The Power of MDM in a Big Data World · 1! The$Power$of$Master$Data$in$a$Big$Data$World$...

!!A!Hub!Designs!White!Paper!!!

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The!Power!of!Master!Data!in!a!Big!Data!World!

By!Dan$Power,!Founder!&!President,!Hub!Designs!

and!Julie$Hunt,!Editor,!Hub!Designs!Magazine!

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Sponsored!by!

Image!by!http://yasiv.com/facebook!

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The$Power$of$Master$Data$in$a$Big$Data$World$1!

“In$theory,$there’s$no$difference$

between$theory$and$practice,$

but$in$practice,$there$is!”$

Attributed)to)Yogi)Berra$

Executive!Overview!

After!substantial!investments!in!big!data,!there!are!continued!reports!of!failed!projects!and!wasted!

efforts.!

In!theory,!big!data!analytics!still!holds!the!promise!of!significant!returns,!for!better!decisionKmaking,!

faster!goKtoKmarket!strategies,!and!innovative!new!business!models.!

Organizations!are!looking!for!better!ways!to!gain!insights!from!their!

data!(including!big!data),!and!for!the!most!effective!way!to!use!their!

data!as!a!weapon!in!an!increasingly!competitive!marketplace.!And$

their$questions$about$how$best$to$achieve$this$value$are$still$largely$

unanswered.!!

Often!organizations!focus!too!much!on!the!technical!“whiz!bang”!

aspects!of!big!data!instead!of!asking:!Why$are$we$doing$this?!!

There!has!to!be!a!real!goal—a!real!business!problem!to!solve—driving!a!big!data!initiative.!But!for!

most!big!data!projects,!the!data!alone!does!not!reveal!the!answers.!Instead,!fragments!of!data!are!

linked!together,!without!sufficient!context!to!connect!them!to!the!business!or!to!customers!and!

products.!

So$what’s$missing?!To!frame!big!data!analytics,!you!need!to!identify!the!purpose!of!the!big!data!

project,!connections!to!existing!data,!and!the!context!for!the!analysis.!Without!the!context!of!current!

business!requirements!and!operational!systems,!big!data!can!lose!its!footing!–!and!millions!of!dollars.!

Master$data$establishes$the$context$and$connections$that$are$absent$from$most$big$data$analytics.$

It!can!help!identify!the!purpose!of!big!data!projects,!connect!them!to!existing!data,!and!provide!

context!for!analysis.!Improved!data!quality!and!other!enhancements!to!your!big!data!analytics!

initiative!can!also!come!from!master!data!management!(MDM)!and!its!companion,!data!governance.!

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Large$Retailer$Misfires$with$Unfocused$Big$Data$Analytics$

A!wellKknown!retailer!has!struggled!with!declining!revenue!in!recent!years!and!stumbled!through!conflicting!

executive!approaches.!One!CEO!was!brought!in!to!refresh!the!brand!and!change!how!its!merchandise!was!sold.!

This!CEO!was!known!for!citing!his!big!data!analytics!for!customer!buying!behavior.!His!takeaways!from!the!data!

drove!him!to!completely!revamp!how!the!retailer!went!to!market!and!to!abandon!profitable!private!label!brands.!

The!CEO!steered!the!company!away!from!online!selling!to!push!customers!to!brickKandKmortar!stores.!Sales!

plummeted!and!the!CEO!was!shown!the!door.!!

The!next!CEO!reviewed!his!predecessor’s!big!data!and!came!away!with!an!entirely!different!set!of!

recommendations.!This!CEO!is!now!busy!reversing!most!of!what!the!prior!CEO!set!into!motion.!!

Big!data!alone!won’t!necessarily!lead!to!usable!answers!or!insights.!Big!data!often!needs!to!be!combined!with!

what!is!sometimes!called!“little!data”!–!the!data!from!internal!enterprise!systems!–!to!add!context!and!relevance!

to!what!big!data!offers.!Master!data!is!especially!important!for!correlating!big!data!information!and!to!connect!it!

to!mission!critical!data!across!the!enterprise.!!

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How!Can!Master!Data!Help!You!Get!More!from!Big!Data?!

Big!data!is!called!big!simply!because!it!comprises!so!many!different!kinds!of!data.!Generally,!big!data!

refers!to!data!sources!that!are!too!large!(high!volume),!too!unstructured!or!multiKstructured!(high!

variability),!or!accumulates!too!fast!(high!velocity)!to!be!processed!by!traditional!methods!and!

technologies.!!

