CRM - January 2008 - (Page 42)

MASTER DATA MANAGEMENT quality practice,” says John Radcliffe, a research vice president at Gartner. For multinational organizations operating multiple databases and systems, a registry style might be the best choice. The key, Kobielus says, is making sure the architecture you select best matches your data governance and workflows. “Just like CRM, it’s critical to make sure that the technology aligns with the business processes,” he says. Select the Right Easel: Clarify Your MDM Architecture MDM solutions come in various shapes and sizes. Accordingly, businesses should consider the types of architectures that their organizations could opt for when deploying MDM software, Radcliffe says. Companies can pursue two avenues with MDM: a transaction style, or centralized architecture, which leverages a unified hub that acts as the “golden record” of data definitions and attributes, pushing data out to enterprise applications and end users as requested. The other is a federated (or registry) style, which is a distributed model that allows data to reside in its respective repositories, pulling data through a centralized hub that transparently points enterprise applications in the right direction. Each path has its advantages and disadvantages, many of which are contingent on the kind of business environment you operate in. For centralized, IT-driven businesses that have limited numbers of data domains and lines of businesses, a transaction style might fit best. The Canvas Beneath: Services-Oriented Architecture The enabler of MDM—and the reason it wasn’t developed earlier—is SOA, which is what gives MDM the ability to synchronize data across systems as a set of Web services. Accordingly, most industry pundits categorize MDM as being an “enabler” of SOA, but that’s just half the story: SOA is also a precursor of MDM—a symbiotic relationship that many enterprises aren’t prepared for. “A lot of companies aren’t ready yet with their SOA environment, so in that sense, MDM is ahead of the curve,” Dyche says. “They need MDM badly, but they’re relegated to using it in batch modes until they can get their service architecture solidified.” Dyche recommends making sure that your technology department has a firm grasp on its architecture and roadmap before moving forward with MDM, lest the project be hindered by a flawed or inadequate SOA. “The company should have at least laid the basis for their services structure. You don’t need SOA to implement MDM, but you need it to really make MDM flourish, which in turn will lay the foundation for SOA.” Your Art Patron: Find Yourself a Solid Service Provider Make sure to partner with a vendor or service provider with a significant track record in master data management, because chances are you don’t have the proficiencies within your in-house IT staff. This is due to both the relative immaturity of the MDM market and the domain expertise required to implement an MDM solution. “Just as important as your vendor is your service provider,” Kobielus says. “MDM brings together a lot of things, so it still confuses a lot of people.” Kobielus also recommends making sure that whichever third-party integrator you decide to team with is knowledgable about your industry. “Most MDM solutions have been heavily customized to your specific horizontal requirements, but not necessarily in your vertical. That’s important to note, because nearly all MDM solutions require some degree of customization—customization that will be primarily driven by the data domains inherent to your industry.” You can reach the editors of CRM magazine at editor@destinationCRM.com. www.destinationCRM.com [ 42 “You don’t need SOA to implement MDM, but you need it to really make MDM flourish.” ] CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | JANUARY 2008 http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - January 2008

CRM - January 2008 Contents Front Office Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Facebook's About-Face On the Scene: Oracle OpenWorld 2007 CRM Market Set to Double Customers, Meet your Makers Required Reading Oh, Behave! Fine-Tuning the Channel Listen Up! The Master Piece Flying High on Customer Service Let's Get Digital The Big Rigs Get Revved Up Putting Asia in Your Pocket Secret of My Success Connect Re:Tooling Pint of View

CRM - January 2008

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