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DataGovernance:TheKeytoDataManagementLiaisonProfessionalServices

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TableofContentsHOWTOFACILITATEORGANIZATIONALCHANGE...................................................................3

BusinessCaseDevelopment.............................................................................................................4

BuildingaTeam.....................................................................................................................................4

THEDATAGOVERNANCECHARTER................................................................................................4

ProvidingtheDefinitionsforDataManagement.....................................................................4

RASCIDevelopment.............................................................................................................................6

MaturityModel.......................................................................................................................................7

StagestoDefine.................................................................................................................................7

MaturityLevel...................................................................................................................................7

PriorityFactoring..................................................................................................................................8

MaintainingDataGovernance.........................................................................................................9

PROCESSIMPROVEMENTS...................................................................................................................9

ReasonstoChange-Marketing.......................................................................................................9

ReasonstoChange-Business.......................................................................................................10

CurrentStateCapture......................................................................................................................11

Exampleofacurrentstatediagram......................................................................................12

DevelopingBusinessRequirements.....................................................................................12

FutureStateOptimization..............................................................................................................14

ExampleofaFutureStatediagram.......................................................................................16

UseCaseDevelopment................................................................................................................16

GapAnalysis,JustificationsandPowerofthePeople........................................................17

WherearetheGaps......................................................................................................................18

BuildingaheuristicpricemodelandROI...........................................................................18

PeopleManagement.....................................................................................................................18

CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................21

CREDITS......................................................................................................................................................22

AboutTomMarine.............................................................................................................................22

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DataGovernance:TheKeytoStrategicDataManagementIntoday’scompetitiveandfast-movingbusinessworld,mostorganizationsneedtoquicklyadapttonewmarketsandopportunities,andtogetthemostoutoftheirvaluableassetslikedata.Datagovernance(DG)isanimportantapproachtooptimizingbusinessprocessesandthedatathatflowsthroughthem,eliminatingredundanciesandcreatingaccountability.

Datagovernanceconsistsof:

• redefiningorganizationalprinciples,• changingdecision-making,• increasingcollaborationacrosstheorganization,and• culturalmaturity(veryimportantandtypicallyoverlooked).

Whilemuchofdatagovernanceinvolvespeople,practicesandprocesses,softwareplaysanimportantpartinexecutingaworthwhiledatagovernanceinitiativetoo.

PartneringbusinesspeoplewithITteamstochooseandimplementasoftwaresolutionbetterensuresthattheoveralldatagovernanceprogramnotonlymeetsarangeofbusinessrequirements,butcanscaletohandlefutureneeds,providescohesivedataacrossallchannels,andsupportsaconsistentworkingenvironment.

Butit’sstillimportanttorememberthatwhilesoftwareprovidestherighttools,it’snotgoingtodotheworktocreateaneffectivedatagovernanceprogram.

FacilitatingOrganizationalChange

Startingtheprocessfororganizationalchangemayrequirethirdpartyfacilitation.Thisensuresanobjectiveobserverwithnohiddenagenda.Maybeit’sjusthavingsomeonewhocanaskquestionswithoutfearofretribution.Ormaybeit’sthatyourpeoplearejusttooclosetotheirprocesses,andwithoutpropercoaching,theywon’tbeabletohandlechange.

Butit’salsoabout“firstthingsfirst”–preparingforaprojectthatmayrequirechange.Anddatagovernance,inmanyways,isallaboutchange.Itchangesdecision-makingresponsibilities;changesaccountabilityamongthoseinvolvedintheprocesses,workflowsandprocesses;andinevitably,changesthewayyourbusinessworks.Aconsultantcanhelpyoubuildthebusinesscasetohighlightthebenefitsofimplementingdatagovernance.Ifyouendupdoingthisonyourownwithoutathirdpartywhohasexperienceinthefield,youmayendupmissingsomeimportantnuggets.

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BusinessCaseDevelopment

Thebusinesscasefordatagovernanceprobablysitssidebysidewithanotherdatainitiative,likearequirementforbetterproductdatamanagement.Ifso,thedevelopmentofabusinesscasewill,ofcourse,reflecttheneedsofthatinitiative.

It’simportanttobringITandthebusinesstogetheratthispoint,todevelopacollaborativebaseandtobuildalliancesaroundwhatthebusinessneeds,notjusttodecideonatechnologysolution.Inthebusinesscase,currentchallengesshouldbeidentified,alongwithanypertinentquantitativemeasurementstosupportthecase.

Industrytrendslendadditionalcredibilitytothereport.Thebenefitsshouldreflectamatchbetweenthetrendsandthechallenges.Aheuristicpricingmodelwillhelpwiththethoroughness,withsomespecificbenefitswrappingupthereport.

BuildingaTeam

Therightmixofpeopleisacriticalcomponentofthedatagovernanceagenda.Therearetypicallymanykindsofpersonalitiesandjobfunctionsthatneedtobeconsidered.

Forinstance,youcan’tjustbringinallthe“yesmen”andthepeoplethathaveapositiveoutlookorwanttoseechange.You’llalsoneedthosewhoarecontrary,don’twanttochange,andmayactuallybeabitnegative.

Whatyoumightfindisthattheonesyouleastexpectcanturnonadimeandbecomeyourmostenthusiasticevangelists.Whyisthis?Becausetheyfeelthey’rebeingaskedfortheirinputandtheywanttocontribute.

Additionally,aDGleaderwillneedtobeappointedorelected.Theresponsibilityoftheleaderwillbetomaintaintheteam’sintegrity,throughminutes,schedulesandcreatingongoingenthusiasmforthelaunchandmaintenanceofdatagovernance.

TheDataGovernanceCharter

SettingupaDGcharteristhegroundworkneededtodevelopanyfuturedatamanagementgoals,maintenanceandchange.Thecharteritselfisnothingmorethanadocumentthatoutlineswhotogotowhenchangestodatamanagementarerequired.

ProvidingtheDefinitionsforDataManagement

Thecompanywillcontinuetoevolve,andsowillthedata,peopleandprocesses.Thedefinitionofhowsuchevolutionwillworkresidesinthecharter.

