Master Data Management refers to a system that can provide access to a consistent view of key reference data from the organization, typically in including information about customers, products, vendors, and employees. Typically organizations will be using many if not dozens of
separate systems.
Multiple systems running in parallel ultimately will result in data redundancy and inconsistency. The purpose of MDM is to acts as an authority and centralized location for the company’s most vital information. MDM provides an accurate 360-degree view of the company.
Many traditional MDM efforts fail because of the many stakeholders and systems involved in the effort. The effort of getting MDM working is often frozen in bureaucracy. In contrast, the agile approach is highly collaborative and iterative/evolutionary. Scott Ambler recommends working in a priority order that is set by the business, not IT. In this way the most important information is made available to stakeholders.
Ambler also suggests that the highest business value is derived when the system is driven by use cases, user stories and usage scenarios. In this way, the focus is on the business case of trying to provide the most value to those who use the system and it also servers as the point from which priorities can be set. Trying to pin down and map all data between multiple systems can take a very long time. Knocking out those items that provide value and ROI is the best approach.
Agile MDM contrasts to the normal “big modeling up front (BMUF)” which often results in multi-month or multi-year efforts before anything
tangible is available. MDM can provide significant value to an organization, and the lean approach provided by agile MDM is a quicker way to ROI and user satisfaction.
