An Open Source Solution for Master Data Management

In most large organisations, managing master data is a very complex problem that technology alone will not solve.  The majority of issues are process and competency-oriented:

In most large organisations, managing master data is a very complex problem that technology alone will not solve.  The majority of issues are process and competency-oriented:

• Organisations typically have complex data quality issues with master data, especially with customer and address data from legacy systems
• There is often a high degree of overlap in master data, e.g. large organisations storing customer data across many systems in the enterprise
• Organisations typically lack a Data Mastering Model which defines primary masters, secondary masters and slaves of master data and therefore makes integration of master data complex
• It is often difficult to come to a common agreement on domain values that are stored across a number of systems, especially product data
• Poor information governance (stewardship, ownership, policies) around master data leads to complexity across the organisation

MDM solutions are often perceived by business and executive management as significant and costly purely due to infrastructure improvement efforts lacking well-defined tangible business benefits.

The MIKE2.0 Information Development approach can help implement the necessary competences to address these issues in a systematic fashion. An end-to-end approach is followed that goes from business strategy to ongoing operational improvement.  MIKE2.0 contains the comprehensive set of activities and tasks that are required to see an MDM programme through from strategy to implementation.

Key aspects of MIKE2.0 that are applied include:

• Definition of the business and technology blueprint, which defines strategic requirements and plans the implementation programme over multiple increments
• Definition of strategic and tactical architecture frameworks, using the SAFE Architecture as a starting point
• Documentation of strategic technology requirements for product selection
• An organisational model to focus specifically on Information Development
• An approach to improve Data Governance across the environment

This comprehensive approach goes across people, process, organisation and technology and is driven by an overall strategy.   Please check it out when you have a  moment.