Chapter 12 - MDM and the Functional Services Layer

Abstract

The value of master data management (MDM) does not lie solely in the integration of data. The ability to consolidate application functionality (e.g., new customer creation) using a services layer that supplements multiple application approaches will provide additional value across the existing and future applications. This chapter covers the functional application services layer. There is a symbiotic relationship between MDM and a services-oriented architecture (SOA): a services-oriented approach to business solution development relies on the existence of a master data repository, and the success of an MDM program depends on the ability to deploy and use master object access and manipulation services. Employing a services-based approach serves multiple purposes within the MDM program. As the program is launched and developed, the use of multiple service layers simplifies both the implementation of the capabilities supporting the data object life cycle and the transition from the diffused distributed application architecture into the consolidated master application infrastructure. The flexibility provided by an SOA triggers the fundamental organizational changes necessary to use the shared information asset in its most effective manner. By driving application development from the perspective of the business instead of as a sequence of procedural operations, the organization can exploit the master data object set in relation to all business operations and the ways that those objects drive business performance.