Is your MDM Programme Doomed to Fail?

It is still quite staggering the number of MDM programmes whose focus of delivery is driven purely by technology and not by business value and outcomes. Far too many programme and project managers seek to measure the success of their MDM programme by the technology platform that they deploy and what the technology capabilities are. It is an important part of the jigsaw but we should not lose sight of these five critical aspects of MDM:

1.      Technology is simply an enabler.

2.      MDM should be business driven; meaning being clear about what problems are we solving and what enterprise capability are we enabling.

3.      You can do data governance without MDM but you can’t do MDM without data governance.

4.      Change management and cultural change are key components of an MDM programme.

5.      MDM is an ongoing continuous improvement initiative and not a time blocked project.

Data represents the beating heart of every organisation and master data is the critical foundational data that enables enterprises to realise and exploit the value of their data assets. An MDM programme should develop the enterprise (that’s business AND technology) capabilities to ensure that master data is fit for purpose of use.

A successful MDM programme will focus on four core areas:

·      Data – understanding your master data sources, data quality, data model and lineage

·      People – who is going to own and manage your data and how – data owners, data stewards

·      Process – what are the processes to govern and manage your master data – it’s unlikely to be a one size fits all data

·      Technology – what technology platform(s) will you use to enable the successful governance and integration of your master data

Attempting to deliver MDM from within a pure IT driven programme is almost certain to result in two outcomes:

·      Failure to deliver any value to the business

·      Burning through the programme budget

If you are in an organisation where the MDM programme is all about tin and wires then it’s time to put your hand up and raise the concern as you are simply throwing good money after bad.

MDM should be all about enabling the business to make better decisions based on informed and accurate data which is enabled by a robust technology solution and infrastructure. If however, technology is seen as the key driver for MDM then any aspirational business benefit or value is unlikely ever to be realised.

Build it and they shall come does not work in the world of MDM, because nine times out of ten, the wrong thing will have been built, on the wrong platform, for the wrong people addressing the wrong business problems.  

If you have just built it or are building it without first defining clear business outcomes, it’s wise to pause and rethink, otherwise your MDM programme is likely to be doomed to fail. Whether you agree or disagree with my point of view, I would be interested to hear your perspective on this topic.