Busting 7 Myths About Master Data Management: Knowledge Integrity Incorporated

2011 knowledge lnLegrlLy, lnc.
1
www.knowledge-lnLegrlLy.com (301) 734-6330
Knowledge Integrity Incorporated
Business Intelligence Solutions

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repared by:
uavld Loshln
knowledge lnLegrlLy, lnc.
AugusL, 2011

Sponsored by:

2011 knowledge lnLegrlLy, lnc. 2

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1he promlse of creaLlng a slngle source of LruLh" conLalnlng a golden copy" of your cusLomers or
producLs has drlven many organlzaLlons Lo premaLurely lnvesL ln Lechnologles LhaL may noL necessarlly
meeL Lhelr needs. 1here sLlll ls a loL of hype abouL masLer daLa and masLer daLa managemenL (MuM),
analysL brlefs, popular press arLlcles, and vendor producL sheeLs provlde hlgh-level descrlpLlons LhaL
lead Lhe lnformaLlon managemenL consumer Lo belleve LhaL MuM dellvers slgnlflcanL values sLralghL ouL
of Lhe box. And whlle MuM can add value, Lhe reallLy ls LhaL a recenL survey noLed LhaL !"#$% '( )*+ ,*#-
+.-*/ -0*1+ "2# 34546 )+"7*,-8 .8 98:,,*88;:$< "+ =*--*+>?
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1hls low success raLe musL be aLLrlbuLable Lo a dlfference beLween whaL we belleve Lo be Lrue abouL
masLer daLa managemenL and whaL Lhe real lmpllcaLlons are for success or fallure. 1hls paper wlll
lnvesLlgaLe Lhose dlfferences, and our goal ls Lo hlghllghL some common mlsundersLandlngs or myLhs"
abouL MuM, explaln why Lhese are myLhs, and Lo provlde some guldance abouL maklng beLLer cholces
when decldlng Lo pursue a masLer daLa sLraLegy.
lnLroduclng some crlLlcal LhoughL lnLo dlfferenL aspecLs of MuM and puLLlng some common bellefs lnLo
perspecLlve wlll help you puL LogeLher a more LhoughLful plan for a successful MuM deploymenL. 1here
are no subsLlLuLes for good daLa managemenL dlsclpllnes, and Lhls paper wlll advlse on LranslLlonlng
from a maglcal, solely producL-based" masLer daLa sLraLegy Lo one LhaL embraces besL pracLlces for
daLa modellng, managlng meLadaLa, and lmplemenLlng Lhe rlghL daLa quallLy and daLa governance
pracLlces LhaL can help dlfferenLlaLe whaL you heard, why lL ls a myLh, and some conslderaLlons Lo
plannlng your MuM blueprlnLs and roadmaps. AL LhaL polnL, well-deflned processes wlLhln a culLure of
daLa governance wlll slmpllfy Lechnology acqulslLlon and reduce Llme Lo value for MuM
lmplemenLaLlons.

