Develop a Master Data Management Strategy and Roadmap
Make sure your most important data is accurate and accessible across your business units to ensure optimal decision support and to monetize your data assets.
- IT and business leaders are recognizing the need to implement master data management (MDM) processes and technology to better manage enterprise master data.
- Master data is pervasive throughout the business and is often created and captured in highly disparate sources that often are not easily shared across business units and applications.
- Simple in concept, MDM is complex in practice and requires investments in governance, technology, and planning.
- Several different MDM implementation styles exist and it is difficult to know which one is most appropriate for the organization.
- MDM impacts the organizational data processes: how data is entered, maintained, accessed, and retired.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- MDM is not just for the big guys. Large MDM systems are complex and require deep commitment to deploy and run, but for SMEs to monetize data, MDM is still a critical requirement to achieve success.
- MDM can be difficult and expensive. Organizational buy-in and an understanding of the organization’s data environment are imperative to the success of an MDM implementation.
- Organizational processes are just as critical as technology when implementing and maintaining clean master data.
- Start simply. Get your reference data in order with MDM processes, and ensure the MDM data is usable in your business intelligence and analytics platforms.
Impact and Result
- Don’t get caught unprepared. By identifying whether or not you are ready to adopt a MDM strategy, you could avoid major pains and identify strategic initiatives to make sure you are ready.
- Maximize your success with MDM by identifying the master data domain(s) your organization should target.
- Develop a MDM strategy and initiative roadmap using Info-Tech’s MDM framework, which takes data governance, architecture, and other critical data capabilities into consideration.
- Identify the MDM implementation style that best suits the needs of your organization.
- Maintain MDM by identifying key metrics to measure your successes.
Develop a Master Data Management Strategy and Roadmap
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should implement a MDM strategy to monetize your data, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.
1. Build a vision for MDM
Before diving headfirst into a complex MDM solution, make sure the organization’s culture is ready for it.
2. Create a plan and roadmap for the organization’s MDM program
Have a well-defined roadmap populated with specific initiatives to communicate the plan to the business, prove the ROI of MDM, and guarantee success of the project.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
8.8/10
Overall Impact
$33,310
Average $ Saved
21
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Owens Corning
Guided Implementation
6/10
N/A
N/A
Fernco Inc
Workshop
10/10
N/A
N/A
Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance Inc. (CSSA)
Workshop
10/10
$25,000
10
ITsPeople
Guided Implementation
9/10
$22,921
12
Great Clips Inc.
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
N/A
Colliers International Canada
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
Fusion Superplex
Guided Implementation
8/10
$25,000
50
Werner Co.
Guided Implementation
8/10
$60,319
10
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
120
Cengage Learning
Guided Implementation
8/10
N/A
50
Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Office of the CDO
Guided Implementation
10/10
$25,000
50
Blommer Chocolate Company
Guided Implementation
8/10
$12,742
10
Amedisys Holding, LLC
Guided Implementation
1/10
N/A
N/A
CF Industries Enterprises Inc
Guided Implementation
8/10
$2,419
2
Dollar General
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
AAA Club Alliance, Inc
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
N/A
North Country HealthCare
Guided Implementation
10/10
$31,833
120
Shearman & Sterling LLP
Workshop
9/10
N/A
N/A
Athens International Airport
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
Clark Builders
Guided Implementation
7/10
N/A
5
Unified Health Services
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
20
Onsite Workshop: Develop a Master Data Management Strategy and Roadmap
Onsite workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Develop a Vision for the MDM Project
The Purpose
- Identification of MDM and why it is important.
- Differentiate between reference data and master data.
- Discuss and understand the key challenges and pains felt by the business and IT with respect to master data, and identify the opportunities MDM can provide to the business.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Identification of what is and is not master data.
- Understand the value of MDM and how it can help the organization better monetize its data.
- Knowledge of how master data can benefit both IT and the business.
Activities
Outputs
Establish business context for master data management.
- High-level data requirements
Assess the value, benefits, challenges, and opportunities associated with MDM.
- Identification of business priorities
Develop the vision, purpose, and scope of master data management for the business.
Identify MDM enablers.
Interview business stakeholders.
Module 2: Assess MDM Capabilities
The Purpose
- Recognize business drivers for MDM.
- Discuss MDM methods of use.
- Determine where master data lives within the organization.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Understand how to gain business support for MDM.
- Definition of the three MDM methods of use.
- Identification of where master data lives in the organization.
Activities
Outputs
Evaluate the risks and value of critical data.
Map and understand the flow of data within the business.
- Data flow diagram with identified master data sources and users
Identify master data sources and users.
- Master data dictionary
Assess current master data management capabilities.
- Master data management capability assessment
Set target master data management capabilities.
Identify performance gaps.
Module 3: Analyze Gaps and Develop Improvement Initiatives
The Purpose
- Determine where the organization currently stands in its MDM capabilities.
- Get a clear picture of what the organization wants to get out of MDM.
- Based on the gaps identified between the current and future states, identify key initiatives and timelines.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Communicate IT projects to the business in a way that captures the support of decision makers in the organization is half the battle.
- Have a clear and laid out initiative roadmap to ensure success of the MDM program as this will help create alignment between the goals of the business and IT.
Activities
Outputs
Evaluate performance gaps for remediation.
- Data and master data management alignment and strategies
Develop alignment of initiatives to strategies.
Consolidate master data management initiatives and strategies.
Develop a project timeline, and define key success.
Module 4: Design Roadmap and Plan Implementation
The Purpose
- Define match rules, golden rules, hierarchies, and affiliations.
- Create a strategic roadmap.
- Define metrics.
- Understand new data source quality and integration testing.
- Understand change request procedures.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Understand the importance of match rules, golden rules, hierarchies, and affiliations.
- Produce a strategic roadmap.
- Identify metrics.
- Understand how to integrate new data sources and/or the next domain.
- Implement a change request procedure.
Activities
Outputs
Identify dependencies of initiatives.
- Master data management roadmap
Prioritize actions.
Build a master data management roadmap (short and long term).
Consolidate into master data management strategy.
- Master data management strategy for continued success
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Try Our Guided Implementations
Get the help you need in this 2-phase advisory process. You'll receive 6 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation #1 - Build a vision for MDM
- Call #1 - Identify what master data management means to the organization.
- Call #2 - Discuss the strategic plans of the business and establish a business context for master data management.
- Call #3 - Determine master data management strategies.
Guided Implementation #2 - Create a plan and roadmap for the organization’s MDM program
- Call #1 - Discuss the results of the master data management capabilities evaluation.
- Call #2 - Plan initiatives for master data management.
- Call #3 - Create a roadmap and discuss next steps.
Contributors
- Salesforce
- Clarity Solution Group
- Cognizant Technology Solutions
- KAYGEN Enterprise Solutions
- Knowledge Integrity, Inc.
- Hub Designs Magazine
- IBM
- TIBCO
- Informatica
- SAS
- Data Management International
- University Health Network