Herearesomekeyareasthatneedtobeaddressedinadatagovernancecharter:

• WorkflowStatuses–Thesearethestepstobefollowedasdatamakesitswaythroughtheenterprise.Theseneedtobeflexible,dynamic,andlogical.Butwe’vefoundthatthere’snosingleworkflowthatservesacompany

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throughalloftheirdatamanagementsteps.Theobviousonesare“NewProductIntroductions”and“ProductDataMaintenance.”Buteachofthosecouldhavemultipleoptions,likeNewProductIntroductions(NPI)thatcomefromsuppliersvs.manufacturers.DefiningandmaintainingthesewillbeakeyresponsibilityoftheDGTeam.

• Responsibilities–Withtheworkflowstatusescomestheresponsibilitiesofthepeopleperformingtheworkineachofthosestatuses.DefiningthoseshouldstabilizeafterthefirstseveralmonthsofaDGinitiative,butascompaniesgrow,managementchanges,andcustomerdemandsgrow,sowilltheresources,tableoforganizationsandmarketingstrategies–allofwhichcanhaveaneffectonwhodoeswhatandwhen.

• SecurityandPrivileges–PartofaDGinitiativewillcenternotonlyonwhoisresponsible,butalsowhoisNOTresponsible.Therefore,settingupsecurityandprivilegeswillcomefromthat.Anexampleofthiswouldbedataentrypoints.It’snotjustimportanttoenterdataonce,butit’salsoimportantwhoentersthedata,whocaneditdata,andwherethedataisentered.Manydatamanagementsoftwareproviderspreachthe“enteronce,usemany”mantrawithintheirsolution–butit’salsoaboutthesinglepointofentry,whichcould(andprobablyshould)beinmultipleintegratedsystems.

• Communication–Thereneedstobeastandardtimefortheteamtomeet,anditshouldbetreatedasuntouchable.Weeklyminutesandactionitemsneedtobecompiledandtracked.Thesemeetingsmaystartoutmorefrequent,buttheyshouldnevergoawaycompletely.FindingwaystomakethemengagingwillbeanongoingchallengefortheDGleader.

• IntegrationPoints–Adiagram(Visio,Omnigraffle,whiteboard)needstobecreateddepictingalltheintegrationpointsandhowtheyaremanaged.Agraphicalrepresentationseemstonotjusthelpinunderstanding,butitalsoservesasaconversationstarter.Thesearetypicallyinvaluabledocumentsandcontinuetoevolveastheprojectprogresses.

• SyndicationPoints–Similartotheintegrationpointdiagram,havingasyndicationmapisalsoadvantageous.Thisistypicallymoredynamicandmaybeaspin-offoftheintegrationpointdiagram.

• DataQuality–ThekeytotrackingDQistoalignonwithwhichnormalizationstostart,butalsotheconsiderations,approvalandimplementationofDQchanges,modificationsormaintenancerequirements.Thiscanaffectwhatappearsinlists,hownewdataiscaptured,andnewauto-fillcontent.

• DataStewardship–Conciselywrittenguidesfordatastewardstofollowwillbeapartofthecharter.Thefirstdraftandapprovalcyclearebestdone

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asapartoftheprocessdesign.Afterthat,changesshouldbepartofthedatagovernancemaintenancecycle.

• SingleBestPointofEntry–Havinganentrypointinonelocationmaybethemantraofsome“centralsourceofthetruth”providers.Butamorelogicaldefinitionisnotonlytohaveentryofdataonce,butitalsotohaveitinthebestpointofentry.Therefore,asinglepieceofcontentmaybeinseparatesystems,butthekeyistonotre-entercontentinmultipleplaces(orsystems).Integrationofdatabetweensystemsthenbecomescritical,alongwiththeprivilegesofthoseattributes.DGprovidesthedefinitionsofthesepointsofentry,wheretheyareandwhowillperformthem–aswellasanychangesthatneedtohappenassystemsanddataevolve.

RASCIDevelopment

Identifyingwhatgroupsandpeoplefallintothefollowingcategoriescreatesclarityandaccountability.Thistypicallybecomesawidelyuseddocument:

• Responsible–Thepersonwhoisresponsiblefordeliveringtheproject/task.• Accountable–Thepersonwhohasultimateaccountabilityandauthority.

Theyaretheonestowhom“R”isaccountable.• Supported–Thepersonorteamwhoareneededtodothe“realwork.”• Consulted–Someonewhoseinputaddsvalueand/orwhosebuy-inis

essentialforimplementation.• Informed–Thepersonorgroupwhoneedstobenotifiedofresultsor

actions,butarenotneededfordecision-making.

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MaturityModel

Thedevelopmentofamaturitymodelhelpsinidentifyingthepriorityfactoringexercise,butmorefromamarketingimplementationperspective.The“stateofmaturity”inadatamanagementinitiativemayfollowthesedescriptions:

StagestoDefine

• ProductToMarket–Whatisthematurityofgettingproductstomarket?• DataManagement–Whatisthematurityofmanagingdata?• Technology–Whatisthematurityofthetechnologybeingused?• ContentEnrichment–Whatisthematurityofhowcontentisenriched?• SEM–Whatisthematurityofsearchenginemarketing?• Marketing–Whatisthematurityofthemarketinggrouparoundusingdata?• DataGovernance–WhatisthematurityofcompanyaroundDG?

MaturityLevel

• NoStrategy–redundancies,spreadsheets,outdatedERP,non-modifiedsupplierdata,nointegration,noDG

• Promise–someworkflows,initiativeunderway,landscapeunderstanding,recognitionofcontentneeds,understandingoftaxonomies,understandingofmultichannelbenefits,someworkaroundworkflows

• Development–somesystemsynchronizations,demonstrationsdelivered,roadmapdesigned,contenttargetedbutnotcentralized,SEOdataentryrolesdeveloped,channelalignmentplanned,DGCharterindevelopment

• Coordinated–triggeredworkflows,solutionimplementedbutnotoptimized,roadmapdefinedbutnotimplemented,datacentralizedbutnotimplemented,toolsinplacebutnotimplemented,coordinatedmarketingforsomechannels,DGteamandcharterinplace

• Alignment–taxonomiesalignmentwithworkflows,solutionutilizedbutnotorientedtobusinessrequirements,roadmapalignedwithsomeimplementations,datastewardscentrallyhandlingcontent,SEOtoolsfullyutilized,complexmarketingmessagesacrossallchannels,DGhandlingchangerequestissues

• Synchronized–Allworkflowssyncedtobusinessrequirements,datafullysynched,roadmapoperational,contentsynched,webcontentsynchedtobusiness,marketingmessagesalignedwillallchannels,DGfullysynchedwithbusinessrequirements

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PriorityFactoring

Partofdetermininganapproachtoimplementationissettingpriorities.Thereareeightfactorswetypicallyreviewtodothis.Atahighlevel,theexerciseincludesamatrixdevelopedaroundtheseparameters:

• Sequence–Doesitmakesensetoproceedinaparticularorder?