1
See hLLp://www.clo.co.uk/arLlcle/3280834/Lhe-mlsslng-llnk-ln-daLa-quallLy


+,$- ./0 +1+ 2%&3*'45 6 7*#894 7&(%)4 &: ;%($- <($ &: $-4 =&>
?-6$ @&( A46%'
MasLer daLa managemenL ls poslLloned by vendors, conLracLor companles, and analysLs allke Lo provlde
a slmple and sLralghLforward way Lo creaLe a slngle source of LruLh for your cusLomer or producL daLa as
soon as producL sulLes are lnsLalled.
?-, *$ *5 6 +,$-
1he concepL of a slngle source of LruLh" proposes slgnlflcanL promlse Lo any organlzaLlon ln whlch
slmllar daLa enLlLles are represenLed ln dlfferenL daLa subsysLems supporLlng dlfferenL appllcaLlons. 8uL
whaL ls really meanL by Lhe concepL of a slngle source of LruLh"?
AL an absLracL level, lL ls a presumpLlon LhaL a producL can maLerlallze a slngle reposlLory record
compleLely conLalnlng all Lhe lnformaLlon abouL each cusLomer or producL, and LhaL slngle record can
equally saLlsfy Lhe needs of every buslness process. 1he devll, Lhough, ls ln Lhe deLalls, and when Lhe
concepL ls examlned more closely, we sLarL Lo see some poLenLlal gaps. 1he concepL of a slngle source of
LruLh lLself ls somewhaL shrouded ln mysLery, especlally when conslderlng LhaL
1he lnLended uses of Lhe masLer daLa may be dlfferenL Lhan Lhe orlglnal uses when Lhe source
sysLems are developed.
1here ls llLLle conLrol of Lhe lnLerpreLaLlon of Lhe meanlngs assoclaLed wlLh Lhe masLer domalns
(such as cusLomer" or producL") once Lhe daLa ls made avallable for sharlng.
1he orlglnal sysLems were developed ln a vacuum, wlLh llLLle coordlnaLlon ln deflnlng buslness
Lerms, daLa elemenL concepLs, eLc.
1he producLs are noL lnLended Lo resolve Lhe lssues assoclaLed wlLh Lhe orlglnal sources, buL Lo
provlde a framework for lnLegraLlon and consolldaLlon.
Sufflce lL Lo say, no producL ls llkely Lo lmmedlaLely resolve Lhe lssues caused by varlaLlon ln Lhe orlglnal
sources or Lhe dlfferenL percepLlons of meanlngs by Lhe daLa consumers.
B&#5*'4%6$*&#5
1he reallLy ls LhaL a reasonable amounL of efforL musL be lnvesLed prlor Lo Lhe lnsLallaLlon of Lhe producL
and Lhe exLracLlon, lnLegraLlon, and consolldaLlon of daLa lnLo a slngle masLer daLa seL:
ulfferences ln daLa elemenL sLrucLures, Lypes, and semanLlcs musL be examlned for crlLlcal
dlfferences and Lhose dlscrepancles musL be resolved,
MasLer daLa consumers musL be engaged so LhaL Lhelr needs can be assessed and Lhelr
requlremenLs documenLed,


MasLer domaln models musL be crafLed ln ways LhaL supporL daLa consolldaLlon and provlde a
sLrucLurally and semanLlcally coherenL vlew of core masLer daLa elemenLs,
lnherlLance characLerlsLlcs for modellng musL reflecL Lhe embedded relaLlonshlps assoclaLed
wlLh Lhe masLer domalns (such as when a cusLomer" ls also an employee") Lo ensure LhaL
unlque enLlLy aLLrlbuLes are managed ln one and only one locaLlon,
8eference daLa seLs musL be analyzed and conformed Lo provlde a unlfled seL of concepLual
domaln values used wlLhln Lhe masLer daLa models, and
Plerarchles for classlflcaLlon and organlzaLlon of masLer daLa enLlLles musL be deflned.
1hese are some of Lhe sLeps LhaL need Lo be consldered as parL of a masLer daLa managemenL program
Lo ensure LhaL Lhe daLa wlLhln Lhe masLer reposlLory or reglsLry approprlaLely saLlsfles Lhe needs of Lhe
consumer communlLy.
Savvy vendors undersLand Lhese demands, and seek Lo engage Lhelr prospecLs Lo focus on Lhe
governance aspecLs of MuM early ln Lhe program. 8y lncorporaLlng supporL for daLa dlscovery, semanLlc
and sLrucLural use of shared meLadaLa, and careful allgnmenL of daLa quallLy meLhods and Lechnlques
wlLhln Lhe daLa lnLegraLlon and consolldaLlon processes, sofLware vendors can help Lhelr cllenLs
comblne good daLa managemenL pracLlces wlLh besL-of-breed Lools for a successful masLer daLa
lmplemenLaLlon.


