Master Data Management Picks Up Speed

by Curt Hall

I've been seeing an increasing interest by organizations in master data management (MDM) for the past nine months or so. Talking with readers from various end-user companies, it's apparent that the big reason that organizations are undertaking MDM initiatives is to put the systems and practices in place necessary to help ensure that the definitive data pertaining to a company's products, customers, accounts, and partners (suppliers, etc.) remains accurate. For, despite the fact that IT and business leaders understand fairly well the importance of master data, at most companies, it is typically replicated and scattered across various applications and business processes throughout the organization. Thus, MDM increasingly is seen as a strategic priority for both business and IT leaders who are under pressure to improve the quality and consistency of their organization's data.