Master Data Management in Practice: Achieving True Customer MDM

Summary

Companies need to approach MDM with an ecosystem mentality. Ecosystem definitions typically include living species, habitat, and their complex interaction. Analogically speaking, that is people, technology, and the complex processes around them. Proper balance and harmony is critical, and companies capable of adaptation will have a better chance of survival.

Admittedly, we got fairly technical in this chapter, but that's because there are a lot of technical decisions involved in preparing for and executing the transition to an MDM model. As stated in the introduction to this chapter, the line between IT and business is blurry, and requires deeper collaboration.

Understanding existing MDM tools as well as understanding your own data and how to integrate and maintain them are all critical steps that set the foundation and quality baseline for your master data environment. In the next chapters, we'll focus more on the people and process aspects involved in the implementation and ongoing management of the MDM practice, but for the implementation to start off soundly and become a successful initiative, it depends on how well the MDM engine has been primed with data that is well organized, structured, and supported by good tools.