Big!data!sources!include:!

• Unstructured!or!multiKstructured!data!with!highly!variable!formats!and!semantics:!log!files,!

eKmail,!social!media!content.!

• MachineKgenerated!data:!sensors,!GPS!locations,!medical!devices,!and!digital!networks,!

including!the!“Internet!of!Things”!where!millions!of!WiKFiKenabled!devices!create!a!flood!of!

new!data.!

• Extremely!large!datasets:!scaling!from!hundreds!of!terabytes!up!to!petabytes!(and!growing).!!

Today,!organizations!are!particularly!interested!in!big!data!from!social!networks:!Twitter,!LinkedIn,!

and!Facebook!are!of!special!interest.!But!social!data!comes!with!many!difficulties!–!information!can!

be!mined,!but!for!it!to!have!meaning!and!value,!sentiment!and!context!must!be!derived!as!well.!

Valuable!insight!for!consumer!behavior,!product!and!shopping!preferences,!and!networks!of!

relationships!can!be!gleaned!from!big!data!from!social!media.!!

Big!data!sources!can!reveal!vital,!gameKchanging!information!that!many!organizations!would!love!to!

use!intelligently.!And,!big!data!helps!deliver!significant!insights!for!every!aspect!of!the!business.!What!

hampers!many!organizations!when!working!with!big!data!is!figuring!out!how!to!take!the!right!

approach!that!produces!reliable!and!usable!results.!

Every!enterprise!needs!to!fully!understand!big!data!–!what!it!means!to!them,!what!it!might!be!able!to!

do!for!their!business!–!even!if!the!final!decision!is!that!big!data!doesn’t!yet!have!a!role!in!achieving!

the!goals!and!objectives!of!the!company.!!

Big!Data!Reality!Checks!

Conversations!around!big!data!are!finally!shifting!from!"What!is!big!data?"!to!"What!can!I!do!with!big!data?"!And!today,!real!use!cases!are!being!discussed!and!demonstrated!in!several!industries:!

• Financial$Services:$advanced!analytics!that!both!process!big!data!and!combine!it!with!master!

data!give!financial!services!companies!the!ability!to!better!anticipate!market!conditions!and!

customer!preferences.!

• Multichannel$and$digital$marketing:$the!combination!of!master!data!and!big!data!analytics!

takes!marketers!from!building!programs!and!campaigns!based!solely!on!intuition!and!past!

experience!to!including!continuous!analytics!that!bring!realKtime!insights!–!to!deliver!the!

right!program!at!the!right!time!to!the!right!customers.!!

• Dynamic$delivery$logistics:$correlating!big!data!mashKups!with!master!data!for!customers!

and!products!adds!important!context!for!weighting!the!value!of!saving!money!on!fuel!

consumption,!better!serving!the!customers!who!have!freight!on!the!truck,!and!properly!

delivering!the!freight!being!shipped.!!

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• Fraud$detection$in$insurance$claims:$the!high!price!of!fraud!and!the!increasing!availability!of!

costKeffective!technology!solutions!for!big!data!is!pushing!many!insurers!take!advantage!of!

big!data!insights,!guided!by!master!data.!!

To!achieve!the!best!results,!many!big!data!analytics!processes!need!to!include!the!core!data!of!the!

enterprise!to!provide!context!and!to!ensure!the!accuracy!of!results.!MDM!provides!what’s!missing!

from!big!data!sources!by!providing!the!connection!to!mission!critical!data!across!the!enterprise!and!

to!the!business!processes!that!should!be!consuming!the!results!of!big!data!analytics.!

Using!Master!Data!to!Better!Focus!Big!Data!

Big!data!by!itself!can!be!vague!and!fragmented.!And!the!analytics!may!not!yield!much!

accurate!intelligence.!!

You!should!first!determine!what!business!problem!you!want!to!solve!or!which!questions!you!

would!like!to!answer.!Then!identify!the!other!types!of!data!needed!to!pull!big!data!into!

focus,!particularly!regarding!customers,!products!and!channels.!!

Combining!big!data!with!master!data,!as!well!as!other!data!sources,!greatly!extends!the!

value,!accuracy!and!usefulness!of!big!data!analytics.!MDM!provides!businessKcritical!identity!

and!entity!resolution!for!big!data!sources.!