+,$- .C0 +1+ *5 6 2%&'()$
?-6$ @&( A46%'
All you need Lo do ls buy and lnsLall an MuM producL and lmmedlaLely all your daLa wlll be consolldaLed
lnLo a slngle reposlLory.
?-, *$ *5 6 +,$-
1here have always been sllver bulleL" Lechnologles LhaL are LouLed as solvlng even Lhe mosL dlfflculL
problems, yeL Lhese producLs ofLen dellver far less Lhan whaL ls promlsed. ulsabuse yourself of Lhe
noLlon LhaL a producL wlll solve your cusLomer or producL daLa lnLegraLlon and sharlng challenges.
MasLer uaLa ManagemenL" ls abouL A.#.B1#B masLer daLa, requlrlng Lhe proper processes,
governance, skllls, and buslness engagemenL. 1he value of masLer daLa managemenL ls derlved from
enhanclng Lhe uLlllLy of dlsparaLe daLa Lhrough governed lnLegraLlon and cenLrallzed overslghL and
managemenL. ?eL even lf MuM lLself ls noL a producL, once all Lhe aspecLs of Lhe masLer daLa
managemenL dlsclpllne are ln place, Lhere ls a broad range of Lools, Lechnologles and producLs LhaL are
necessary Lo supporL Lhe deploymenL.
B&#5*'4%6$*&#5
1he hlgh fallure raLe for MuM acLlvlLles may be parLlally aLLrlbuLable Lo hlgh expecLaLlons LhaL Lhe
Lechnology alone wlll solve Lhe hard problems. ln reallLy, Lhe deploymenL of MuM and daLa quallLy Lools
ls mosL effecLlve when preceded by an assessmenL of organlzaLlonal expecLaLlons for masLer daLa use
and a synLhesls phase ln whlch buslness needs are clearly ldenLlfled. 1he Lools work besL when Lhe
pollcles and procedures for daLa governance and process renovaLlon dlrecL Lhe lnLegraLlon of Lechnology
Lo meeL Lhose needs.
MuM producLs can slmpllfy Lhe deploymenL of a masLer daLa sLraLegy, buL before sLarLlng Lhe
procuremenL process, undersLand your organlzaLlon's lnLenL for a unlfled vlew of masLer daLa domalns.
AfLer documenLlng clear buslness requlremenLs, Lhe Leam wlll noL only have a slmpllfled process for
evaluaLlng producL sulLablllLy and selecLlng vendor Lools, buL can also be confldenL ln maklng more
lnformed cholces. 8y provldlng Lhe framework for managlng masLer daLa, Lhe rlghL MuM producLs wlll
enhance Lhe maLurlLy of Lhe masLer daLa managemenL dlsclpllne for managlng and sharlng corporaLe
lnformaLlon resources.


+,$- .D0 +1+ *5 6 2%&E4)$
?-6$ @&( A46%'
lmplemenLlng MuM ls a self-conLalned pro[ecL wlLh a seL of Lasks, when Lhose Lasks are compleLed you
have a fully funcLlonal masLer daLa envlronmenL.
?-, *$ *5 6 +,$-
1he Lerm pro[ecL" lmplles LhaL once a seL of Lasks are compleLed, Lhe acLlvlLy ls done. Powever, Lhe
ob[ecLlve of a masLer daLa managemenL lnlLlaLlve ls Lransformlng Lhe way Lhe organlzaLlon looks aL and
employs lnformaLlon ln a collaboraLlve and synerglsLlc way. Some key aspecLs of Lhls LransformaLlon
lnclude:
ueveloplng lnformaLlon as a managemenL resource LhaL provldes a unlfled access Lo each
masLer domaln of unlquely deflned enLlLles,
Crganlzlng Lhe relaLlonshlps beLween masLer daLa domalns Lo reflecL Lhe ways buslness
processes expecL Lo use daLa models,
ClasslflcaLlons and organlzaLlons of concepLs from a semanLlc perspecLlve Lo opLlmlze buslness
processes.
8uL Lhls cannoL be a one-Llme deal" because organlzaLlons and Lhelr correspondlng needs, buslness
processes, appllcaLlons, and daLa seLs are consLanLly changlng. 1here ls a need for conLlnued lnvesLmenL
ln managemenL, governance, and processes along wlLh Lechnology, and a dlscreLe llsL of Lasks cannoL
fully supporL Lhe lnfrasLrucLure's needs Lo supporL Lhls buslness process evoluLlon.
B&#5*'4%6$*&#5
MuM cannoL be a pro[ecL, slnce lL lnvolves consLanL evoluLlon. And as we have seen, MuM ls noL a
producL elLher, slnce Lhe producLs and Lools can supporL lnnovaLlon and change, buL change won'L
happen as a byproducL of acqulrlng Lools. 8uL lf MuM ls nelLher a producL nor a pro[ecL, whaL ls lL? A
maLure approach would deflne masLer daLa managemenL as a seL of besL pracLlces ln daLa managemenL
and correspondlng dlsclpllnes for managlng quallLy and usablllLy of commonly shared daLa concepLs.
When vlewed ln LhaL perspecLlve one can dlfferenLlaLe beLween pro[ecL sLeps for speclflc aspecLs and
Lhe conLlnued managemenL and procedural aspecLs for long-Lerm overslghL and malnLenance.


