Some interesting discussions have come up recently regarding MDM and ERP as well as MDM and EIM (Enterprise Information Management).
Here is a definition in a recent article by Andrew White that discuss MDM’s place in EIM:
…”Enterprise Information Management (EIM) is a business oriented information strategy that is adopted when a firm decides to manage information as an asset for reuse.”
In short, if MDM is considered ONLY a cost center…an I.T. initiative intended to lower costs and sponsored by I.T. Leadership…can it survive a Business/Customer focused change of initiatives? On the other hand, if MDM is *known by* and actively supported by business as an integral part of an Information Architecture AND a potential revenue generator it has a much greater chance of continued support and success.
Additionally, there is an article on ERP vs. MDM (ERP and MDM) that discusses the seperate data models (and requirements) for:
- ERP data model used as MDM
- MDM as seperate data model
- Business intelligence model
In conclusion, for all of the above, there is no *right* answer that does not include the specific context and requirements of the organization involved. As usual, the sooner one can understand the requirements (the what) the sooner a realistic information architecture (the how) can be determined.
