As an interim CIO, I recently managed the implementation of a Master Data Management (MDM) project for a major player in the higher education sector, with sales of over 200 million euros. This first article in a series of three details the preparatory study phase, crucial to the success of such a project.

Background and challenges

The customer, a group of training organizations, manages a large number of campuses at national and international level. This complex organization must manage multiple data repositories:

• A substantial real estate portfolio spread over several regions
• A constantly evolving training catalog
• HR data (teachers, lecturers)
• Student repositories
• Financial data

The problem was clear: the absence of a single repository was creating situations where different departments were using divergent nomenclatures to designate the same items.

A concrete example of the problem

Let’s take the example of a codified “ABCD” training course. In reality, we were faced with a situation where :

• The legal department used the code “ABCD” in its official documents
• The accounting department worked with “ABC” in its billing system
• The marketing department communicated with “BCD” on promotional material
• Educational information systems used yet another variant

This multiplication of repositories made reliable cross-functional analysis impossible, and significantly complicated collaboration between departments.

The preparatory study: a fundamental step

We conducted an in-depth study that covered several aspects:

1. Organizational context analysis

   • Mapping the various entities
   • Identify information flows between departments
   • Assessing the digital maturity of teams

2. Identification of key processes

   • Creating/modifying courses
   • Infrastructure management
   • Financial processes
   • Marketing and communication processes

3. Audit of existing nomenclatures

   • Exhaustive inventory of repositories used
   • Divergence analysis
   • Identifying primary data sources

4. Usage study

   • Information systems mapping
   • Data flow analysis
   • Identifying friction points

Conclusion: the need for a repository management tool

This study phase clearly demonstrated the need for a centralized repository management tool. But a question quickly arose: should we go for a PIM (Product Information Management) or an MDM?

PIM vs MDM: a boundary that’s more marketing than technical

The distinction between PIM and MDM has been the subject of much discussion (both internally and with the main market players we interviewed). In reality, we found that the difference was more a question of marketing positioning than of in-depth functionality:

• PIM is generally packaged for marketing and e-commerce teams, with a strong “product” focus.
• MDM offers a more generic approach, adapted to all types of reference data

In both cases, the underlying engine remains very similar: a system for managing, standardizing and distributing reference data. The difference lies mainly in the user interface and certain functionalities specific to the targeted business domain.

Project scope definition

This study phase led us to :

1. A detailed catalog of expected functionalities

   • Validation workflow management
   • Input interfaces adapted to different profiles
   • Notification system
   • Reporting and dashboards

2. Mapping the processes to be covered

   • Creating and updating repositories
   • Validation workflows
   • Data distribution

3. A list of players to involve

   • Data owners
   • Key users
   • Technical teams

Points of attention identified

A key finding of this phase was the existence of human bottlenecks. Certain people, by virtue of their position or expertise, have become obligatory points of passage in validation processes. This situation presents two major risks:

• Excessive dependence on certain individuals
• A potential slowdown in processes

This early identification enabled us to anticipate these risks during the rest of the project.

Next step: the purchasing phase

This preparatory study phase laid the solid foundations needed to calmly tackle the next phase: solution selection. In the next article, we’ll look in detail at how we analyzed the various solutions on the market and conducted the selection process.

To be continued in the next article: “Feedback on MDM/PIM market players”.