+,$- .F0 +1+ *5 6G&($ 16$6 B&#5&9*'6$*&#
?-6$ @&( A46%'
MuM ls a seL of meLhods for consolldaLlng all of your daLa sources lnLo a slngle reposlLory.
?-, *$ *5 6 +,$-
MosL vendors of MuM producLs focus on Lhe mechanlcal aspecLs of exLracLlon, LransformaLlon,
reducLlon, and lnLegraLlon of daLa pulled from mulLlple orlglnaLlng daLa sources lnLo a slngle masLer
daLa reposlLory. 1ools vendors promoLe Lhelr record llnkage capablllLles and Lhelr ablllLy Lo apply
survlvorshlp rules Lo creaLe a golden record." 8uL even wlLh a perfecL seL of meLhods for consolldaLlon,
Lhe beneflLs of masLer daLa managemenL come from Lhe :8* of masLer daLa, noL lLs creaLlon.
ln oLher words, Lhe beneflLs of MuM are really based on Lhe formulaLlon, accesslblllLy, and publlcaLlon
of a unlfled vlew of Lhe masLer domalns for Lhe lndlvldual and procedural masLer daLa consumers. lrom
a dlfferenL perspecLlve, MuM goes beyond Lhe daLa - MuM also lnvolves reducLlon ln repllcaLed
funcLlonallLy and lmproved enLerprlse servlces. MuM ls noL (only) abouL consolldaLlon, one mlghL say
LhaL MuM ls really abouL meanlngful approaches for daLa sharlng and repurposlng.
B&#5*'4%6$*&#5
CrganlzaLlons whose approach Lo MuM ls Lo dump Lhelr daLa lnLo a reposlLory wlLhouL conslderlng Lhe
downsLream usage scenarlos wlll be aL a dlsadvanLage. 1he focus on Lhe fronL end of Lhe process wlll
essenLlally blas Lhelr meLhods for modellng, lmpose consLralnLs on Lhelr exLracLlon of daLa from Lhe
orlglnal sources, and lnLroduce conLexL-senslLlve rules based on lmmedlaLe demands. 1hls leads Lo a
conLlnuous need for revlewlng Lhe currenL daLa models, deLermlnlng exlsLlng sLrucLure and servlce gaps,
and reenglneerlng Lhe models and Lhe buslness servlces layers.
8uL for Lhe consolldaLlon process Lo supporL meanlngful daLa sharlng and repurposlng, one musL
conslder Lwo aspecLs of daLa use: Lhe currenL needs, and anLlclpaLlng expecLaLlons for masLer daLa. An
alLernaLlve approach ldenLlfles how masLer daLa ls Lo be used prlor Lo lnlLlaLlng Lhe consolldaLlon
process. 1he beneflLs of Lhls performlng Lhls analysls flrsL helps one Lo
undersLand Lhe usage scenarlos for Lhe selecLed masLer daLa domalns,
Lnables Lhe careful developmenL of models for each masLer domaln, and
ueslgn masLer daLa servlces Lo supporL lLs use.
undersLandlng how masLer daLa ls Lo be used wlll reduce Lhe complexlLy and scope of Lhe masLer daLa
envlronmenL and deflne requlremenLs Lo drlve Lhe consolldaLlon efforL. ln Lurn, Lhls helps reflne Lhe
scope and complexlLy of fronL-end daLa exLracLlon and LransformaLlon whlle slmpllfylng Lhe daLa
lnLegraLlon and publlcaLlon for Lhe masLer daLa consumer communlLy.


