Being an Information Manager...

Types of Master reference data

I have been pulled into some detailed discussions on Master reference data management and through this it occurred to me that there are different types of data that need a different treatment. Here are a few examples:

1. The first type I would like to call 'external standard lists' - this is the reference data for which we already have (international) standards (like ISO). Examples are Countries, Post codes, Units of Measure, Language codes. Characteristics: Standard is defined, source is outside the company, no debate necessary. Approach: Just identify the data type and agree to use the standard from now on. Even better is to make it centrally available as a service.
2. The second type is similar - but I would call them the 'internal standard lists' - things inside the company for which you like to have an agreed enumerated list - i.e. a fixed domain. Think about standard lists for security levels, status codes, ... Characteristics are: Standard is usually a lot harder to define due to debate from different stakeholders, while this debate is not really adding a lot of value. Approach: Identify the data type, propose a standard after analysis. Challenge the parties to make a case if they don't think they can comply to this standard. Make the standard lists available as a service.
3. Third is a type you should skip and this is the set of items that people think as common attributes, but which are actually not manageable. Think about document types (everybody has a different opinion), keywords, names of project teams (too many!), etc. It is hard to define this category, but it is usually about lists that change constantly, that do not have a clear source or owner and where there are no clear definitions (or where it is just over the top to manage it as reference data!). I see a folksonomy as a good alternative for this category.
4. Finally the fourth is the most important category - and that is for objects / things / people shared across the company the 'master reference objects' - this data you probably already maintain in one place or another and the trick here is to get agreement where you have the master etc. (stuff I covered before). Note that these objects can be organised in hierarchies - which in themselves can be seen as reference data (but lets leave that for now!)

Labels: folksonomy, master reference data

posted by Evert Ruijs @ 12:06 PM