• Dependencies–Dotheactivitieshavedependenciesoneachotherthatcreatethatsequence?

• Resources–Dotheresourceshaveenoughtimetohandletheimplementationresponsibilities?Ifnot,whatcanbedonetolimitinvolvementinoutsidedistractions?

• Opportunities–WhatbusinessopportunitieswillbegainedORmissedduringtheimplementationprocess?

• Capacity–Istherecapacitytohandlethecurrentload(technologically,knowledgeexpertise,infrastructure,etc.)andhowcanthosebemanaged?

• Demand–Howdoesthedemandonthebusinessgetaffectedandwhatisthedemandtomakethechange?

• Efficiency–Willthegainsexpectedfromtheprojectoutweighthechallengesoftheproject?

• Productivity–Willtheexpectedproductivityimprovementoutweighthechallengesoftheproject?

STAGES&\&MATURITY NO&STRATEGY PROMISE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATED ALIGNMENT SYNCHRONIZED

Product&to&MarketRedundancies,+no+defined+workflows.

Some+workflows+and+documented+responsibilities.

Some+system+synchronization+and+roles+defined.

Triggered+workflows+and+responsibilities+on+most+systems.

Taxonomies+and+hierarchies+appropriately+aligned+with+workflows.

All+workflows,+taxonomies+and+NPI+synched+to+business+requirements.

Data&ManagementSpreadsheets+and+Word+documents+are+the+main+data+sources.

Initiative+under+way+to+determine+opportunities.

Demonstrations+have+led+to+decisions+to+improve+or+purchase+DM+solution.

Solution+implemented,+but+not+fully+utilized.

Solution+fully+utilized,+but+not+fully+oriented+to+business+requirements.

Data+fully+synchronized+to+business+requirements.

TechnologyDated+ERP+(if+any)+and+no+best+in+class+bolt+on+solutions.

Understanding+of+offerings+(On+Premise+&+Cloud)+leading+to+evaluations.

Corporate+infrastructure+roadmap+is+designed,+but+not+fully+implemented.

System+roadmap+defined,+but+not+fully+implemented.

System+roadmap+aligned+and+prioritized+with+several+systems+implemented.

System+roadmap+in+place+and+operational.

Content&EnrichmentData+used+is+from+supplier+and+used+without+modifications.

Recognition+of+need+to+have+specific+content+for+market,+channel+and+customer.

Targeted+content+is+developed,+but+not+centrally+with+one+source+of+the+truth.

Workflows+and+systems+allow+for+central+repository,+but+lack+full+alignment.

Data+Stewards+handling+content+for+all+channels+and+markets+in+central+repository.

Content+across+channels+fully+synched+to+business+requirements.

Search&Engine&MarketingNo+strategy+or+defined+content+entry

Understanding+of+the+need+to+have+correct+taxonomy+and+search+terms.

Specific+roles+developed+to+enter+SEO++data+intended+to+improve+search.

Tools+to+evaluate+and+help+decisionNmaking++are+in+place+but+not+fully+implemented.

SEO+Tools+are+fully+utilized.

All+web+content+synched+to+business+requirements.

MarketingNo+Integration Understanding+of+what+

benefits+multichannel+and+omnichannel+marketing+can+do.

Planning+on+how+to+approach+aligning+of+channels,+markets+and+customer+content.

Marketing+messages+are+coordinated+across+most+channels.

Marketing+messages+add+complexities+across+all+channels+and+markets.

Marketing+messages+are+aligned+with+sale+channels+and++business+requirements.

Data&GovernanceNo+strategy Some+meetings+

designed+to+address+workflows+and+quality+are+in+place.

Data+Governance+Charter+in+development.

DG+Team+and+charter+in+place,+but+in+early+stages+of+working+together.

DG+Team+consistently+handling+issues+and+change+requests.

DG+Team+fully+synched+with+business+requirements.

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MaintainingDataGovernance

KeepingtheDGteam'senthusiasmandmomentumgoingcanbeadifficultchallenge.Ongoingmeetingsshouldbekeptsacredandthecontinuityoftheteamshouldbekeptasconsistentaspossible.

• Meetings–Don’tbetemptedtohavetheseasoptional.Evenifnothingisontheagenda,sparkingadialogmayleadtopertinentconversationsaroundthedata.There’salwayssomethinggoing,itjustneedstogetfacilitatedintoaconversation.

• Communications–Followtheoldrule:

1) Tellthemwhatyou’regoingtotellthem(putoutanagenda)2) Tellthem(themeeting)3) Tellthemwhatyoutoldthem(aftermeetingnotes)

Don’tlimitthenotestojusttheteam–it’sgoodforotherkeyplayerstohearwhatisgoingon,sincethatmayleadtoadditionalinsights.

• CharterMaintenance–Thecharterisadynamicdocument.Itisnotan“etchedinstone”guide.Butthereneedstobeappropriateaccountabilityonitsupkeep.Itwillbelookedatforreference.Considerthecharteranagendaitemforeachmeeting.

PROCESSIMPROVEMENTS

Datagovernanceplaysakeyroleinimprovingprocesses.Whendoingthegroundworkofdefiningresponsibility,theworkflowswillhaveappropriatereference.First,let’sreviewthemainreasonsthatdatamanagementimprovementstypicallyaredesired.

ReasonstoChange-Marketing

• Speedtomarket–gettingproductsintroducedandreadyforsalefaster.