+,$- .H0 +1+ *5 $-4 56I4 65 16$6 J(69*$,
?-6$ @&( A46%'
1he reason Lo do MuM ls Lo lmprove Lhe quallLy of your daLa.
?-, *$ *5 6 +,$-
ln addlLlon Lo Lhe common Lhemes of slngle source of LruLh" and golden copy of Lhe cusLomer" (or
producL, eLc.), Lhe proponenLs of MuM promoLe lLs value as a way of lncreaslng Lhe quallLy of your daLa.
CerLalnly, Lhe parslng, sLandardlzaLlon, and llnkage applled Lo ldenLlfy dupllcaLe records, followed by
applylng survlvorshlp rules can consolldaLe dupllcaLes lnLo a slngle record. AppllcaLlons can employ
Lhese acLlvlLles as a fllLer when creaLlng new records Lo ensure LhaL dupllcaLes are noL belng added Lo
Lhe mlx. And operaLlonal daLa governance can also help slmpllfy areas of sLrucLural and semanLlc
varlaLlon.
8uL Lhese meLhods are [usL one aspecL of masLer daLa managemenL, whlch lmplles conLrolled and
sLrucLured mlgraLlon of buslness processes Lo LranslLlon Lo Lhe use of a masLer reposlLory. And lf one
deslred Lo lmprove Lhe quallLy of organlzaLlonal daLa, parslng, sLandardlzaLlon, and enLlLy/ldenLlLy
resoluLlon meLhods can be lncorporaLed wlLh daLa governance wlLhouL fully commlLLlng Lo a uslng a
masLer daLa envlronmenL. More slmply puL, lf Lhe lssue Lo be resolved ls poor daLa quallLy, lnsLead of
lnlLlaLlng Lhe slgnlflcanL efforL lnvolved ln MuM, focus on a daLa quallLy efforL lnsLead.
B&#5*'4%6$*&#5
lf Lhe ob[ecLlve ls lmprovlng Lhe quallLy of organlzaLlonal daLa, conslder lnsLlLuLlng a daLa quallLy
managemenL and conLrol program allgned wlLh your daLa governance program. Cood daLa managemenL
pracLlces for assesslng daLa quallLy, lssue prlorlLlzaLlon, rooL cause analysls, lncldenL managemenL, and
remedlaLlon can be comblned wlLh meLhods and Lools such as daLa proflllng, daLa quallLy scorecards,
lssue noLlflcaLlon, parslng, sLandardlzaLlon, enLlLy/ldenLlLy resoluLlon, and cleanslng Lo enable servlces
and procedures Lo measurably lmprove Lhe quallLy of enLerprlse lnformaLlon.
ln Lhelr own rlghL, Lhese are noL Lrlvlal Lasks, and expecLlng Lhose resulLs as a slde effecL of
lmplemenLlng masLer daLa managemenL can lead Lo a false sense of quallLy. uaLa quallLy managemenL
can be a challenge, buL Lhe efforLs lnvolved can be mapped ouL lnLo an operaLlonal program, dependenL
on besL-of-breed daLa dlscovery and daLa quallLy lmprovemenL meLhods and Lools, wlLh key sLages over
a reasonable Llme frame wlLh predlcLable resulLs.


