Master Data Governance in the Data Stream as a part of SAP S/4 HANA Transformation Projects – Clean Core. Clean Data

As we transition into the new era of AI and automation, it is essential to establish a strong level of trust in data to ensure a return on investment in these projects. These initiatives are complex and have defined timelines for achieving the desired outcomes. Unfortunately, many organizations still approach data management as they did in the past, treating migration as a simple transfer of data rather than integrating it into their digital transformation efforts.

In most cases, implementation partners expect customers to manage the data themselves, often by providing templates for migration. This can make mastering the data a significant challenge. Furthermore, digital transformation is not simply about migrating to a single enterprise system; it often involves working with multiple cloud and enterprise systems. Master data creation and modification processes become unclear until late in the project, often resulting in a service desk ticket or a SharePoint form.

Having participated in migrations since the late 90s as an SAP developer and leading data migration projects, I would like to share some key insights and takeaways for CXOs to consider when implementing master data management as part of their SAP S/4 transformations.

The Importance of Master Data: It’s crucial to integrate master data into the overall planning process rather than treating it as an afterthought after going live. This approach ensures that master data is considered in every aspect of the business process.

Survivorship, also known as Selective Transformation, is a crucial step to ensure that the correct data is migrated. There will always be some data that can be staged and migrated at a later time. Conducting a Blind Migration can lead to additional problems and challenges.

Using the Same Tool for Data Quality and Governance is crucial because the rules we establish during data preparation and cleansing also serve as governance guidelines. This approach ensures that you have a solid foundation for managing master data.

Data enrichment is an ideal opportunity to enhance and standardize information, particularly in asset-intensive industries. This process involves mapping and aligning data to standards such as ISO14224 and ECLASS.

Business SMEs play a crucial role in these migrations. Efficiently utilizing their time without needing separate access to a data governance project aids in both planning and resource management.

Implementing Master Data Governance as a separate initiative can be expensive and require significant resources, especially after an S/4 Transformation. By incorporating it into your data stream timeline, you can leverage essential resources from the project during phases like design and testing. This strategy enables you to maintain control over your master data from the very beginning.

Here is a brief overview of how we can utilize MDO, an SAP Endorsed Solution, to ensure data quality and maintain effective data governance during your SAP S/4 HANA  implementations while optimizing resource usage.