MDM Implementation Styles

Implementation Styles of MDM Server as defined by Gartner Group

Consolidated – For reporting analytics and centralized reference
Registry – Mainly for real-time central reference
Coexistence – For harmonization across databases and central reference
Transaction – Acts as a system of record to support transactional activity

The common aspects of these architectural styles are:-
1. All have a requirement to create/define a central store or database for the master data
2. All have requirements for the solution to have a data quality foundation
3. All have requirements to act as the master source of data despite how many multiple sources of data are being accessed

The architectural styles differ by:
1. The level of physical instantiations of the master data versus virtual or metadata
2. To what degree the solution can perform transactionally with other operational systems
3. How and where the creation of the master data takes place
4 The level of neutrality to connect with transactional and analytical applications

Some of the misconceptions about the architectural styles:-
1. A solution offering addresses only one architectural style.
2. Organizations have to adhere to one approach for the lifespan of the project.


So basically any of the Master Data Management products could be used to implement solutions following any of the implementation styles. Let us consider some products in terms of their suitability for different implementation styles:-

1.InfoSphere MDM Server – It can be implemented in all different styles. However if used for Registry style, their might not be effective usage of the rich set of services provided by the product. Highly useful for a transaction style of implementation. Most of the MDM-Server customers are financial sector as they want to implement the transaction style of MDM implementation. The other reason also being that they want to own the master record.

2.Initiate Systems – It is highly useful for registry style since it has a very strong capability of linking to source master record. It has services for view, search and matching capabilities. Initiate finds its market in the Health Care domain where only a subset of the data is viewable and searchable. The purpose is to link to the master record which might reside on some other physical MDM.