Data!governance!policies!and!practices!are!key!enablers!of!big!data.!MDM!helps!you!figure!

out!how!much!you!can!“stretch”!standards!for!data!quality!and!accuracy!when!working!with!

big!data!sources!for!particular!projects!and!then!measuring!the!impact!on!data!integrity!and!

business!processes.!MDM!provides!a!failKsafe!for!correlating!“lesser!quality”!big!data!to!

master!data.!

MDM!Delivers!More!Trustworthy!Data!

MDM!contributes!a!solid!foundation!for!generating!trusted!data!and!more!efficient!business!

processes.!It!touches!almost!every!important!activity!in!an!organization.!MDM!collects!data!on!things!

like!customers!and!products—normally!in!silos!throughout!the!enterprise—and!brings!it!all!together!

in!centralized!hubs!of!high!quality!data.!!

MDM!establishes!the!processes!that!ensure!the!accuracy,!quality!and!usability!of!the!master!data.!An!

organization!can!go!from!fragmented!views!of!the!enterprise!to!a!big!picture!or!“single!view”,!to!

support!insights!that!lead!to!better!decisions.!!

Overall,!how!well!an!enterprise!manages!its!master!data!is!a!reflection!of!how!well!it!operates!and!

succeeds,!and!how!quickly!it!can!respond!to!change!and!opportunities.!!

MDM!is!also!a!key!factor!for!connecting!big!data!to!the!world!of!accuracy,!relevance!and!value.!If!you!

don’t!have!MDM!in!your!organization,!then!start!building!a!strong!MDM!program.!If!you!already!have!

MDM!in!place,!then!take!time!to!assess!the!effectiveness!of!your!current!program!and!make!any!

necessary!improvements!or!expansions.!!

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Depending!on!the!purpose!of!your!big!data!analytics,!if!master!data!can!play!a!significant!role!in!

making!the!analytics!more!meaningful,!make!sure!you!have!healthy!processes!established!for!the!

trusted!data!within!your!enterprise.!This!is!what!you!need!to!give!big!data!real!direction!and!deliver!

real!value!to!your!company.!!

Instead!of!working!with!big!data!as!a!“big!box!of!outKofKcontrol!data”,!correlate!elements!of!big!data!

to!your!master!data,!linking!it!to!things!like!product!information!and!customer!data.!This!will!allow!

you!to!do!important!sentiment!and!brand!analysis!based!on!the!social!media!postings!your!customers!

are!making!about!your!products.!!

The!Power!of!Context!in!Knowing!Your!Customer!

The!beneficial!marriage!of!master!data!and!big!data!results!in!an!enhanced!360Kdegree!view!of!the!

customer,!where!existing!customer!views!are!amplified!by!incorporating!external!big!data!sources.!

Behavioral!information!comes!from!big!data!sources!like!social!media!and!other!digital!sites,!as!do!

preferences!and!relationships.!A!continuous,!realKlife!understanding!of!individual!customers!emerges:!

their!shopping!and!buying!habits,!opinions!(positive!and!negative)!about!brands!and!products,!

preferred!channels,!and!intelligence!on!their!buying!journeys.!

But!this!enhanced!360Kdegree!customer!view!does!not!work!without!master!data!connecting!big!data!

to!the!right!customer,!product!or!other!corporate!information.!

MDM!has!a!natural!relationship!to!the!business!domain!experts!in!your!company!who!provide!

invaluable!fineKtuning!by!corroborating!or!questioning!analytics!results.!Your!internal!experts!provide!

further!context!for!big!data!initiatives!by!drawing!on!real!world!experience!and!the!ability!to!see!

connections!and!questions!that!have!been!missed!by!big!data!analytics.!

Your!Customers!Want!You!to!Respect!Their!Privacy!

While!much!can!be!gained!from!tapping!into!the!power!of!big!data!analytics,!your!customers!have!

legitimate!concerns!about!the!privacy!and!security!of!the!information!you!are!collecting!from!big!data!

sources.!MDM!helps!you!keep!the!trust!of!your!customers!by!applying!the!master!data!policies!for!

security,!preferences!and!privacy!to!the!big!data!that!you!collect!and!analyze.!