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• SingleSourceofTruth–havingoneplacetohousedataeliminatesmultiplepointsofentry,whichmeansreducingtheopportunityforerrors.

• VendorIntegration–Puttingtheonusonyourvendorsforprovidingcontentisanongoingchallengeformanymanufacturersanddistributors.Byprovidingthetoolstheyneedwithanintuitiveinterface,youcreate“endlessaisle”opportunities.Thishelpsina“onestopshopping”scenario.

• ContentisKing–Besideshavingdirectinputfromvendors,which,insomecases,canbeusedwithoutmodification,generatedcontentusingaPIMisversatileforcustomer-specific,channelspecificandotherpossibleuses.Additionally,thenatureofacentralsourceofthetruthallowsforaccessremotelywithbothinternalandpossibleoutsourcingmodels.

• OmnichannelMarketing–Bybeingabletohavespecifictargetedcontent(marketingcopy,images,associatedcontent),aPIMgivesyoutheopportunitytohavecoordinatedcampaigns–notjustmultichannel,butomnichannel.“Omnichannelmarketingisjustmultichannelmarketingdonecorrectly.”Thecoordinationofcontentistypicallytheobstaclewhendevelopingcampaigns–findingit,preparingitanddeliveringit.ThePIMprovidesthatstructureforchannel/market/customerdistribution.

• DataSyndication–Onthebackendofthedatacycleisthedeliveryofdatatoretailersandotherdistributors.Unfortunately,thosetargetshaveuniquerequirements,whetherit’sthedata,themappingornamingconventions.Therefore,havinganagilesystemtodeliverthatdatadramaticallydecreasesthecustomizationandcustomdevelopmentusuallyassociatedwiththesechallenges.

ReasonstoChange-Business

• Speedofworking–beingabletoworkfasterbyeliminatingredundancies.• Speedofresponsibility–bydefiningaccountabilityandresponsibilities,

proofingcyclesandtouchescanbereduced.• SinglePointofEntry–similartothesinglesourceishavingasinglepointof

entry.Butthekeyistointegrateandmapthosesinglepointstothesinglesource.Forinstance,anERPmaystillbethepointofentryforsomeproductdata,butitneedstoalsobeinthesinglesourceoftruth(PIM)ifrequired.Thatshouldnotbearedundancy,butanintegrationflowsothatanyentryintheERPmakesitswaytothePIMwithouthavingtobetouched.

• PricingEfficiencies–Thisisacommonissue.Thesecancomeintheformofwherepricesareentered,howmanytimesthey’reentered,howtheyarecalculated,trackingcustomizedcustomer-specificpricing,etc.

• IncreaseProductivity–Althoughsomecompaniestrytojustifyexpensesbyreducingoverhead,thebestuseofproductivityistoincreasetheoutputofthecurrentresources.Bygivingyourteamtheappropriatetools,you’reabletomeetmorecustomer/retailerrequirements,create/delivermoreproducts,andincreaserevenuethroughvolume.

• ImprovedCross-TrainingofResources–Althoughthisisnotadirectrequirement,allowingdifferentresourcestobeexposedtotheentireprocess(sometimesforthefirsttime)cancreatebothrespectandknowledgegains.

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Otherswon’tseetheircolleaguesasmysteriesandmayhavemorecomfortinhowtodealwithrequirementsthatcrossdepartmentborders.

• RetainLeadershipPositionintheMarket–Maybethebestquestionhereis,ifwedon’tdoit,willourcompetitorsdoit?Because,iftheydo,thentheymaysuddenlybecomemoreformidable.

• ImprovedCommunication–Havingeveryoneworkingtogetheronacommoncausebringspeopletogether.Theytypicallyhave“ahhah”momentswheretheyrecognizetheirdependenciesonothersanddeveloprespect,createaccountabilityandimproverelationships.

CurrentStateCapture

Youneedtoknowwhereyouare,beforeyoucansetyourcourseforwhereyouwanttogo.That’swhythecreationofacurrentstatediagramiscritical.Therearemanywaystoapproachthis–whetherit’sbuildingalargediagramonawhiteboardtostimulateconversation,orstickynotespostedonawallinthesequencetheyoccur.

Herearesomekeypointstofollowasyoubuildthecurrentstate:

• Choosetheappropriatetime–Dependingonwhereyoumightbeorwhatyouwanttoknowandinhowmuchdetail,theappropriatetimemayvary.Youmaystartoutwithonlyasmallengagement,justtoseehowtheprocessmayfitandthenworkyourwayintoalargerandmorein-depthinitiative.Thefactorsmayincludehowcloseyouaretoneedingadatamanagementsolution,andhowmatureyourcompanyis…especiallyaroundculturalchange.

• “What”isthequestion–Ifthereisonethingthatwillhelpthisprocessgosmoother,it’sthewayquestionsareformed.Whenatallpossible,shyawayfromtheaccusatoryanddefense-responseriddenquestionof“Why?”You’llonlysetbacktheproject.Phrasingyourquestionwitha“What”willelicitopen-endeddialogandanswersbasedonthereceiverfeelingthatyouwanttheirknowledge,notchallengingit.

• TypicalFlow–Trytoavoidtheexceptions.Goafterthebigfishfirst.Ifyousolvethose,thentheexceptionshaveatendencytogoaway,oratleastbecomeeasiertodealwith.

• Don’tSolveProblems–Thisneedsalertmonitoring.Remember,thisisanexerciseinwhereyouare,notwhereyou’regoing.Ifyoutrytosolveissuesduringthispartoftheengagement,thenyou’llnevergetthroughtheprocessand,sometimes,you’llbeplayingagameofchange/changeback.

• “Aha”Moments–However,therewillbesomeobviousquickwinsbasedonsome“Aha”moments.Don’tdiscountthem,butbecarefulthatanyinterimsolutionisano-brainer.Don’ttrytodomorethanoneofthematatime.

• ParkingLot–Ifatopicarisesthatcreatesalotofenergyandthedialogdoesn’tapproachclosure,thenit’stimetomovethetopicofftotheside.Createa“parkinglot”fortheseitems,withtheintentionofreturningtothem

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afterfurtherinvestigationorwhentheenergyisnotasintense.Besureyoudoreturntosuchtopicstoshowaccountability.

