There may be a situation where a dimension record can have multiple business keys.

For example: You may be able to look up a 'factory' based on the factory code, the name of the factory or its address. The generated 'Get Key' function will only support the primary business key which in this case may be the factory code. However, we may have a fact record that only contains the factory name. In such a case we need to modify the 'Get Key' function or add a second function. The advantages of adding a second function are that any code generated in the future that uses this dimension will work without modification. The disadvantages are the multiple points of maintenance required when changing the dimension. Both options are discussed below: