Managing Automation - September 2007 - (Page 59)

quality by acquiring Similarity Systems. SAP’s Gupta tells of a shoe manufacturer that, after cleaning the redundancies and inaccuracies out of its database of thousands of suppliers, shaved between 1% and 3% off its procurement costs. Noting that the manufacturer typically spent more than $10 bilMDM systems “replace the spaghetti bowl of point-to- lion on parts and assempoint interfaces shared ad hoc with a hub-and-spoke bly, Gupta called that level of saving significant. arrangement for sharing and synchronizing data,” As even sound transaction-oriented database says Filip Sana of Harte-Hanks Trillium Software. management systems jail, CEOs became legally responsible for the age, they are often unable to handle change and accuracy of all company data, so they’re looking end up containing corrupted and duplicate data. for a way to manage data from different sources. Codes may be misused or And third, sophisticated service-oriented archiemployees may create new tecture (SOA) tools have begun to emerge that ones on their own. make MDM systems easier to implement. Trillium’s Sana recalls a MDM systems “synchronize and manage data gas company customer that WHO’S WHO IN MDM? across an enterprise so you can share data began to notice a mysteriacross platforms, departments, and domains, ous code, “LDIY,” in the Enterprise interest in MDM has attracted a large and map an understanding of the data across marketing field in meter number of vendors aiming to leverage their product lines to assemble a complete system. Most vendors those silos,” says Filip Sana, director of prodreaders’ reports. It turned are seeking to integrate MDM components through uct solutions at Harte-Hanks Trillium Software, out that LDIY stood for acquisitions or partnerships, says James Kobielus, a vendor of data quality tools used in MDM “large dog in yard.” The principal analyst data management at Current systems. “They replace the spaghetti bowl of meter readers placed it in Analysis, who provided the vendor breakdown here. point-to-point interfaces shared ad hoc with a the marketing field because Still, enterprises have the option to use an `a la carte approach, especially when it comes to combining hub-and-spoke arrangement for sharing and synthat was the only space new software with existing data management midchronizing data.” available for the note. dleware and source applications. An MDM system basically is a central reposiGOLDEN RECORD tory where data can be corrected, updated, and SOA PLATFORM AND MIDDLEWARE VENDORS then transmitted to data warehouses, supply MDM, in short, is all about chain management (SCM), financial and acthe quest for the so-called ● Hewlett-Packard ● Progress counting systems, CRM systems, and other ap“golden record” — data that ● IBM ● SAP plications that support enterprise resource planis clean, accurate, uncor● Microsoft ● Software AG ning. MDM can also manage data provided by rupted, and kept that way. ● Oracle ● Tibco suppliers, partners, and customers. Compounding the data qualWhen done right, MDM centralizes all ity challenge is that organiDATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM VENDORS changes and updates to data in real time zations can’t always control ● Companies listed above plus: throughout an entire organization. General Electhe quality of data coming ● Business Objects ● SAS Institute tric, for example, centralizes data management from the source application. ● Informatica ● Teradata for all its consumer products, says Sunil Gupta, “You can’t fix data at the director of solutions marketing at SAP. When source because you don’t PURE-PLAY MDM VENDORS there is new data on product models, product upalways own it,” says Brian ● Purisma ● Cordys grades, or service issues — be it in the form of a Hartlen, vice president of ● Siperian ● Initiate Systems picture, a model number, or an advisory — the marketing for Kalido, a MDM system simultaneously updates sales syspure-play MDM vendor. ● Stratature ● Innovative Systems tems, customer service call-in center systems, Ravi Shankar, director of ● VisionWare ● Kalido and the consumer section of GE Web site. product marketing for ● Orchestra Networks Enterprises, however, are learning that it is not Siperian Inc., another pureenough to use MDM only to organize data. It’s play MDM vendor, agrees. DATA QUALITY SOFTWARE VENDORS just as important to clean the data managed by In-house CRM systems ● Harte-Hanks Trillium Software MDM. Incorrect data can cost millions. “Most can’t always directly access ● Pitney-Bowes’ Group 1 Software talk about how data quality is the fundamental other sources. For exam● FirstLogic (acquired by Business Objects) issue,” says Karen Shu, principal product manple, he said, a pharmaceu● Similarity Systems (acquired by Informatica) ager for Informatica, a supplier of data managetical company could not ment systems that recently expanded into data access sales data at retail ability of systems such as customer relationship management (CRM) to keep up with ever-growing data and ever-changing definitions and attributes. Second, passage of the SarbanesOxley Act eliminated the defense of “bad data” in cases of shareowner liability. Under threat of play list September 2007 59

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - September 2007

Contents Take 1 Europe’s Automation Chiefs Upbeat on ’08 Business Prospects Vendor Coalition Pushes Human Element of SOA Wireless: Users Still Approaching with Caution One Year Later, IBM Shows Plan for MRO’s Maximo Study: More Work Needed to Lure Next-Gen Talent Executive Q&A Notes Cover Story: 2008 Companies to Watch Special Report: The 2007 Progressive Manufacturing High Achievers Progressive Manufacturer of the Year Business Model Mastery Innovation Mastery Customer Mastery Supply Network Mastery Data & Integration Mastery Education & Training Mastery Operational Excellence Mastery Leadership Mastery Transformation: Orchestrating the Multi-Tier Supply Network Integration: The Timeless Quest for Accurate Data Industries: Maintenance No Longer on Schedule Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - September 2007

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