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Take$a$look$at$big$data$and$MDM$in$action:$

4$different$use$cases$where$MDM$helps$big$data$ROCK$for$clear$business$advantage.$

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Retailers!and!other!technology!

companies!have!already!made!huge!

strides!in!this!area![big!data!

analytics],!but!the!doors!are!now!

open!for!financial!services!companies!

to!improve!customer!segmentation,!

product!development,!and!customer!

service.!

Source:,Bank,Systems,&,Technology,

Financial'Services'–'Improving'the'customer'experience'with'intelligent'customer'service'

Social!media!sites!are!prolific!generators!of!big!data!–!and!this!kind!of!big!data!holds!great!

potential!for!telling!financial!services!companies!more!about!their!customers.!Vast!amounts!

of!data!are!available!to!provide!insight!into!customer!behavior,!company!interactions,!and!

preferences!for!different!products!and!services.!Different!analytics!can!be!performed!to!

provide!realKtime!updates!to!customer!intelligence,!improving!customer!service!and!call!

center!effectiveness.!

Consistent!–!and!Positive!–!Customer!Experiences!

Most!financial!services!firms!have!Facebook!pages!where!they!

promote!their!offerings!and!provide!a!channel!for!customer!

comments!and!questions.!A!customer!posts!questions!about!the!

status!of!her!mortgage!refinance!application!and!current!rates.!

After!a!couple!of!days!no!one!gets!back!to!her,!so!she!calls!

Customer!Service,!which!has!to!ask!for!her!customer!information!

and!the!purpose!of!the!call.!None!of!the!information!displayed!in!

that!process!indicates!an!inquiry!on!Facebook.!When!the!customer!

asks!what!happened,!Customer!Service!doesn’t!know.!The!financial!

services!company!now!has!an!underserved,!unhappy!customer!due!

to!a!broken!multichannel!experience.!

MDM!Expands!the!Customer!Big!Picture!

If!companies!decide!to!set!up!shop!on!social!sites!like!Facebook,!they!must!continuously!

monitor!activity,!respond!to!visitors,!and!feed!data!from!the!site!into!internal!processes!to!

update!all!the!right!systems,!including!Customer!Service.!!

When!the!customer!posts!her!Facebook!inquiry,!Customer!Service!can!respond!in!that!

channel,!giving!the!customer!the!next!steps!to!take.!Customer!Service!will!have!the!

interaction!information!and!will!also!have!access!to!the!full!customer!profile!from!the!master!

data!hub.!The!Customer!Service!rep!can!also!correlate!product!master!data!to!determine!if!

there!are!any!issues!with!the!particular!mortgage!product!that!the!customer!referenced!in!

her!inquiry.!A!better!mortgage!product!may!be!available.!Most!importantly,!the!customer!is!

better!served!with!consistent!multiKchannel!interactions.!

Extend!Your!Business!Beyond!Customer!Transactions!

Advanced!analytics!for!big!data!combined!with!master!data!give!financial!services!companies!the!

ability!to!better!anticipate!market!conditions!and!customer!preferences.!More!customerKfocused!

products!and!services!can!be!offered!for!different!demographic!categories.!And!through!advanced!

analytics,!customers!can!be!matched!to!the!appropriate!offers.!When!customers!see!proof!that!

companies!know!who!they!are!and!understand!what!they!need,!loyalty!and!referrals!come!naturally.!!

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On!average,!marketers!depend!on!data!

for!just!11%!of!all!customerKrelated!

decisions.!In!fact,!when!we!asked!

marketers!to!think!about!the!

information!they!used!to!make!a!recent!

decision,!they!said!that!more!than!half!

of!the!information!came!from!their!

previous!experience!or!their!intuition!

about!customers.!

Source:,CEB,,

Multichannel'and'Digital'Marketing'–'Understanding'your'customers'and'fulfilling'their'needs'on'their'buying'journey'

Marketing!organizations!are!constantly!challenged!to!pull!together!a!complete!

understanding!of!each!customer.!Achieving!a!comprehensive!view!of!customers!requires!the!

right!technologies!for!collecting,!validating!and!analyzing!a!great!deal!of!information!about!

customer!interactions,!including!buying!behavior!and!purchase!outcomes.!The!most!upKtoK

date!and!useful!data!often!comes!from!big!data!sources.!!

Customer!interactions!continue!to!spread!across!many!different!channels.!Companies!need!

to!make!sure!that!the!same!reliable!and!timely!information!is!available!to!every!channel!to!

handle!any!customer!experience!with!speed,!relevance!and!accuracy.!!

