of business intelligence and analytics
• Internal audit and risk executives reviewing systems
• Public sector permanent secretaries and directors of planning
• Consultants and vendor account leads advising executives

Participants return to their organisations with:

• A checklist for reviewing a proposed data architecture.
• A map of key ERP data objects and their business owners.
• A set of questions to put to vendors and implementation partners.
• A migration readiness assessment covering cleansing, mapping and testing.
• A data quality and integration risk register.
• A costed, sequenced roadmap for data engineering and ERP data improvements.

The programme balances understanding with decision practice, and no prior programming is assumed. Methods include:

• Guided demonstrations on sample databases and pipeline tools
• Short SQL and spreadsheet labs on business questions
• ERP case files covering migration, integration and reporting problems
• Architecture scoring workshops with facilitator challenge
• A closing roadmap presentation to a mock steering committee

Participants who complete the ten days, including the labs and roadmap presentation, are awarded a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.