• BusinessRequirements–Muchliketheparkinglot,documentbusinessrequirementsforeveryonetoseeandcontinuetobuildtherequirementsasyougo.Don’tfocusonthese,justcapturethem.ThiswillmaketheRequirementsGatheringgomuchfaster,andthesubsequentRFP.

Exampleofacurrentstatediagram

DevelopingBusinessRequirements

Animportantfact-findingmissionshouldbearoundidentifyingtherequirementsbasedonthebusinesscaseandbusinessneeds.GettingthesebusinessrequirementsdoneRightUpFront(RUF)willkeepyoualignedthroughtheprocessandwillkeepyoufromveeringofftrack.Itwillalsocreateacohesiveteamunderstandingofthedirectionoftheinitiativeasaguidelinetotheendresult.

Continuetoaskthequestion–Howwillthedatabeused?You’llhaveaheadstartifyou’vebeencapturingtheanswersduringtheCurrentStateprocess.

Becarefulnottobaseyourrequirementsonasolutionprovider’ssetoffeatures.Solutionprovidershavecustomersacrossmanymarketsandindustries.Thiscanbeaconundrumforanorganization:Doyouallowsomeonewhodoesn’tunderstandyourbusinesstellyouhowtobuildyoursystem;ordoyouignoretheirinputbecauseyou“know”youareunique?

Well,both,frankly.Solutionprovidersneedtotakethetimetounderstandyourbusinessinordertodeveloptheproperconsultingapproach;andprospectsneedtorealizethataprovidermayhaveexperiencethatisinvaluable.Thekey:beopenbutfirm.

Quote / Bid

Product Manager

RFQ

Quote Summary

Financial CP Analysis

Customer Profitability

Report

Order Samples

Bill of Material

Part No. & UPC Set up

MAPICS Entry

Product Specific Spreadsheet

Product Spec Log

Pricing Approval Form

Engineering Change Notice

Customer Portal

Nancy

Images (+)

FileNet

WebFTP

Jenny

Print Catalogs

Video $

WebCMS

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Herearesomebasicrequirementsbucketstoconsiderasyouprepareforadatamanagement/datagovernanceinitiative.Manyofthesewillhavebeenaccomplishedifthedatamanagementsystemisalreadyimplemented,butmanytimes,thoseimplementationsdon’tfullyengagetheDGgroup–therefore,leadingtothepossibilityofnothavingfullydevelopedprocessesandsystemutilizationtechniques.Inmanycases,theseendupbeinggovernedbytheDGteamandincorporatedintotheDGCharter.

• Taxonomies,HierarchiesandtheDataModel–Howwillthedatabestructuredinordertomeetthebusinessneeds,notthetechnologicalfunctions?Doyouneedtohavemultiplehierarchies?Doyouhavemultiplechannelsandmarkets?Willyouhavedistributorsyndicationrequirements?

• ManagingClassifications,SKUsandAttributes–WhatwillmakeyourSKUsmorevaluableandmoreefficienttoprepareformarket?Whatareyourglobalattributes?Whattheattributesbyclassification?Whatareyourattributeconfigurations(algorithmic,charactervalidation)?Whatkindofattributeinheritancescanbeestablished?

• TechnicalandIntegrationPoints–Howwillallthedatagetknittedtogether?Whatandwhereareallthesystems?Whatarealltheoperatingsystemsandnetworkprotocols?Whatarethedifferentdatabasesbeingused?Whatarethecurrentintegrationtools/processes?Wheredoesallthedatagetused(syndication)?Aretherewaystoperformmassdataimportsandexports?Willtheinfrastructureneedadjustmentbasedonrequirements?Howisadministrationandconfigurationhandledforcurrentaccess?

• DataQualityParameters–Whatarethelimitationsofhavingdatathatmeetsyoursandyourcustomers’expectations?Isthereanormalizationprocesstomanagemultipledatainputpoints?Aretherefieldvalidationsthatwillneedtobeadheredtoorchanged?DoyouuseChoiceListstolimitdataentry?Whatkindofspecialcharactersareusedinyourdata?

• Workflows,Collaboration,PrivilegesandAlerts–Aretheredocumentedworkflowsandprocessesonhowdatatravelsduringitsusage?Arethoseprocessesoptimized?Aretherolesoftheusersclearandhavetheybeentrainedtoperformthoserolesinaparticularfashion?Hassystemaccessbeenconfiguretomimicthoseroles?Aretheresystemalertssetinordertounderstandwhenthereareproblems?Aretherestructuredstatusestomonitoranddirectthedataflow?

• AssetManagement–Wherearealloftheassets?Whatisthenamingconvention?Whereareassetsused?Whatarethedifferentfiletypesthatarerequired(PDF,JPG,TIF,EPS,etc.)?Whataretheversionsandrenditionsrequirements?Howareassetsacquired?Whatkindofnormalizationisdone?Whatkindofmetadataisassociatedtotheassets?

• MarketingSupport–Whatareyourcurrentchannels?Whatareyourcurrentmarkets?Whoareyourcurrentcustomers?Whatkindsoftoolsareusedtocoordinatesynchronizedreleasesofpertinentdatathroughyourmulti-channelstocreateanomni-channelexperience?

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• Security–Howdeepwillprivilegesandsecurityneedtobetaken?Whatarethedifferentroles?Whoarethedifferentplayers?Whereistheearliestpointofentry?Whereshouldtheone-timeentrybe?Whatlimitationsshouldbeplacedonaccesstoproductgroups,products,attributesandtaxonomies?Whataretherulesaroundduplicationofthose?

• Regulatory&Compliance–Aretherespecificregulatoryrequirementsthatneedtobewovenintoprivileges,workflowsandalerts?Iscountryoforiginandharmonizedcodemaintenancerequired?Whatarecountry,stateandlocalsellingrestrictions?