+,$- .K0 +1+ *5 L#%496$4' $& 16$6 J(69*$,
?-6$ @&( A46%'
MasLer daLa managemenL ls compleLely lndependenL of daLa quallLy managemenL.
?-, *$ *5 6 +,$-
1hls myLh ls Lhe opposlLe of Lhe prevlous one LhaL equaLed MuM wlLh daLa quallLy, and suggesLs LhaL
Lhe value proposlLlon for MuM can be achleved lndependenL from deploylng a correspondlng daLa
quallLy sLraLegy. 1he presumpLlon ls LhaL Lhe masLer daLa sysLem manages Lhe creaLlon of, perslsLence
of, and access Lo Lhe slngle represenLaLlon of any enLlLy, buL Lhe quallLy of Lhe represenLaLlon ls ouLslde
of lLs scope.
1hls approach ls evldenL wlLh MuM sysLems LhaL are compleLely model-based buL do noL provlde a
naLlve connecLlvlLy Lo exLernal daLa quallLy Lools or meLhods. 8uL deploylng Lhe masLer models wlLhouL
conslderlng Lhe necessary daLa quallLy lmpllcaLlons wlll lead Lo poorly-lmplemenLed daLa managemenL
pracLlces, resulLlng ln yeL more dupllcaLlon, sLrucLural varlaLlon, and dlfferences ln daLa meanlngs.
B&#5*'4%6$*&#5 6#' M9$4%#6$*345
LffecLlvely provldlng a unlfled vlew of any masLer daLa domaln requlres some approaches Lo
sLandardlzaLlon of boLh meLadaLa and of Lhe daLa values Lhemselves Lo reduce Lhe opporLunlLles for
bypasslng good pracLlces for enLlLy represenLaLlon creaLlon and use. A reasonable approach Lo MuM
lncorporaLes some fundamenLal meLadaLa managemenL, daLa quallLy, and daLa governance pollcles and
processes.
lncorporaLe processes for proposlng and approvlng daLa sLrucLures and deflnlLlons by havlng daLa
producers and consumer collaboraLe regardlng Lhe ways LhaL daLa enLlLles are creaLed, managed, used,
and repurposed. uaLa quallLy managemenL, conLrol, and cleanslng wlll all conLrlbuLe Lo Lhe ablllLy Lo
creaLe a masLer reglsLry, whlle a general approach Lo lmprovlng daLa quallLy slmpllfles Lhe masLerlng
process. And lasLly, Lhe daLa governance pracLlces LhaL operaLlonallze valldaLlon and conLrol for quallLy
daLa values wlll reduce Lhe overhead necessary for creaLlng, malnLalnlng, and provldlng shared access Lo
hlgh quallLy masLer daLa.


+,$- .N0 +1+ *5 <#9, MG&($ $-4 16$6 ?6%4-&(54
?-6$ @&( A46%'
?our masLer daLa domalns are Lhe same Lhlng as Lhe dlmenslons ln your daLa warehouse, and Lherefore
MuM a parL of Lhe daLa warehouse.
?-, *$ *5 6 +,$-
uaLa managemenL professlonals worklng wlLh daLa warehouses are qulck Lo noLe Lhe slmllarlLy beLween
Lhe concepL of masLer daLa domalns and Lhe dlmenslons of a daLa warehouse. ?eL desplLe Lhe slmllarlLy,
a masLer daLa managemenL framework provldes more Lhan [usL a conformed seL of unlque enLlLles Lo
supplemenL Lhe facL Lables.
8ecause Lhe daLa warehouse ls frequenLly segregaLed from Lhe operaLlonal sysLems from whlch lLs daLa
ls sourced, Lhere ls Lhe rlsk of lnconslsLency of daLa as well as a poLenLlal lack of coherence beLween up-
Lo-daLe daLa ln Lhe sources vs. Lhe verslons ln Lhe warehouse. 8y creaLlng a unlfled vlew of each masLer
domaln and provldlng a slngle seL of servlces for accesslng Lhe masLer daLa, MuM can be used Lo
synchronlze and malnLaln masLer daLa ln operaLlonal sysLems lnLraday, and LhaL solldlfles conslsLency
and coherence among Lhe operaLlonal sysLems and Lhe warehouses and marLs used for reporLlng and
analysls.
B&#5*'4%6$*&#5 6#' M9$4%#6$*345
8y focuslng on Lhe meLhods for slmpllfylng access Lo a unlfled vlew of masLer daLa, we can go beyond
reduclng repllcaLed coples wlLhln each masLer domaln. CreaLlng a slngle servlce layer for creaLlon,
updaLes, and access and exposlng Lhose servlces Lo boLh operaLlonal and analyLlcal appllcaLlons, Lhe
reducLlon ln repllcaLed funcLlonallLy provldes Lhe Lechnlques Lo malnLaln daLa conslsLency and Lemporal
coherence and synchrony.
CLher conslderaLlons such as effecLlve daLa lnLegraLlon or even federaLlon meLhods can reduce
dupllcaLlon even more, as well as provlde a seamless seL of meLhods for ensurlng conslsLency. 1aklng
Lhese sLeps wlll reduce lnconslsLencles beLween dlfferenL operaLlonal sysLems as well as dlscrepancles
beLween 8l reporLs and analyses and exlsLlng operaLlonal daLa. 1haL wlll ellmlnaLe Lhe percelved
dlfferences beLween appllcaLlon daLa sllos"


