As data-driven companies attempt to create a single view of customer interactions across a wide variety of platforms, many chief data officers are encountering a serious data quality management problem. The three components of master data management (MDM)—entity resolution, entity identity information management, and master data systems of record—must work together to turn individual data points into actionable insights. However, rigid connections between these components are proving to be problematic by creating to an outdated architecture that has, until recently, been the standard for MDM systems. The following information explains the drawbacks of excessive coupling and offers a promising solution.
Why Is Excessive Coupling a Problem?
Many all-in-one MDM solutions do a poor job of balancing the industry’s needs for utility and flexibility. As a result of trying to handle too many data quality management process at once, they create what is commonly referred to as a “high coupling, low cohesion” system. In essence, each component is closely tethered to the next, and there is overlap in the roles they play in the data management process. This excessive coupling creates an MDM system that is inefficient and inflexible. If your company currently uses this type of system, you may notice that a change to one MDM component has drastic effects on the other two. You may also have difficulty adapting the system to meet your team’s specific use cases. These challenges can, over time, affect the quality of the data that you rely on for strategic business decisions.
What Is the Solution for Excessive Coupling?
Decoupling is an emerging best practice that is being embraced by the big data industry. By applying a system architecture that is common in network design to data quality management, your company can create a stack of “low coupling, high cohesion” components. For example, an entity resolution engine that has been decoupled from the components responsible for identity management and storage is free to focus on performing one task—resolution—to the best of its abilities. Changes to the engine will also have minimal effects on the other components, allowing them to function largely uninterrupted if your team must intervene in the resolution process.
Are There Low-Coupling MDM Solutions?
The High Performance Entity Resolution system (HiPER) is a software solution designed by Black Oak Analytics that specifically addresses the problem of excessive coupling. By decoupling each MDM component, HiPER offers the immense scalability and customization that are desperately needed in today’s data-gathering environment.
One of the most significant benefits of the software is the highly customizable set of entity resolution rules that can be closely monitored and improved, eliminating the “black box” effect of other systems that can conceal data quality issues. It is worth noting that the Black Oak Analytics team does not label HiPER as an all-in-one MDM systems like those mentioned earlier. Rather, it is a unique software solution offering insights that are more robust and versatile than those created by traditional systems.
If you are interested in optimizing your data quality management system, contact Black Oak Analytics today!