• ImplementationInterruptions–What,who,how,howmuchtimeandwhendothesolutionprovidersintendtobeabletoimplementyoursolution?Aligningthosewithyourownchallenges(busytimes,resources,otherprojects)willneedtobeaddressed.Also,dothesolutionsprovidersdotheirown,ordotheyuseathirdpartyimplementationgroup?Ifso,whatisthetrackrecordandwhatdoesthatrelationshipbetweentheimplementerandtheproviderlooklike?Whereistheresponsibilityandaccountability?Howmanyotherprojectsdotheyhavegoingon?Whatisthelevelofexperience?Thismaybeoneofthemostimportantrequirements,sincegettingitrightorwrong,canmakeorbreakanimplementation.Digdeepintotheirhistoriesandgetreferences.

• Maintenance&Support–Whatareyourexpectations?Howdotheyalignwiththeproviders?Howarebreak-fixeshandledandinwhatkindoftimeframe?Whatistheroadmapofthesolution?Whatkindofupgradeplansdotheyadvise?Whatarethecostsofupgrades?Whatisthecostoftheyearlymaintenance(typicallyapercentageofthesalesofthesoftware)?Aremaintenancefeesproratedonafiscal/calendaryear?

FutureStateOptimization

Thereisalogicalsequencetooptimizingyourdata–first,completeyourCurrentStateworkshop.UtilizingtheCurrentStateresults,defineandbuildtheoptimalprocesses,whichcreatesthebaselineneededtodevelopyouroptimalflow.

Thisisagoodtimeforinsightfulfacilitationtoaddressbothculturalanddataoptimizationchallenges.Wefindthatorganizationsstrugglewithobjectivefacilitationofthisstep,mostlybecauseeveryoneinvolvedhassomeskininthegame.Byworkingwithanoutsideparty,you’lldevelopanopenforumforfeedback,ifdonecorrectly.

Herearesomekeypointstofollowasyoubuildthecurrentstate:

• “What”isthequestion–Asmentionedbefore,oneinvaluablelessoninfacilitationisthe“what”question–trytoformallyourquestionsas“what”andsteerclearof“why,”whichcanelicitdefensiveresponsesandseemtochallengetheintellectofthepersonbeingquestioned.

• Peopledon’tlikechange–Whatareyourbiggestfears?Whatareyouwillingtoinvestintheprocess?Sinceyoucan’tgobackwards,whatcanyoucontributetothefuture?

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• AddressthePainPoints–Nowthatanoptimizedprocessisbeingdeveloped,thecapturedpainpointsfromthepreviousexercisesneedtobeaddressed.Thereasonsmaybemoreobviousnow,butifthere’sstill“energy”aroundthem,they’llneedtogetaddressed.Typically,thesegobacktotrust,exceptionsandaccountability.Becareful…andbenice.

• Comfortablewiththedata–Whatwillittaketotrustthedataprocesses?Canyouagreetotrustthedataatacertainpointifthosecriteriaaremet?Canyouhelpinidentifyingwhenit’sadataissueoraprocessissueinordertobecomecomfortable?

• Softwareisnotthesolution–WhatdoesthesoftwaredothatwillallowyoutoimproveYOURprocesses?Whatdothemanualprocessesdothatcannotbereplicatedinthesoftware?

• RefertotheRACSIChart–Thisshouldbethebasisforthenewoptimizedfuturestate.Howdoweconverttheseintostatuses,alertsandworkflowstomovedatathroughthesystem?

• EliminateRedundancies–Wherearethereduplicateentries?Whatoriginallycausedthatredundancy?Werethoseredundanciesknownbeforetheprocessworkshopwasstarted?Whatarethereasonstokeeptheredundancies?Whatarethereasonstoremovethem?

• Don’tbeafraidtoaskforhelp–Whoelse,insideoroutsidetheteam,canshedlightonanything?Don’tbeafraidtoask–it’snotasignofweakness,it’saboutgettingitrightandhearingotherperspectives.

• KeeptheParkingLot–Don’tletextendeddialogandopiniondifferencesstopmomentum.Putitasideand,insomecases,meetseparatelywiththeplayersthatareatodds.Askthemina1:1situation,whichshouldeasesomeoftheenergy.Afterthat,developtheapproachtobringthesolutiontogether.

• GOBACKTOTHEBUSINESSREQUIREMENTS–Keepthequestionsthataremostimportanttothebusinesshandy–gobacktothoseandrepeatthem.Afterawhile,theteamwillstartaskingthemforyou.Anothergoodexerciseistohavethempostedonthewall.

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ExampleofaFutureStatediagram

UseCaseDevelopment

Thekeytobeingabletomakecomparableevaluationsofsolutionprovidersisthroughthedevelopmentofusecases.Theseareactualdefinitionsofcurrentstepsthatneedtobemappedtothenewprocess.Thesolutionprovidersusethesetodevelopcontextualdemonstrations,whichhelptheusersseehowthesolutionfits.

Usecasesneedtobedefinedkeepingseveralthingsinmind:

• Whatarethesetoftasksthatmimicsacurrentoptimizedflowandleadstosoftware-assistedflow?

• Whoisdoingthetasknow?• Chooseataskthathasseveralhandoffsinordertoinvolvemultipleteam

members.• Definewhatthedesiredoutcomeshouldbe.• MapthestepstotheBusinessRequirements.• Iftheusecasesolutionvariesfromtheusecasesteps,thereasonsneedto

bestatedspecifically.• Makesuretowalkthroughtheusecasespriortothesolutionsproviders

preparingtheirusecasedemonstration.• Givethesolutionproviderscontextualdatatouse,whichwillbring

relevancytothedemonstration.ProductcontentshouldincludeERPdata,marketingdata,images,andanyothercontentthatwouldbeassociatedrelationallytoaproduct.

ERP Load/Edit Complete ERP & PIM Datafields

Link Logos & Photography

Create Product Group

Create New Logo and add to PIM

New Product Introduction

TIMELINE:

Product Manager

Merchandise Manager

Copywriter

Creative

eCommerce

Print

Systems

Marketing

PhotographyCreate New

Photography and add to PIM

Build Price Table

Add Content including Index

terms

Proof Product Group

Proof Product Group

Proof Product Group

Add Metadata

Approve Product for All Channels

Catalog

Web Site

ERP ERP & PIM PIM PIM & DAM PIM & DAM PIM PIM PIM, WCMS, eCom

Syndication Retailer/Distributor

Order No Sell Sellable

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Also,usecaseswillneedtoincludeseveralkeyfunctionsacrosstheboardofhowuserswork.You’llneedtothinkoutsideofthebusinessrequirementsonthis.

