Enterprise Data Management Treat the source DOWNLOAD

Faced with the growing problem of unreliable data, many companies have turned to Enterprise Data Management (EDM) to get their information management efforts back on track. Unfortunately, many are using EDM to address the symptoms of bad data, when the most effective way to really solve the problem is to address its root causes. Because when data is inaccurate at the point of creation, it can continue to create headaches deep inside the system. 

Effective EDM can address the source of data problems like these, but it doesn’t stop there. EDM can also help manage data across its lifecycle. An EDM solution includes capabilities in profiling, cleansing and monitoring to improve data quality; metadata (data about data) to provide consistent definitions and usage; data governance to provide ongoing oversight and enforcement of standards and procedures; retention and security to support accessible and secure data; and master data management. Improvements in these areas can help produce the kind of data your business needs — from the beginning.

We’ve helped many of the world’s leading organizations in their efforts to attack bad data at its source – and across the data management lifecycle. We offer a broad range of capabilities to help companies develop and execute effective EDM initiatives. Read more examples of how we put our services into action for our clients below. Learn more about the offering.

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Meet our people

• Tom Mongoven, Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Related offerings

• Application Management Services – Information Management
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Learn more about the offering

Data reliability starts at the source
Data problems can affect nearly every part of a company’s business, from customer relationship management to finance, operations, marketing, risk management, vendor relations and beyond. In some cases, large companies with multiple product lines and sales channels may not even know how much business they’re doing with their most important customers. Such problems can leave decision-makers operating in the dark.

Effective EDM can address the source of data problems like these, but it doesn’t stop there. EDM can also help manage data across its lifecycle. An EDM solution includes capabilities in profiling, cleansing and monitoring to improve data quality; metadata (data about data) to provide consistent definitions and usage; data governance to provide ongoing oversight and enforcement of standards and procedures; retention and security to support accessible and secure data; and master data management. Improvements in these areas can help produce the kind of data your business needs — from the beginning.

How we can help

We’ve helped many of the world’s leading organizations in their efforts to attack bad data at its source – and across the data management lifecycle. We offer a broad range of capabilities to help companies develop and execute effective Enterprise Data Management initiatives. Our services support companies in the following areas:

• Data stewardship, ownership and data governance models
• Data standards, policies and procedures
• Data classification, hierarchies and structures
• Master data definition and harmonization
• Designing and deploying master data management solutions
• Data profiling, cleansing and monitoring
• Metadata repositories
• Data archival, retrieval and security
• EDM architecture patterns and effective practices

Bottom-line benefits

• Improve business operations and decision-making by providing data that is correct, reliable, accessible and consistent
• Establish a strong data foundation layer on which business capabilities can be built to achieve enterprise goals
• Establish a “single version of the truth” across the enterprise
• Reduce information costs and improve productivity for anyone who uses information
• Facilitate cooperation and collaboration across organizational boundaries
• Improve regulatory compliance, control and risk management

Six ways to get more value now

Make master data a priority. Master data – the core operational and financial data used to run the business – should be your first priority.

Don’t start without a map. Defining a clear, enterprise-wide strategy and roadmap for data management is the single most important step in the process.

One step at a time. EDM can be complex and overwhelming, so don’t try to do everything at once. After you establish an overall vision and architecture, focus your implementation activity on a single high-impact business area and build out from there.

Don’t delay deployment. Deployment and implementation are often afterthoughts, but they shouldn’t be. Begin thinking early about how new solutions will be deployed, accounting for existing ERP systems and new capabilities, in order to better reduce business disruption and manage risks.

Standardize across channels. It usually makes sense to fix data problems at the source, even if the source is an external customer or supplier. Clearly defined standards for incoming data can help facilitate consistency across market channels.

Get good at governance. Many companies mistakenly believe that data management will take care of itself once the systems and processes have been set in motion. That’s not how it works. Make sure you’re focused on managing and enforcing data policies across the enterprise.

Enterprise Data Management in action

• An EDM solution helped a large semiconductor company reduce its SKU by more than 40 percent.
• A company expects to drop its lead time for finished goods from an existing span of 16 weeks to two weeks.
• A company projects $20 million in savings over four years through inventory reduction and improved demand planning and praised it as “the best-performing IT initiative in recent years.”

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.