A 3-Tiered Roadmap to MDM Mastery

Recovering from any problem - even a master data management (MDM) one - starts by simply admitting that a problem exists. Before you can fix your company's data issues and gain the business insights and analytics that you need from your enterprise data, you must first acknowledge that MDM is a problem for your organization.

Diagnosing a Master Data Problem
An MDM problem is often the result of individuals and groups having the motive, opportunity, and means to create and maintain critical master data without governance or oversight. As business leaders increasingly rely on data, they want to create more refined levels of master data that support deeper analysis. This desire motivates information workers to deliver more insightful analysis to key decision makers quickly by creating data in spreadsheets, desktop databases, or other non-enterprise systems.

Managing data in this way exacerbates the problem. Your information workers haven't created the data in accordance with your enterprise systems and processes, and they now must manually reconcile and massage data to deliver the requested analytics. At low volumes, individuals can keep up with the demand - but eventually, the shortcuts will no longer work.

Taking Control
To take control over your enterprise data and eliminate the silos of data and analysis that diminish your organization's ability to compete, you have to address the three major components of enterprise information management (EIM). EIM is a set of strategic and tactical disciplines, actions, and policies focused on all of the critical information and data inside an organization, including reporting, transactional, conditional, reference, and master data.

The three key pillars of EIM include:

Technology: EIM initiatives usually begin with an assessment of the existing data and technology landscape to identify the initiative's scope and to highlight some possible opportunities for simplification. The challenge is to avoid making your EIM strategy solely about technology.

Technology is critical to efficiently and effectively managing the data, but it need not be the focal point of data management initiatives.

Process: Instead, the process of EIM and data governance should take center stage. Organizations must f irst determine who owns the data, establish real accountability for its quality and completeness, and set in place measurements to assure that the data remains clean and consistent. Also, remember that each data domain might require a varied approach and process - this allows you to move forward with smaller initiatives while pursuing an enterprise goal.

People: If people do not adopt your processoriented solution, even the greatest process or most up-to-date technology will fail. Spreadsheet and desktop database master data solutions are still so prevalent today because those technologies are familiar to the primary users. They do not involve a complicated desktop tool or a new user ID and password for a new Web site. The user just opens the application and starts creating data.

SITA CORP helps its customers find an effective balance of technology, process, and people in their EIM initiatives. Leveraging SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management, SAP NetWeaver Composition Environment, SAP Interactive Forms software by Adobe, and Duet software, SITA CORP helps its customers establish the right combination of best-fit EIM processes and technology while effectively engaging people (through the development of technical solutions that fit the working patterns of information workers).

Together, SITA CORP services and SAP technology can help you control your data and assure long-term EIM and MDM success.

For more information on managing your master data, please visit www.sitacorp.com.