• Admin/Configuration–Showtheprocesstosetupusers,privilegesandalerts.RefertotheRASCIchart,again,tohelpwiththesedefinitions.You’llneednames,jobfunctions,groupsofusersthathavesimilarresponsibilities,etc.

• ProductDataOnboarding–AkeyareathattypicallysurfacesasaUseCaseistheproductonboardingprocess.Whatstepsarerequiredtogetaproductfromasupplierintothesystemandreadyforuse?Sometimesacomparativeparalleldepictionoftheprocessshowingtheproposedstepstotheexistingstepswillcreatecontextfortheusers.

• TaxonomyandHierarchyBuilding–Manytimes,Merchandisers/ProductManagerswillwanttoorganizedataspecificallyfortheiruse–“Mynewproductsfor2015”or“Thismonth’swebspecials”or“ThePrintCatalog2016”–theabilitytomanagetheseinawaythatcurrentlyisbeingdone(intuitivetotheuser,butprobablymanual)willtypicallycreatecomfort.Afterall,thisisthe“thinking”partofthedatamanagement–somethingthatcannotbeassembledwithartificialintelligence.

• ContentChanges–Oneofthebiggestopportunitiesresultingfromcentralizeddataistheeliminationofredundancies.ItshouldbeaUseCasetoshowhowcontentchangesinonelocation(thePIM)andthengetssyndicatedtomultiplesources…changecopyinthePIMandthatcopyshowsuponthewebandonthecatalogpage…changeanimageinthePIMandthatimagechangesonthewebandonthecatalogpage.Or,haveadditionalcustomizedcopyorimagesthatchangeonaspecializedcatalog(bymarket,bycustomers)oronspecializedcustomersubdomains.

• AssetUsages–AlthoughmoreintheDAMrealm,mostPIMswillhavesometypeof“light”DAM.TherearesomekeyusagesinthoselightDAMsthatcouldbefactorsinthePIMsfit.Forinstance,cantheusecaseshowhowcustomers/distributors/retailersmaybeabletoaccessyourimages?Cantheybedeliveredusingspecificparameters(colorspaces,DPI,filetype)?

GapAnalysis,JustificationsandPowerofthePeople

Partofacompletedatagovernanceinitiativeisunderstanding“who?”and“how?”datamanagementwillbeabletocometofruitionandthenevolveintheorganization.Inordertoachievethis,therearethreekeyareasthatmayneedyourconsideration:

1. GapAnalysis2. ReturnonInvestment(ROI)3. PeopleManagement

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WherearetheGaps

Agapanalysislooksatthedifferentareasofresourcesastheycurrentlyexist,andthencomparesthemtothedestinationthattheorganizationdesires.

• People–Dothehumanresourcesyouhavematchwhatyouhavedefinedasnecessarytoachieveyouroptimalstate?Ifnot,doestrainingneedtooccur?Areadditionalresourcesrequired?Aretheresomeresourcesthatareexpendable?Isthisanopportunitytostreamlinetheworkforce?Isittimetoimprovetheworkforce?Doesthetalentmatchtherequirement?Canresourcesbere-allocated?

• Technology–Doesthecurrentinfrastructuremeettherequirementsofthefuturestate(andbeyond)?Doesenterprisesoftwareaccommodatetherequirements?Doesdesktophardwaremeettherequirements?Doesdesktopsoftwarealignwiththeinfrastructureandhardware?Doesthetechnologyroadmaplogicallyleadthecompanytowardsthefuturestate?

• Processes–Althoughthenewprocessesshouldhavebeendefinedinthefuturestate,thatmayonlybefortheaffectedareasoftheproject–merchandising/productmanagement,advertising/creative.However,therewillbeotherdepartmentsthatmayenduphavingtangentialprocessesneedingtobeaddressed,likepurchasing,distribution/warehouse,andaccounting.Maybethosedepartmentswon’thaveevery-dayaccess,buttheymayendupbeingaffected,seeopportunitiestofurtherimprovedatamovementorrequirechangestotheirprocessesthatmayhavebeenunforeseenornewprocesses.

BuildingaheuristicpricemodelandROI

• Gatheringpricingfromvendorscanbetimeconsumingandfrustrating.Ifyoudon’tknowtherightquestionstoask,orifyoudon’thaveyourrequirementsfullydeveloped,solutionprovidersmaynotevengiveestimates,andiftheyare,theywillprobablynotbeaccurate,orattheleast,extremelyoverpriced.

• Havingguidanceinthisareatodealwiththevendorswillprovidequickerandmoreaccurateresponsesinordertobuildbudgetaryrequirements.Havingdonethesebefore,thisconsultingwillallowforclosergeneralitiesinordertohelpinthedecision-makingprocess.

• GatheringROIinformationrequiresbothinsightfulexperienceandon-the-groundresearchandtenacity.Thelegworkwillneedtobedoneinternally,butthedirectiononwheretolookcanbeprovidedbytheconsultant.

• Oneplacetostartwouldbe–anytypeofmetricscurrentlycapturedthatapplytotheabove“ReasonstoChange.”

PeopleManagement

Becauseofthehumanresourcegapanalysisandtheamountofchangethathappensduringadatamanagementchange,peoplemanagementisveryimportanttodatagovernanceinitiatives.

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Forinstance,theRASCIchartisallaboutpeopleandthechangesthey’llbeexpectedtomake.Creatingaccountabilitystartsbymanagingthoseindividualsandgroupsofindividuals.Onekeydifferentiatorformanagerstograspisthedifferencebetweenempoweringandenabling.

• Empower–Giveyourreportstheabilitytomakedecisionswithoutaskingforpermission.Ifthey’retrainedcorrectlyandgiventheappropriateknowledge,thentheyshouldbetrustedtodowhatisright.Iftheydon’t,thenitbecomesadevelopmentopportunity.