What!does!the!customer!want?!Do!you!have!the!information!and!resources!to!help!them?!

Personalizing!Customer!Experiences!through!Master!Data!and!Big!Data!

Marketers!want!to!create!personalized!customer!

communications!that!work!well!for!a!particular!channel.!

But!personalization!can!only!be!effective!when!it’s!based!

on!accurate,!upKtoKdate!information!on!customers,!

products,!channels,!locations!and!other!relevant!data!

domains.!!

While!big!data!can!tell!marketers!more!about!current!

customer!behavior!and!mindset,!it!often!starts!out!as!

nonKcontextual!fragments.!Master!data!delivers!the!

means!to!better!connect!all!functions!in!the!enterprise!to!

accurate!customer!intelligence,!the!current!context!of!customer!needs!and!activities,!and!the!

relationships!of!customers!to!products!and!channels.!MDM!also!handles!identity!resolution!for!that!

mass!of!disparate!big!data,!connecting!it!to!the!right!entities,!such!as!customers!and!products.!!

It’s!Not!Just!CRM!Anymore!

Social!networks!are!prolific!creators!of!big!data!related!to!potential!and!current!customers.!And!social!

media!is!now!an!important!source!of!data!for!MDM.!Including!social!data!lets!the!enterprise!see!the!

customer’s!network!of!relationships!and!may!reveal!nonKobvious!spheres!of!influence!–!views!that!

are!frequently!not!possible!with!traditional!systems!such!as!CRM.!MDM!helps!analyze!customer!

relationships!in!social!networks!for!correlation!to!master!data!domains.!!

Most!importantly,!the!combination!of!master!data!and!big!data!analytics!takes!marketers!from!

building!programs!and!campaigns!based!solely!on!intuition!and!past!experience!to!including!

continuous!analytics!that!bring!realKtime!insights!–!to!deliver!the!right!program!at!the!right!time!to!

the!right!customers.!Sophisticated!marketing!analytics!are!a!quantum!leap!from!the!traditional!idea!

of!brand!marketing.!Brand!marketing!now!embraces!customerKresponsive!marketing,!with!big!data!

analytics!fueling!new!processes.!

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62.8!percent!of!logistics!expenses!were!

related!to!the!costs!of!transporting!goods.!

This!makes!shipping!an!ideal!area!in!which!

to!find!additional!savings!by!increasing!

efficiency.!

Source:,State,of,the,Logistics,Union,2013,,by,Rosalyn,Wilson,,published,by,CSCMP,,

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Dynamic'Delivery'Logistics'–'ensuring'that'your'top'customers'come'first'while'controlling'costs'and'preventing'problems'

Today’s!business!conditions!have!affected!the!profitability!and!operations!of!the!trucking!

industry!through:!uncertain!and!diminished!economic!activity;!decreased!customer!demand;!

escalating!fuel!prices;!and!supply!chain!restructuring.!These!challenges!are!pushing!the!

trucking!industry!to!find!ways!to!contain!costs!while!improving!customer!experiences,!on!

both!the!sending!and!receiving!ends.!Big!data!analytics!are!helping!the!industry!in!these!

areas,!particularly!by!improving!logistical!management!for!trucks!on!the!go.!

The!WellPInformed!Dispatcher!

Thanks!to!big!data!sources,!dispatchers!now!have!a!tremendous!amount!of!realKtime!information!to!

help!them!make!improved!routing!decisions!for!their!drivers.!Data!for!

weather!conditions!along!different!routes!is!continuously!updated!from!

sources!like!the!National!Oceanic!and!Atmospheric!Administration!

(NOAA).!Traffic!data!and!information!about!road!conditions!are!available!

from!local!law!enforcement!and!sites!like!Google!Maps,!MapQuest!or!

Yahoo.!Sensor!data!from!the!trucks!themselves!provides!continual!fuel!

consumption!rates.!Advanced!analytics!bring!all!of!this!data!together!to!

guide!the!dispatcher!with!realKtime!intelligence.!!

However,!this!“mashed!up”!big!data!has!some!significant!gaps!that!may!

affect!decisionKmaking.!Routing!decisions!must!include!factors!like!the!

types!of!customers!being!served,!their!importance!to!the!business!and!

the!kind!of!freight!being!transported!–!not!solely!based!on!travel!conditions!or!fuel!consumption.!

Organizing!Big!Data!MashPups!with!Master!Data!

