MDM Capabilities

[Former Member]

Hi there,

I just wonder what MDM is all about there for I have some questions:

1. Using MDM for Global Business Partner(BP) Management, why do I need the BP component as it seems to be that MDM is capable all the functionalities and more the BP component have?

2. Is MDM capable to do the following: MDM gets BP information from a none SAP system, on the basis of the information MDM decides if the data set needs to be updated and what kind of information is updated e. g. the address data has changed . Also MDM triggers the update of another MDC with the relevant Address data. Can MDM decide if the data set is an update or an insert and can MDM provide this information to a MDC?

3. Is there any IDES MDM system where clients and partners can proof a conceptional design.

Cheers, Jochen

[Former Member]

Hi Jochen,

i have got the impression you confuse 2 or 3 things ...

1) there is a built-in master data object, the business partner... is that, what you mean by BP?

2) the Master Data Server is , technically based upon the BW-Technology, eg process chains within the MDS, like data extraction are based upon those chains...

3) the Business Warehouse appears as optional component within the MDM Concept; hence, if you want to do global spend analysis across systems you have to have the "extra" BW.

Am I that right, that you mix up BW and BP??? If not, forget about the above statements...

Concerning your second question: Yes. MDM can look for duplicates of the new incoming dataset in its database (the contents of which originates from other Client Systems) - if there is a match with an existing dataset you can update this set in your original system (whether sap or non-sap). Before you take any MDM action you define identifying attributes - so when you do an update - automatically the relevant set-attributes get replaced - the rest stays untouched. Also you can define workflows on the MDS; based uppon the matching result different actions might take place.

3) good question? you ask for a public accessible system for testing purposes? write to SAP !!! You've got my voice and vote

greetings, matthias

[Former Member]

Matthias,

Thank you for your quick answer. Unfortunately I guess I was not precise in the first topic. Talking about BP, I do not talk about the Business Partner data object. I talk about the SAP business partner application, where a central BP management takes place. In my understanding MDM can manage all BP-data and additionally it can search for double entries. So MDM could be use for a central Business Partner data management. So the question is why should we use the SAP Business Partner application?

Any thoughts on that?

Referring the second topic:

What do you mean by:”you can update this set… “Does this mean e. g. I have an entry in MDM for Mr. Miller, address data not specified. Now MDM gets a new record from a MDC for Mr. Miller with an address. Does MDM recognize the business process Mr. Miller is a double entry but the address needs to be updated? And in second step, does MDM provide this information Update record Miller with address data information to further MDC?

Cheers, Jochen

[Former Member]

Jochen,

actually I don't know any SAP Business Partner Application... what's that? anything to do with HR?

So I can't comment on that... sorry - but you're right concerning mdm abilities. It can manage BP objects and check for duplicates in this area - so if this is what you are looking for you might wanna go for it.

second topic:

if you have Mr Miller without address on your MDS and MDS receives a new Mr Miller with address-data it should throw a warning for possible duplicate! It does not recognize, that you have to add an address to the existing Mr Miller. It just tells you a duplicate probability grade. Further action has to be implemented on the customer project. I think, such an automatism, like the one your example suggests bears some dangers - you could always have, two equal names, even if it is not wide spread like 'Miller' - if then you want the machine to take action you will sure end up creating false data...

How shall the machine know, that the new same name, contains also the right address for its already existing Mr Miller...

Regardless of further steps to be taken there is the possibility of straight through processing (with MDM 3.00), which means that you can load and cleanse data in one go and distribute the cleansed data immediately to any MDC.