Remodeling master data in changing business environment
Kortesmaa, Niksu Kalevi Johannes (2016)
2016
Tietotekniikan koulutusohjelma
Tieto- ja sähkötekniikan tiedekunta - Faculty of Computing and Electrical Engineering
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2016-03-09
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tty-201602253574
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tty-201602253574
Tiivistelmä
Master data is present on many functions of modern organizations’ daily activities. It is used to support most transactional operations, including sales, invoicing, logistics, manufacturing, and customer care. Master data is the static and persistent data which describes entities that are relevant to the business of a company. Master data can be customer information, product information, or logistics routes to name a few examples. While the master data is often seen just as a basic building block of successful information system network. Master data systems are often a distributed set of systems having intricate structures. Especially when an organization reaches older age, a history of company changes reflects a lot on master data and master data systems as well.
The structure of master data can change dramatically during the lifespan of an organization as it is likely to migrate from system to another and sometimes it is enriched in one system and this is not replicated back to the original system. In modern company culture the organization is likely to undergo organizational changes every now and then and this is reflected in information systems, also the ones containing master data.
In this thesis we study the problems of master data in changing business environment. We study what and why causes problems with master data, and offer possible solutions to these problems by remodeling the master data.
We studied the situation at Metso Mining and Construction by interviewing the current and previous master data managers. With the results of the interview we try to gather a better understanding how master data has been seen previously and how it is currently seen. Also we study how it has been modeled previously and how it is modeled currently.
We learn about the lifespan of information systems, especially master data systems, varying appreciation of master data and study the need to remodel it. We also study some modeling techniques and some issues with outdated documentation are also covered.
A segment of master data, customer master, is studied in closer detail and the segment is remodeled with the information available, here we learn the distributed structure and connecting elements of the set of master data. Also we learn the big picture about information systems and understand that where the complexity of the situation is derived from.
The structure of master data can change dramatically during the lifespan of an organization as it is likely to migrate from system to another and sometimes it is enriched in one system and this is not replicated back to the original system. In modern company culture the organization is likely to undergo organizational changes every now and then and this is reflected in information systems, also the ones containing master data.
In this thesis we study the problems of master data in changing business environment. We study what and why causes problems with master data, and offer possible solutions to these problems by remodeling the master data.
We studied the situation at Metso Mining and Construction by interviewing the current and previous master data managers. With the results of the interview we try to gather a better understanding how master data has been seen previously and how it is currently seen. Also we study how it has been modeled previously and how it is modeled currently.
We learn about the lifespan of information systems, especially master data systems, varying appreciation of master data and study the need to remodel it. We also study some modeling techniques and some issues with outdated documentation are also covered.
A segment of master data, customer master, is studied in closer detail and the segment is remodeled with the information available, here we learn the distributed structure and connecting elements of the set of master data. Also we learn the big picture about information systems and understand that where the complexity of the situation is derived from.