Correlating!big!data!mashKups!with!master!data!for!customers!and!products!adds!important!context!

for!weighting!the!value!of:!saving!money!on!fuel!consumption;!better!serving!the!customers!who!

have!freight!on!the!truck;!and!properly!delivering!the!freight!being!shipped.!MDM!adds!in!the!

intelligence!that!helps!the!dispatcher!make!the!best!decision!for!his!company!and!their!customers.!

New!Opportunities!for!Personalized!Service!

When!trucking!companies!correlate!big!data!sources!with!master!data,!other!uses!for!the!data!

emerge.!Companies!can!capitalize!on!the!combined!data!sources!to!improve!personalized!services!

not!just!for!top!customers,!but!to!win!over!more!customers!and!grow!their!loyalty.!Both!shippers!and!

recipients!of!freight!have!higher!expectations!these!days!and!want!more!services!and!visibility!into!

their!shipping!activities.!!

By!using!all!of!the!big!data!available!today!and!combining!it!with!the!company’s!internal!master!data,!

companies!in!the!logistics!chain!can!make!better!decisions!to!satisfy!both!their!large,!demanding!

customers!and!their!small!to!midKsized!customers.!

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Insurance!fraud!impacts!not!only!every!

insurance!company!but!virtually!every!

consumer!and!taxpayer!worldwide,!and!it!

shows!no!sign!of!easing.!!

Aite!Group!estimates!that!claims!fraud!in!

the!U.S.!P&C!industry!alone!cost!carriers!

US$64!billion!in!2012!and!will!reach!US$80!

billion!by!2015.!!

Source:,Aite,Group!

Fraud'Detection'in'Insurance'Claims'

WellKorganized!and!complex!fraud!networks!are!working!stealthily!to!proliferate!fraudulent!insurance!

claims,!targeting!multiple!insurance!providers!at!the!same!time.!These!organized!rings!of!criminals!

avoid!detection!by!circumventing!the!traditional!–!and!often!cumbersome!–!methods!of!identifying!

fraud!that!are!used!by!insurance!adjusters!and!claims!processors.!

Big!data!analytics!can!put!together!the!fraud!picture!from!data!coming!

from!unconventional!sources,!rooting!out!fraud!networks!and!incipient!

fraud!schemes!“flying!under!the!radar”.!!

Analytics!can!bring!to!light!suspicious!transactions!and!activities,!as!well!

as!anomalies,!connecting!unlikely!pieces!that!come!together!through!big!

data!analytical!processes.!Such!processes!should!be!realKtime!in!order!to!

stop!fraud!as!soon!as!possible.!!

For!example,!identity!resolution!engines!can!find!“nonKobvious!

relationships”!between!individuals!based!on!information!from!disparate!

sources!within!and!outside!the!enterprise,!looking!for!patterns!indicating!

relationships!between!people!involved!in!a!disputed!car!accident.!!

MDM!Sharpens!Detection!

Master!data!steps!in!to!provide!identity,!entity!and!relationship!resolution!–!vital!aspects!of!fraud!

detection.!MDM!also!provides!the!connection!for!continuous!improvement!and!strengthening!of!

claims!processes,!while!intelligence!from!big!data!analytics!further!fuels!such!improvements.!The!

oneKtwo!punch!of!MDM!and!big!data!can!greatly!reduce!costs!and!increase!efficiency.!

A!OnePTwo!Punch!Delivers!the!Insurance!Industry!Win!

The!insurance!industry!has!traditionally!been!slow!to!adopt!new!technologies.!But!the!high!price!of!

fraud!and!the!increasing!availability!of!costKeffective!technology!solutions!for!working!with!big!data!

should!push!many!insurers!into!taking!advantage!of!big!data!insights,!particularly!when!those!insights!

are!guided!by!master!data.!!

By!preventing!fraud!in!the!early!stages,!insurance!companies!gain!greater!control!over!all!claims,!

provide!better!service!for!legitimate!claims,!and!pass!savings!on!to!customers.!Insurance!companies!

can!reap!substantial!gains!from!big!data!analytics!and!MDM!working!together.!

! !


What'can'you'do'to'get'your'arms'around'all'of'the'data'that'benefits'your'business?'

The!Power!of!Big!Data!and!Master!Data!Working!Together!

