How to get master data management right
The version of this that works is simpler than the version most people imagine. The short answer to master data management is that it is mostly a sequence of small decisions, not one big one.
Data outlives the applications built on top of it, which is why the model deserves more thought than the screens. If it only works because one person remembers to do something, it does not work yet.
Why this earns attention
Two systems with different customer records will disagree at the worst moment. The teams that handle this well are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets. Assume whoever inherits this will have half your context and none of your patience.
The steps
- Establish what you have today before changing anything
- Decide which system is authoritative for each entity
- Reconciliation is cheaper than arbitration later
- Write down the decision so the next person does not re-litigate it
Reconciliation is cheaper than arbitration later. The teams that handle this well are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets. Assume whoever inherits this will have half your context and none of your patience.
Making it stick
How to tell if yours is fine
Numbers get quoted in meetings long after anyone remembers how they were calculated. Three things worth confirming about master data management before you move on:
- Someone can say what the current setup is without going to look
- Two systems with different customer records will disagree at the worst moment — and you know whether that is true here
- There is a way to tell whether the last change to this helped
If you want a second opinion on how yours is set up, ask.