Blog: William McKnight

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Why have a centralized MDM strategy?

If you try to comprehend everything there is to read and hear on MDM these days, you will find yourself going in circles. Therefore, I'll say that whatever you believe about what MDM is, justification is going to be necessary to establish it as a discrete project, over and above establishing the master data that you will do so out of necessity for various other projects. I view MDM as not really an option, we all need to manage our master data. However, making it a discrete project is currently under consideration for many.

So why have a centralized MDM strategy instead of just establishing individual data marts/databases for each need - as would be the case without any aspects of a top-down MDM strategy. There are 3 basic reasons. The first 2 have to do with efficiency/TCO and the last has to do with ROI.

1. Systems Impact:
Impact: The inability to do the next project that needs the operational system data or the removal of an extract stream currently in operation supporting a project. In other words, numerous overlapping extracts takes its toll on those systems you extract master data from. Perform that once and reuse many times.

2. MDM methodology and tools competence:
Impact: The carrying costs for additional headcount and tools to support multiple groups with MDM competencies. As previous said, however, it is going to be a challenge sorting through the approaches out there. Look for help to a non-software vendor who has an adaptable, experience-based approach.

3. Enterprise Subject Areas:
Impact: Having one set, as opposed to many sets, of master data for important, widespread subject areas of the business provides enormous efficiency advantages for all other system development. Furthermore, it enables ROI-producing programs that would otherwise be unobtainable - as in customer-specific, information-based cross-selling.

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