Big!data!analytics!are!proving!to!be!significant!for!the!decisionKmaking!and!competitiveness!of!many!

companies.!If!done!well,!rich!intelligence!can!be!attained,!particularly!for!understanding!customers!

and!buying!behavior,!and!for!creating!the!right!products.!!

But!frequently,!big!data!initiatives!end!in!failure.!It’s!important!to!give!purpose!to!your!big!data!

initiative!by!identifying!real!business!problems!to!solve.!It’s!also!critical!to!view!big!data!analytics!in!

context!–!context!coming!from!connecting!big!data!to!other!sources!of!data,!especially!master!data.!

MDM!also!connects!big!data!analytics!to!the!right!business!processes!and!business!experts!and!

ensures!that!analytics!results!are!accurate!and!put!to!good!use.!

Not!every!data!problem!is!a!“big!data”!problem!–!“little!data”!sources!are!still!important!for!attaining!

valuable!intelligence.!By!fully!understanding!what’s!needed!to!solve!problems!or!answer!questions,!

you!can!determine!which!data!sources!are!likely!to!yield!the!insights!that!you!seek.!!

Finally,!make!sure!that!analytics!results!and!recommendations!are!shared!(not!hoarded)!across!

enterprise!processes!and!systems,!wherever!the!intelligence!can!do!the!most!good.!The!more!“data!

power”!you!can!provide!to!everyone!in!the!enterprise,!the!more!agile!your!organization!will!become!

when!it!faces!disruptive!challenges!and!new!opportunities.!!

!

Getting$Started$with$MDM$and$Big$Data$Initiatives$

! Initiate!a!data!impact!assessment!both!for!MDM!and!big!data!analytics.!

! Lay!out!corporate!strategies!for!MDM!and!big!data.!What!problems!do!you!need!to!solve?!

What!questions!do!you!want!answered?!How!will!you!proceed?!

! Determine!if!your!MDM!house!is!in!order!–!make!a!plan!to!get!the!most!out!of!your!MDM!

program.!

! Construct!a!wellKthoughtKout!scope!for!the!first!initiative!where!MDM!and!big!data!work!

together.!

! Establish!metrics,!then!assess!and!understand!the!benefits!and!value!from!the!initiative!and!

how!it!will!improve!your!business.!

! Set!up!new!data!governance!policies!for!managing!big!data!–!decide!when!it!will!and!won’t!be!

stored!in!master!data!hubs,!and!create!procedures!for!maintaining!the!integrity!of!master!

data!when!working!with!big!data!sources.!

! Take!a!look!at!The!8!Worst!Practices!in!Master!Data!Management!and!How!to!Avoid!Them!–!

the!same!steps!that!can!ensure!the!success!of!MDM!initiatives!should!be!considered!for!your!

big!data!initiatives.!

!

! !


How$Information$Builders$Can$Help$Your$MDM$and$Big$Data$Initiatives$

Information!Builders!provides!products!and!services!to!help!organizations!transform!big!data!into!

value.!Our!software!solutions!for!business!intelligence!and!analytics,!integration,!and!data!integrity!

empower!people!to!make!smarter!decisions,!strengthen!customer!relationships,!and!drive!growth.!

Our!WebFOCUS!and!iWay!products!cover!all!information!needs!–!from!data!inception!to!information!

quality!and!delivery.!The!market’s!leading!business!intelligence!(BI)!and!analytics!platform,!

WebFOCUS!scales!easily!to!extend!the!power!of!analytics!to!everyone.!iWay!products!simplify!the!

integration!of!complex!data!and!application!environments!to!deliver!projects!on!time!and!on!budget,!

capture!lost!revenue,!and!eliminate!hidden!costs!generated!by!inaccurate!data.!

WebFOCUS!offers!doKitKyourself!analytics!with!unmatched!scalability.!WebFOCUS!lets!you!take!big!

data!and!give!answers!to!users!in!a!way!they!can!understand.!For!example,!with!WebFOCUS,!you!can:!

• Deliver!predictive!scores!to!your!customer!service!representatives,!so!they!know!which!

offers!are!most!likely!to!result!in!a!positive!outcome.!!

• Provide!sophisticated!visualization!tools!to!analysts!who!can!see!patterns!in!millions!of!data!

points.!!

• Deliver!a!dashboard!to!your!VP!of!Marketing!with!social!media!sentiment!scores!about!that!

new!product!launch.!!