B&#5*'4%6$*&#50 ;6O*#8 $-4 7$4P5 *# Q&%I(96$*#8 6# R::4)$*34 +1+
S&6'I6P
We have an opporLunlLy Lo LranslLlon Lhe popular percepLlon of masLer daLa managemenL lnLo a seL of
besL pracLlces and dlsclpllnes for beLLer supporLlng Lhe buslness lnformaLlon consumers, and ulLlmaLely
our Lechnology acqulslLlon sLraLegy musL complemenL Lhe renovaLed buslness processes ln Lhelr rellance
on hlgh quallLy shared lnformaLlon. When revlewlng our collecLed conslderaLlons sLemmlng from
busLlng Lhese common MuM myLhs, a number of commenL Lhemes conLlnue Lo emerge:
!"#$%&'()$" %+,-)%+&+"(. '"'/0.).: 8ecognlze LhaL Lhe value of an MuM framework ls based on
shared use of a unlfled vlew of Lhe crlLlcal masLer domalns. 1hls lmplles shorlng up and
esLabllshlng good daLa managemenL pracLlces focused on sollclLlng, undersLandlng, and
synLheslzlng a seL of requlremenLs for shared daLa. 1hese pracLlces, when scoped wlLhln Lhe
framework of Lhe organlzaLlonal perspecLlve, wlll slmpllfy Lhe evaluaLlon, acqulslLlon, and
deploymenL of good daLa managemenL Lools.
1$2-. $" (3+ .3'%+4 -.+ $# 4'(': Cnce Lhe requlremenLs have been gaLhered, ensure LhaL all
poLenLlal consumers can access and use Lhe masLer daLa by provldlng Lhe approprlaLe meLhods
and Lechnologles for creaLlng daLa models LhaL saLlsfy Lhe collecLed needs and provlde daLa
lnLegraLlon Lechnlques and Lools for consolldaLlon as well as for publlcaLlon, federaLlon, and
sharlng.
1$.(+% 2$&&$" .(%-2(-%+ '"4 .+&'"()2.: As more consumers conLrlbuLe Lhelr expecLaLlons
abouL Lhe usablllLy of masLer daLa, lL ls lmperaLlve LhaL Lhe varlaLlons ln formaLs, sLrucLures, and
meanlngs be ldenLlfled and reduced when posslble. rovldlng a collaboraLlve seL of daLa
governance procedures for buslness Lerm deflnlLlons, daLa elemenL sLrucLures, and shared
semanLlcs wlll reduce lnconslsLency and fllLer ouL poLenLlal errors.
5'"'6+ .3'%+4 %+#+%+"2+ 4'(': A good approach Lo plloLlng Lhe MuM meLhodology ls Lo plloL
Lhe MuM Lools and Lechnology by applylng good meLadaLa pracLlces Lo commonly-used
reference daLa seLs.
78%$6%'& &'"'6+9 0$-% &'.(+% 4'(': 1ake an approach LhaL LreaLs masLer daLa managemenL
as a long Lerm program LhaL comblnes people, process, and Lechnology, wlLh Lhe requlslLe
roadmap and fundlng, and malnLenance plans Lo ensure success.
:$";( &'<+ 5:5 .-=.)4)'%0 ($ (3+ 4'(' >'%+3$-.+: 8ely on Lhe dlmenslonal concepLs Laken
from Lhe daLa warehouse Lo help solldlfy a seL of shared daLa models LhaL can supporL all daLa
consumers.
?+2'// (3+ &-(-'/ 4+@+"4+"2+ $# &'.(+% 4'(' '"4 4'(' ,-'/)(0 &'"'6+&+"(: Conslder
lmplemenLlng a daLa quallLy program ln lock sLep wlLh Lhe plannlng and deploymenL of your
MuM program, along wlLh Lhe correspondlng daLa quallLy pracLlces, processes, and Lools. Plgh
quallLy daLa ls necessary for a successful MuM deploymenL, buL reallze LhaL lmproved daLa
quallLy can provlde boLh long-Lerm and lmmedlaLe buslness beneflLs.


