Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Title: Enterprise Data Management:

Author: Toraj Khavari
Date: August 19, 2015
Objective: Outline a high level introduction to Enterprise Data Management.

Article Body: Companies large and small are moving toward Enterprise computer solutions. E.g., Asset Management, Product Configuration (Infor), Enterprise Resource Planning system (Dynamics AX), HR and Payroll (Ultipro), Manufacturing Execution System (Dassault Systems), and Identity Management (EmpowerID). Enterprise computer solutions are individual vertical information (stovepipe).


Different data sources compiled in a common environment for analysis is the fundamental, first step for “Data Management”. Accurate, reliable, scalable, maintainable, and high quality information (data, reports) are paramount to continuous success and growth.

The Enterprise Data Management minimum requirements encompass the following items.    
       Create a reliable, scalable, enterprise solution to support and sustain Enterprise information integrity, quality and accuracy.
       Provide accurate and high quality business intelligence information and reports to meet the business objectives.
       Implement data and information governance to uphold and support the business goals and continued growth.


Enhancing effective and accurate business communication increases success, reduce surprises, improves the probability of meeting the client needs, reduces complexity and enhances quality. John Dewey said “There is all the difference in the world between having something to say and having to say something.” In any company, the individual contributors have the largest exposure to the company’s processes, procedures, and tasks. The largest scope of accurate information are available at the individual contributors’ level. As the company management hierarchy layers are added, the scope of information reduces. Rightfully! Supervisors, Directors, Vice Presidents, etc. are removed from day-to-day duties. The decisions are made based on the accurate information which is based on day-to-day duties. The raw data must converge to information leading to decisions. The accurate and concise information will lead to good decisions. Although raw large data sets are important in the decision making process, good information is the basic ingredient. Distinguish the difference between “Data” and “Information”.


Mark Twain said “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” A common mistake in business communication is too much data and not enough good information. A Centralized Repository for data facts and information to perform data analysis and support the business goals with high quality, productivity, prosperity are paramount to support business goals and visions.

A Business Framework runs the company. Enterprise Architecture is a collection of Process and Data Models. Enterprise Architecture is supported by Application Discovery and Understanding (ADU). The ADU includes all applications solutions, fat apps, data bases, excels and their macros, web apps, etc.


A Centralized Repository of data by itself, commonly referred to as Data Warehouse, although a good start, is not a complete solution. Data analysis tools play an important role to interface with centralized data repositories. Tools justification at minimum must include the following functions.
       Provides business and technical users with a single version of truth about data and systems across the enterprise
       Maintains a scalable, open architecture to facilitate growth as an organization’s needs change
       Provides global impact, gap, and integration analysis
       Offers a transparent regulatory audit trail and enables corporate governance of information
       Presents information according to end-user preferences, including language, graphical and textual formats, and business vs. technical detail
       Automates the capture and integration of metadata context across the organization

       Enables integrated views across custom developed and packaged application systems (such as AX, Infor, UltiPro, Dassault Systems, etc.)
       Provides source-to-target data lineage and transformation context across the enterprise
       Models and relates “anything-to-anything”
       Provides Web-based read/write access to all metadata with graphical and textual views
       Integrates with any existing application through Web Services, XML, and/or a range of open APIs (Application Program Interfaces)
       Provides sophisticated version and configuration management
       Supports standards such as Common Warehouse Metamodel (CWM)
       Provides a powerful metadata management system that supports both business and technical metadata throughout the enterprise. It provides a common user interface semantically across different solution collections and systems, regardless of Data Base type.


Let us put all of the above in a practical application. The company’s president and Sr. Management describe a business objective. Vice President of Finance, Controller, and management team establish processes and audits to meet the business objective, while accepting, rejecting, or enhancing the business framework. Metadata Repository is the centralized data warehouse supporting the business framework. Information services architects align technologies and data to meet the business objective. Sales and Dealers, Manufacturing, and other departments are subscribers of business framework,


Enterprise Data Management is the ability of a business to precisely define, easily integrate and effectively retrieve data for both internal applications and external communication. Make the implementation of Enterprise Data Warehouse stepwise, evolutionary, and methodical while focusing on business priorities. Strategize and consider tools to interface with Data Warehouse. Make it easy, fun, and impactful.

Enjoy high tech and enterprise solutions.

References:
-          http://www.cwmforum.org/cwm.pdf
-          10 Tenets Of Enterprise Data Management, Information Week. http://www.informationweek.com/



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