• Deploy!a!BI!Search!app!fully!populated!with!structured!data,!unstructured!data,!and!links!to!

existing!reports!and!analysis.!

The!Information!Builders!iWay!Master!Data!Suite!offers!realKtime!multiKdomain!MDM!capabilities!

with!complete!data!quality,!data!profiling,!and!data!governance!capabilities!across!all!vertical!

domains.!The!suite!enables!organizations!to!take!advantage!of!MDM!across!big!data,!CRM,!RDBMS,!

ERP,!and!even!legacy!systems!with!a!complete!framework!for!both!IT!and!business!to!master,!

cleanse,!and!remediate!any!data.!

Information!Builders’!data!quality!assessments!help!organizations!get!started!with!MDM!and!data!

quality.!Our!professionals!analyze!an!organization's!information,!discover!where!problems!lie,!and!

determine!how!extensive!those!issues!are.!We!help!improve!information’s!value!with!experts!who!

are!available!to!help!implement,!guide,!and!design!data!integrity!initiatives!across!any!organization.!

How$Hub$Designs$Can$Help$Your$MDM$and$Big$Data$Initiatives$

!Hub!Designs!is!a!global!consulting!firm!that!focuses!on!strategy!development,!solution!delivery!and!

thought!leadership!for!master!data!management!(MDM)!and!data!governance.!We!are!enabling!our!

clients!to!tackle!big!data!challenges!in!a!variety!of!industries.!!

We!provide!services!covering!comprehensive!assessments,!strategic!roadmaps,!software!selection,!

business!case!development,!and!data!governance!formation.!!

Our!consultants!are!trusted!advisors!who!develop!solutions,!deliver!best!practices,!provide!analysis,!

and!demonstrate!their!thought!leadership!by!speaking!and!publishing!often!on!information!

management.!!

! !


About$Hub$Designs$

Hub!Designs!is!a!global!leader!in!the!development!and!delivery!of!high!impact!master!data!

management!(MDM)!and!data!governance!strategies.!The!company!publishes!Hub!Designs!Magazine,!

one!of!the!first!online!publications!specifically!for!the!information!governance!industry.!The!firm’s!

Thought!Leadership!practice!produces!white!papers!and!webinars,!and!Hub!Designs’!President,!Dan!

Power,!is!a!frequent!presenter!at!conferences!and!trade!shows.!For!more!information,!please!visit!

hubdesigns.com!or!follow!us!on!Twitter!at!@hubdesigns.!

About$Information$Builders$

Information!Builders!helps!organizations!transform!data!into!business!value.!Our!software!solutions!

for!business!intelligence!and!analytics,!integration,!and!data!integrity!empower!people!to!make!

smarter!decisions,!strengthen!customer!relationships,!and!drive!growth.!Our!dedication!to!customer!

success!is!unmatched!in!the!industry.!That’s!why!tens!of!thousands!of!leading!organizations!rely!on!

Information!Builders!to!be!their!trusted!partner.!Founded!in!1975,!Information!Builders!is!

headquartered!in!New!York,!NY,!with!offices!around!the!world,!and!remains!one!of!the!largest!

independent,!privately!held!companies!in!the!industry.!Visit!us!at!informationbuilders.com,!follow!us!

on!Twitter!at!@infobldrs,!like!us!on!Facebook,!and!visit!our!LinkedIn!page.!

Hub$Designs$ Information$Builders$Inc.!188!Whiting!Street,!Suite!6A! Two!Penn!Plaza!

Hingham,!MA!02043!USA! New!York,!NY!10121!USA!

+1!(781)!749K8910!office! +1!(212)!736K4433!office!

+1!(781)!735K0318!fax! +1!(212)!967K6406!fax!

hubdesigns.com! informationbuilders.com!

hubdesignsmagazine.com! informationbuilders.com/blog!

!

©!2013!Hub!Solution!Designs,!Inc.!and!Information!Builders,!Inc.!

All!rights!reserved.!No!part!of!this!publication!may!be!reproduced!or!stored!in!a!retrieval!system!or!transmitted!

in!any!form!or!by!any!means,!without!the!prior!written!permission!of!the!copyright!holder.!Hub!Designs!and!

Information!Builders!are!the!joint!copyright!owners!of!this!publication.!All!trademarks!herein!are!the!property!of!

their!respective!owners.!!

The Power of MDM in a Big Data World · 1! The$Power$of$Master$Data$in$a$Big$Data$World$...

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