Lots of work:) Easy to show partitioning is far more popular for DW systems than OLTP systems (literature search reveals this). Easy to highlight the pitfalls sprinkled within https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190787(v=sql.110).aspx. Be ready to run SET STATISTICS IO ON SET STATISTICS TIME ON SET STATISTICS PROFILE ON before running a simple example, both with and without partitioning, using realistic data and one or two realistic statements. Another non-partitioned test would be to simply cluster the partitioning column (as a composite primary key), don't partition, and benchmark it. Excerpt & highlight the contrasting results (including plans' partition filtering). Point out a more complex example that would need to be managed, (how many tables' foreign keys would need to be disabled?). Explain that developers would need to gain partitioning knowledge in order to write efficient statements. Benchmark disabling and enabling foreign keys that reference the transactional table, and explain the risks. Contrast sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats & sys.dm_db_partition_stats, and compare Lock Escalation events.