Master Data Management (MDM) is not a ‘plug and play’ solution. It’s a process. To get to your end goal of a fully functioning MDM solution, there are a series of steps you need to take first to get your business, and your data, where they need to be.
Think of MDM implementation as a platform game. Successful MDM implementation is your final level, your big boss, your Bowser in the Sky (yes, we are old enough to remember the 64). But to get to that point you need to complete all of the other levels first, collecting the coins and power-ups (or, data, resources and support) you need for your final battle. The higher your score, the easier it will be to beat the boss and get an MDM function that delivers on your data promises and aligns with your data goals.
Can you play single player?
Well, yes, you can go it alone, with your in-house team working directly with a chosen vendor. However, the MDM industry has shifted towards third-party implementation in recent years, with Gartner recommending that businesses use specialist consultancies like Amplifi to guide and support them throughout their MDM journey.
What’s the benefit of working with a third-party?
Working with a data consultancy, like yours truly, has several benefits.
1. It ensures that the MDM tool you get is the MDM tool you need
Too often, organisations select their MDM software without fully understanding its full functionality, its scalability, its limitations and its relevance to their specific needs. Tools like Gartner’s Magic Quadrant and Forrester’s MDM Wave are a great way to compare MDM products’ functionality and features, but they can’t tell you how each product can support your data goals. At Amplifi, we can shortlist appropriate vendors based on our extensive experience, and help you to prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP) that will cover everything you need to make an informed decision on your MDM, based on your business’ commercial objectives.
2. It makes sure you’re organisationally ready for MDM
MDM cannot work in siloes. It needs to reach every aspect of your business that so much as looks at data. If you’re not organisationally ready to implement MDM technology, with your entire business ready to work towards shared data goals, any MDM implementation will be a pretty expensive exercise in futility. Amplifi can help you strategically secure buy-in across the business, ensuring that unexpected enemies don’t spring up later on in the process.
3. It ensures that your data is up to the challenge
MDM gives you a single source of data. It’s not a magic bullet that will fix any problems with that data. At Amplifi, we have a saying: garbage in, garbage out. If you implement MDM without addressing data quality and data governance, you will instantly pollute your system with poor quality data. By working with Amplifi, you can ensure that your data is clean, reliable, accurate and consistent before you go live with your MDM system, preventing any nasty mistakes and costly delays further down the line.
By working with Amplifi as your Player 2, you can make sure you don’t miss a trick as you run up to your MDM implementation. From refining your data quality, to including the right information in your RFP and selecting the best technology for your needs, Amplifi can support you at every step of the journey.