• Enabling–Ifyouhaveemployeesthatare“covering”forthecolleagues–doingtheirworkforthembecause…“Well,ifIdon’tdoit,thenitwon’tgetdone”–thenit’stimeforadis-enablingexercise.Thosethatarebeingcoveredwillneverlearnaccountabilityaslongassomeoneelseswoopsinanddoesthework.Bystoppingthis,you’lleitherforceaccountabilityorhaveaperformanceissuethatwillneedtobeaddressed.

Herearesomeotherkeypeoplemanagementapproachestodrawonasyoudevelopyourresourcesandbuildateamatmosphere.Someoftheseareidealforworkshops.Manytimes,thebestresultsfromworkshopscomethroughthirdpartyfacilitation–someoneleadingwithoutanagenda.

ZengerMillerPrinciples

1. Focusonthesituation,issueorbehavior,notontheperson2. Maintaintheself-esteemandself-confidenceofothers3. Maintainconstructiverelationships4. Taketheinitiativetomakethingsbetter5. LeadbyExample

EmpowermentPrinciples

• Adulttoadultconversations• Givedecisionmakingtothosethatmakeit• Don'tdelegate• Accountabilitystartswithyou• Understandingthebusinessasawhole• Youcansay"no"• Areyoutherightfit?• Owningyourpiecevs.“that'snotmyjob”• Createanenvironmentthatallowspeopletochangetheirparadigm• Herearethemajorgoals.Howwillyousupportthem?

GivingReviews

• Asamanager,focusongrowthandaccountability.• Whatdoyoulikemostaboutworkinghere?• Whatdoyouexpectfromme?

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• Howdoyouappraiseyourskills?Whereareyounow?Whatdoyouwanttodonow?Wheredoyouseeyourselfinfiveyears?

• Whatcanyoudotogathermoreinformationaboutyourself?• What'soneaspectofthejobyou'dliketochange?• What’syouropinionastowhatIsayastowhatIdo?• Howdoyouseemyvalues?• Whatdoyouthinkother'sperceptionsofyouare?Yourwork?• Whatmakesyouhappy?• Whatdoyoubelieveaboutmyinterestinyou?• Whatisimportanttoyouatwork?• We'reallleadersinaway(byexample).Whatdoyouthinkaboutyour

leadershipskills?Values?• Whatmakesyouunhappy?• WhatdoyoubelieveaboutmycompetencytocarryoutwhatIsayI'lldo?• Whatarethebarriersbetweenushavingagoodworkingrelationship?• Listen.• Don'tdefendorargue.• Thankforinput.• WhatcanIdotomakeyourjobmoresatisfying?• Whatareyouwillingtoriskforchange?• Areyouconfidentthatthingscanchange?• Whatdoesmotivationmeantoyou?Ican'tmotivate,Icanonlycreatean

environmentthathelpsyouto.

ASacredPlaceforChange

• Thereneedstobeaplace…preferablywithlotsofwhiteboardsorcorkboard,secludedifpossible,andtheabilitytokeepitintactduringthecourseoftheengagement.(ThisalsogoesbacktothePriorityFactoring–ifyouneedthisformultipleprojects,youmayhavetoomuchgoingon.)

• RulesofEngagementforthisplace:o Howvaluableofanexperiencedoyouplantohavetoday?o Howengagedandactivedoyouplantobe?o Howmuchriskareyouwillingtotake?o Howmuchdoyoucareaboutthequalityoftheexperienceofthose

aroundyou?o Everythinginthismeetingisconfidential.o Aftermeetingresearchisforinformationgatheringonly.No

politics,please.• GroundRuleswhichmakethissacred:

o Peoplearetryingtodotheirbest.o Thereisalackofknowledgeofothers'responsibilities(both

ways).o Itisacceptabletosaytheproblem.o TheVegasRule-whathappenshere,stayshereo Wearenotsolvingtheproblemstoday.

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• “What”isthequestion.(Period.)o Thiscan’tbestressedenough.Anemployeeoncesaidthiswas

THEMOSTIMPORTANTtrainingsheeverreceived.Ithelpedherworklife,herhomelifeandrelationshipswithherfriends.

• No“Telling”o Thecommentsyoumakeareyourownandnotsomeoneelse’s.

You’renotgoingtospeakforsomeoneelse.

Covey’s7Habits

1. BeProactive2. BeginwiththeEndinMind3. PutFirstThingsFirst4. ThinkWin-Win5. SeekFirsttoUnderstand,ThentobeUnderstood6. Synergize7. SharpentheSaw

CONCLUSION

There’sacertainsequencethatneedstobefollowedtocreatetheopportunityforsuccessinadatamanagementimplementation…andthatsequencestartsbypreparingforthechangesfirst.

1. DeveloptheDGCharter2. Developtheprocesses3. Developthepeople4. Implement

Don’tbeafraidtoaskforhelp.It’snotaweakness–ittakesstrengthtorecognizethere’sthepossibilityofnewanddifferentperspectives.Objectivity,sincerityandsupportwillcreatemomentumwithintheorganizationthatwilloutlasttheproject.

Don’tbeafraidtobringupperspectivesthathavenotbeentouched.Datamanagementisallaboutapplyingdataideastoasmanypossibilitiesasyoucanfind.

Beanevangelist!Seizetheopportunitytobeachangeagentinyourorganization–youmayfindit’sthemostrewardingprofessionalexperienceofyourcareer.

Anddon’tforgettohavefun!

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CREDITS

AboutTomMarine

Tomisanaccomplishedexecutivewithmorethan30yearsofmarketingstrategyintegratedwithtechnology.Tomstronglyembracescultural-trainingtechniques.HehasfacilitatedchangeinmanydifferentDataManagementenvironments,fromworkflowsinhighlytechnicale-Commerce/legacyintegrationstocreativeproductivityplanninginmarketing-advertising-productmanagementsuites.

Tom’stechnicalareasofexpertiseincludeMDM/PIM,e-CommerceandMultichannel(Omnichannel)marketingwithadditionalexperienceindatagovernanceinitiatives,dataqualityengagements,integrationroadmaps,andtaxonomy/hierarchydevelopment.Havingbeenauser,providerandconsultantonMDM,Tombringsa360-degreeapproachtothespecificneedsoftechnologysolutionswithmarketing.