Information and knowledge workers understand the value of master data management (MDM). The problem, according to Rob Karel, an analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research, is that they don't know how to sell the idea to management.
"Building a business case for MDM is often more challenging than other technology initiatives, such as enterprise resource planning implementations or business intelligence consolidation initiatives, which often provide transparent efficiencies and cost savings," Karel wrote in a recent report.
To build a compelling MDM business case, he says, information and knowledge workers must tie the initiative to specific, strategic business objectives. SearchDataManagement.com recently sat down with Karel, who expanded on the difficulty of selling MDM to management and how to do it better.
In this 12-minute podcast, appropriate for both business and IT professionals, listeners will:
- Gain an understanding of why so many business cases for MDM fail and why bad data is a symptom of a larger problem (1:45).
- Discover the role business process breakdowns play in creating bad data and how to avoid them (3:08).
- Learn the four most important business drivers to consider when building a business case for MDM and how a weak economy can affect selling MDM to management (4:50).
- Find out why a solid data governance foundation is key to a successful MDM implementation (6:40).
- Learn how to identify specific, strategic business problems that MDM will help solve, thus making any business case for MDM stronger (8:00).
- Find out what a business technology value plan is and how it can determine the success or failure of an MDM business case (9:40).
About the speaker: Forrester Research's Rob Karel serves Information and Knowledge Management professionals. He is a leading expert in how companies manage data and integrate information across the enterprise. His current research focus includes master data management, data quality management, metadata management, data governance, and data integration technologies, including ETL and EII.
| Download the podcast Selling your boss on master data management | |
| For more master data management news and best practices | |
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| New MDM research by Forrester |
| Building a business case for MDM is challenging. For free research from Forrester advising how to do so, please visit www.forrester.com/mdmpod. |
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