What is a Golden Record?
A Golden record in the context of Material Master refers to a single, authoritative, and accurate version of data elements within an organization. This concept is integral to Master Data Management (MDM) and aims to provide a comprehensive and consistent view of material data across various systems and databases. A golden dataset, also known as a “golden record” or “single source of truth,” is the holy grail of golden data accuracy and consistency. It’s essentially a single, definitive source of information about a material, encompassing everything from its specifications and inventory levels to pricing, procurement details, and quality parameters.
Why is a Golden Record Important?
In today’s complex manufacturing environment, data is scattered across various systems and departments. This leads to inconsistencies, errors, and inefficiencies. Master Data Management addresses these challenges by providing a unified, accurate, and up-to-date view of material data.
Key Components of a Golden Record
When consolidating database tables from disparate sources, issues such as duplicate records, incomplete values, and poor data quality often arise. AI powered MDM platforms addresses these issues by correcting duplications, filling in missing values, and improving overall data quality within a record. It is considered the best possible record an organization can use. A comprehensive Golden Record typically includes:
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Specifications: Technical details, dimensions, etc.
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Stock information: Inventory levels, locations
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Pricing data: Cost, selling price
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Procurement details: Supplier information, lead times
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Quality parameters: Standards, certifications
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Manufacturing information: Production processes, BOM
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Unique identifiers: Material number, part number
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Classification data: Material group, type
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Unit of measure: Quantity units
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Compliance and regulatory information: Legal requirements
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EH&S information: Environmental, health, and safety data
Creating a Golden Record: A Step-by-Step Guide
Building a Golden Record involves several critical steps:
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Unique Identification: Assign a unique identifier (Material Number) to each material.
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Data Collection: Gather material data from all relevant systems.
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Data Consolidation: Merge data from different sources into a single record.
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Data Cleansing: Remove duplicates, correct errors, and standardize formats.
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Attribute Identification: Define essential material attributes.
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Data Governance: Establish rules and processes for data quality.
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Data Validation: Verify the accuracy and completeness of the data.
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System of Record: Designate a primary system for the Golden Record.
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MDM Tool Implementation: Use an MDM solution for management and distribution.
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Data Stewardship: Assign roles for ongoing data maintenance.
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Integration: Connect the Golden Record to other systems.
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Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and update the process.
The Role of Emerging Technologies
Technology is rapidly evolving, transforming Golden Record management through several advancements. AI/ML automates data cleaning, categorization, and anomaly detection. Quantum computing speeds up large dataset processing, while blockchain enhances traceability and data immutability. Edge computing allows real-time updates from IoT devices, and advanced visualization aids in understanding data quality and patterns. RPA handles automated data entry and validation, and NLG creates standardized material descriptions. Federated learning enables cross-organizational ML without sharing raw data, and explainable AI ensures transparent decision-making in data management.
Benefits of Implementing Golden Records
A Golden Record offers substantial advantages. By ensuring data accuracy and consistency, it empowers enhanced decision-making, drives operational efficiency, and yields significant cost savings. Furthermore, it strengthens compliance, mitigates risks, and boosts customer satisfaction. Beyond these, a Golden Record optimizes supply chains, fosters scalability, and facilitates effective product lifecycle management, ultimately providing a competitive edge.
Best Practices for Golden Record Creation and Maintenance
While the specific approach may vary depending on your organization’s needs, here are some key best practices to consider:
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Data Source Identification: Start by pinpointing all the systems and sources that contribute data about a particular entity (e.g., customer, product, material).
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Data Attribute Selection: Identify the essential attributes that define an entity. This could include name, address, ID number, etc., for a material record.
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Matching and Merging Strategies: Establish clear rules for how to identify matching records from different sources. This might involve using common identifiers or defining matching criteria based on specific attributes. When matches are found, determine how to merge the data to create the most accurate and complete Golden Record. Here are some common approaches for selecting the golden record:
1. Longest or shortest value wins: This is useful for textual attributes like names or descriptions, where the most detailed information is preferred.
2.Maximum or minimum value wins: This applies to numerical data like inventory levels or prices, where you might choose the highest or lowest value depending on the context.
3. Most frequently occurring value wins: This can be helpful when dealing with inconsistencies, selecting the value that appears most often across different sources.
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Data Quality Management: Implement processes to ensure the ongoing accuracy and completeness of your Golden Records. This might involve data cleansing to remove duplicates and errors, as well as data validation to verify information against defined standards.
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Data Governance: Establish clear roles and responsibilities for data stewardship, ensuring that someone is accountable for maintaining the quality and integrity of the Golden Records.
Example:
Creating and maintaining the Golden Record primarily involves matching and merging records from different data sources. A robust MDM system will automatically merge similar records as much as possible and provide tools for a data steward to seamlessly determine the best record. Data stewards use their expertise to make judgments about the correct values in a record and to identify whether an attribute or an entire record is accurate.
When dealing with data from multiple systems, differing values for similar records require a decision on which record is correct. Determining the correct record involves evaluating the quality of each data set, the reliability of specific attributes, and the rules for prioritizing fields. For example, three systems might contain similar records with varying attribute values. The Golden Record could be an entire record from one source system or a combination of attributes from multiple systems.
Source Data From Multiple Systems
In the latter case, the Golden Record is a hybrid, containing a combination of values from multiple source systems. For instance, the name field might be taken from the third source system, while other attributes come from the first source system.
In conclusion, implementing Golden Records is a cornerstone of successful Master Data Management. Verdantis, as a leading provider of AI-powered MDM solutions, empowers organizations to create and maintain accurate, consistent, and valuable Golden Records.
A Golden Record is a cornerstone of efficient and effective material management. By investing in creating and maintaining a high-quality Golden Record, manufacturing organizations can significantly improve their operations, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge.
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Author: Easwar Ramakrishnan
