Master Data Management Maturity Level Scan: 2-Wk Assessment

Due to the computerization of society, more and more data is available within organizations. Organizations are also increasingly concerned with making business processes and outcomes measurable. This has led to data being used as input for strategic decision-making. Complete, up-to-date and high-quality data is necessary for effective governance and the achievement of strategic advantages. An organization is then also able to make better use of data at a tactical and operational level. Operations, marketing & sales, research & development, finance & risk benefit directly from the use of data to identify and provide insight into cost reductions and efficiency opportunities.

The need for reliable and high-quality data requires integrated management with a clear goal: value creation. Master Data Management (MDM) is the responsibility of business and IT to ensure that governance elements, processes, systems and content surrounding Master Data are correct and complete, so that it correctly underpins transactional processes. MDM helps to ensure that everyone in the organization is working with consistent, accurate, and up-to-date data, which is crucial for improving customer satisfaction and enhancing regulatory compliance. Master Data Management is the framework for the integral controls on your company’s Master Data. Some benefits of a mature Master Data Management framework are improved data quality, better decision making and increased operational efficiency.

Contrary to Data Governance, Master Data Management is solely focused on your company’s Master Data. Master data is a core set of data elements that are shared across multiple applications and business processes, such as customer information, product information, and supplier information. Master Data differs from transactional data because it is often created once and used in multiple processes and mostly of great value to the organization. If you seek to boost your Maturity level, then Master Data Management is a good place to start.

As Cegeka we developed an assessment to measure the current Master Data maturity level of your organization: the Master Data Maturity Scan. For this we designed the Master Data Maturity Model, which is based on the theory of DAMA-DMBOK: Data Management Body of Knowledge.

With help of the Cegeka Master Data Maturity scan and Microsoft Purview, the current Master Data maturity level of your organization or a specific department of your organization will be measured. We do this by doing interviews with stakeholders like the Chief Data Officer, Data Managers, the business, etc. and analyzing documents like a Data Strategy document, an annual report, a Business Plan, Dashboards or Data Reports.

The assessment consists of four subjects with different sub parts:

• Organization
  • Stewardship
  • Organizational blueprint
  • Knowledge management
  • Problem solving
  • Awareness
  • Communication
• Data quality management
  • Metrics
  • Process management
• Administration
  • Repository
  • Metadata
  • Documentation
• System
  • Security
  • Configuration
  • Information management

Deliverables

The results of the assessment will lead to one overall maturity level. It is also possible to receive the maturity level for each of the four parts individually. This depends on the goal of the organization. After the current level has been determined, we can support you in deciding what the desired maturity level of the organization will be. We will then help to make a plan for your organization on how to reach the desired maturity level. This plan consists of:

• Goals;
• Scope;
• Project results;
• Acceptance criteria;
• Preconditions and assumptions;
• Relationships with other projects.

Cegeka’s best practice regarding scope definition is not to start with implementing Master Data Management practices for the whole organization at the same time. From experience, we know that it is better to start at a specific domain or department, and once that is completed, you add an additional department. This approach creates ambassadors for the MDM project and will result in quick wins.

Cegeka can also assist with the implementation of the plan and help your organization to a higher level of Master Data Management. This will take a longer period and is not a part of the Master Data Management Scan on offer here.