WlLh an appreclaLlon for Lhe dlfferenLlaLlon beLween Lhe hype and Lhe reallLy, your Leam can noL only
develop a reasonable blue prlnL and road map for MuM, you can also ldenLlfy Lhe key buslness needs for
Lechnology acqulslLlon aL Lhe approprlaLe Llmes ln Lhe cycle. Worklng wlLh progresslve Lools vendors and
servlce provlders who wlll help you undersLand Lhe plannlng, deslgn, and lmplemenLaLlon cycle for
masLer daLa managemenL wlll help your Leam evaluaLe Lhe besL Lools and Lechnologles Lo flL your
buslness needs.


MG&($ $-4 M($-&%
uavld Loshln, presldenL of knowledge lnLegrlLy, lnc, (www.knowledge-lnLegrlLy.com), ls a recognlzed
LhoughL leader and experL consulLanL ln Lhe areas of daLa quallLy, masLer daLa managemenL, and
buslness lnLelllgence. uavld ls a prollflc auLhor regardlng 8l besL pracLlces, vla Lhe experL channel aL
www.b-eye-neLwork.com and numerous books and papers on 8l and daLa quallLy. Pls book, 8uslness
lnLelllgence: 1he Savvy Manager's Culde" (!une 2003) has been halled as a resource allowlng readers Lo
galn an undersLandlng of buslness lnLelllgence, buslness managemenL dlsclpllnes, daLa warehouslng,
and how all of Lhe pleces work LogeLher." Pls mosL recenL book ls 1he racLlLloner's Culde Lo uaLa
CuallLy lmprovemenL," and hls lnslghLs on daLa quallLy can be found aL www.daLaquallLybook.com. Pls
book, MasLer uaLa ManagemenL," has been endorsed by daLa managemenL lndusLry leaders, and hls
valuable MuM lnslghLs can be revlewed aL www.mdmbook.com.
uavld can be reached aL loshln[knowledge-lnLegrlLy.com
MG&($ $-4 7P&#5&%
MG&($ "#:&%I6$*&# =(*9'4%5
lnformaLlon 8ullders' sofLware and servlces Lransform daLa lnLo buslness value for game-changlng
resulLs. Cur soluLlons for buslness lnLelllgence and analyLlcs, lnLegraLlon, and daLa lnLegrlLy empower
people Lo make smarLer declslons, sLrengLhen cusLomer relaLlonshlps, lmprove employee performance,
and drlve growLh.

Cur dedlcaLlon Lo cusLomer success ls unmaLched ln Lhe lndusLry. 1haL's why Lens of Lhousands of
leadlng organlzaLlons rely on lnformaLlon 8ullders soluLlons Lo run Lhelr buslness for developlng and
execuLlng on a world-class lnformaLlon sLraLegy. ln addlLlon, we are a ma[or provlder Lo leadlng
Lechnology vendors lncludlng P, l8M, Cracle, SA, 1eradaLa, Amdocs, and many oLhers. lounded ln
1973, lnformaLlon 8ullders ls headquarLered ln new ?ork, n?, wlLh offlces around Lhe world and remalns
one of Lhe largesL lndependenL, prlvaLely-held companles ln Lhe sofLware lndusLry. vlslL us aL
lnformaLlonbullders.com, follow us on 1wlLLer aL [lnfobldrs, llke us on lacebook, and vlslL our Llnkedln
page.

Busting 7 Myths About Master Data Management: Knowledge Integrity Incorporated

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Busting 7 Myths About Master Data Management: Knowledge Integrity Incorporated

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2011 knowledge lnLegrlLy, lnc.

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