Implementing Data Mesh

Chapter 12. Understanding Data Product Supply Chains

In Chapter 9, we showed that data products have embedded services that make them discoverable, observable, and certifiable. These services are supported by a self-serve capability, which allows data products to interact in a consistent and trusted fashion on their own. In this chapter, we will demonstrate that this capability enables “data product factories” that can create data products in a consistent, efficient, and repeatable fashion. Then, we will explain how the embedded services in data products enable the interaction needed for a modern software supply chain.

The Modern Manufacturing Supply Chain

The assembly line became the symbol of a new era of manufacturing, epitomizing efficiency and standardization. Pioneered by the likes of Henry Ford in the automobile industry, it revolutionized production by breaking down the manufacturing process into simple, repetitive tasks. This system enabled the mass production of goods at unprecedented speeds and significantly reduced costs. Products that were once luxury items, accessible only to the affluent, became available to the general public.

The assembly line also introduced a new level of precision and uniformity in products, eliminating the inconsistencies that are a natural part of handcrafted goods. This shift not only changed production methods but also had profound social and economic impacts, leading to the rise of consumer culture and the modern industrial economy. ...