Comments on: CDI compared to other master data http://andyonenterprisesoftware.com/2006/05/cdi-compared-to-other-master-data/ Andy Hayler, founder of Kalido and The Information Difference, gives his views on the enterprise software market. Issues covered include data warehousing, master data management, business intelligence and data quality. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:54:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Andy Hayler http://andyonenterprisesoftware.com/2006/05/cdi-compared-to-other-master-data/#comment-87 Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:33:00 +0000 http://andyonenterprisesoftware.com/2006/05/cdi-compared-to-other-master-data/#comment-87 Good questions. MDM is definitely not only a problem for large companies. Even small companies can encounter problems with inconsistent master data. A small software company might have Great Plains accounting software, salesforce.com for leads, a support call tracker, an intranet for marketing material and a version control package. Do you think they will definitely have consistent definitions of terms such as "customer"? Do you think there could be any data duplication? Data issues can occur in even small companies, almost anywhere where multiple software packages and systems are used. Of course the bigger the company, the greater are the likely problems. 2. Of course in the case I gave you could look up Dun&Bradstreet, so perhaps it was not a good example. However there are many examples where different codes are used for the same product, or (perhaps worse) the same codes used for different products, and in many cases these will not be easily spotted without human intervention. My point is that smart data quality tools can certainly be helpful in spotting some data quality problems, but that human beings will need to intervene in a large number of cases. Good questions. MDM is definitely not only a problem for large companies. Even small companies can encounter problems with inconsistent master data. A small software company might have Great Plains accounting software, salesforce.com for leads, a support call tracker, an intranet for marketing material and a version control package. Do you think they will definitely have consistent definitions of terms such as “customer”? Do you think there could be any data duplication? Data issues can occur in even small companies, almost anywhere where multiple software packages and systems are used. Of course the bigger the company, the greater are the likely problems.

2. Of course in the case I gave you could look up Dun&Bradstreet, so perhaps it was not a good example. However there are many examples where different codes are used for the same product, or (perhaps worse) the same codes used for different products, and in many cases these will not be easily spotted without human intervention. My point is that smart data quality tools can certainly be helpful in spotting some data quality problems, but that human beings will need to intervene in a large number of cases.

]]> by: Srikanth http://andyonenterprisesoftware.com/2006/05/cdi-compared-to-other-master-data/#comment-86 Thu, 01 Jun 2006 11:16:00 +0000 http://andyonenterprisesoftware.com/2006/05/cdi-compared-to-other-master-data/#comment-86 Andy, On your views on MDM, (1) Is MDM a matter of concern for large distributed enterprises only? Possible to give a more quantifiable indicator of who would need it - say those above revenues of $ 100mn and operating in atleast 3 countries. (2) You ask whether there is any Fuzzy logic to associate 'Algida' with Unilever. My response is, why not simply use standard directories such as D&B where the hierarchy is established? Why go for expensive fixes? Would love to hear your views. Andy,
On your views on MDM,
(1) Is MDM a matter of concern for large distributed enterprises only? Possible to give a more quantifiable indicator of who would need it - say those above revenues of $ 100mn and operating in atleast 3 countries.
(2) You ask whether there is any Fuzzy logic to associate ‘Algida’ with Unilever. My response is, why not simply use standard directories such as D&B where the hierarchy is established? Why go for expensive fixes?
Would love to hear your views.

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