SAP Master Data Governance Reviews

What was valuable in that it forced people in our organization to standardize records. Previously, the records were not standardized so if you had a record of something, an object or whatever, there was no agreement. The technology forced us to look at our business. When you're trying to implement a technology, you need to look at your business and standardize your business if you want such a tool to work. It forced us to do that.

The workflows have been a valuable aspect of the solution. 

The solution is great at standardizing all of our records.

It's a pretty simple application and it's meant to be simple. It's not meant to do a lot of things. Instead, it's meant to do one thing and one thing only. Right now, what they have is good. 

The workflow works well, however, there's not a lot of options in defining roles. There are roles that are very specific within the MDG and we had to adapt our process to the roles that are in the workflow. I'm talking about the workflow in the roles, not access rights or things of that nature (such as access or identity management). I'm talking about how the flow works in the different types of roles. It's not very flexible.

Overall, they just a little bit more flexibility in terms of assigning roles or adding new roles. We have a longer approval process, so we need to break it down into more roles than what is typically available and we need to hard-code it.

We've been using the solution for years.

The solution is stable. However, it depends. Just straight technology-wise, it's stable. 

It's not very scalable. 

We ran into all kinds of issues in trying to capture items. It ties into SAP. MDG is based on the fields and the data points or attributes that are collected. It's not the application that is not scalable. Rather, it's the data model of the application. MDG is based on the SAP application data model. However, due to the fact that the SAP application data model is not very scalable, MDG is not scalable.

I've never personally dealt with technical support. It's the IT team that usually handles any problems. The CVO office is not doing any type of IT support maintenance. We're more about the policy and directions on the data management overall. Therefore, I wouldn't be able to comment on the technical support of the solution.

That said, my understanding is that the relationship we have with technical support is good.

The application itself is not very complex to implement. It's rather straightforward. However, that said, to make the application work, you need to look at your business. You need to look at whatever data assets you want to govern and make sure they are standardized. Then you need to have agreements. It's all about data governance. If you don't have a strong data governance framework set up already around your data assets, the implementation of the application can get very complicated. It's not a technology issue. It's a business problem. 

If you don't know who makes the decision on what and who approves what, you will run into problems. To give you an example, if you have a material of some sort, such as a pencil, you need to ask: what are the data points or the data attributes associated with that pencil that makes it a standard record, and what would you want to govern, and which data attributes are you governing? Are you governing everything about it, or just a few attributes? All those decisions need to be made beforehand. If you don't have good data governance that tells you who has the authority to make that decision, that's where you get into negotiation and it becomes very long to implement that application.

It's not about the tool itself. Configuring an application is easy. It's rather about how do you integrate that application into your business and operations. That's where it gets tricky. Most of the time, people are not ready for that. That's the whole point of having any type of project led by IT rather than business. IT just focuses on the application and they don't focus on the business processes. That's why, sometimes, applications fail, because it was too focused on the technology and not enough on how that technology relates to the business.

I don't have any details in regards to the licensing costs related to the solution. IT tends to take care of licensing and procurement.

We're clients. We don't have a business relationship with eh client.

We've been implementing the solution for a number of years, as it's a National Defense project. The entire project is ongoing.

Due to the nature of the project, we don't have anything on the cloud.

Overall, I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

I work for a train company on the IT side of master data management. We are customers of Master Data Governance and I'm a functional consultant of master data. I implement the solution across our numerous locations.

The product is very useful in terms of building master data and in terms of our code. It is a very solid product and provides corrected data. This is a solid packet and a good tool. 

I'd like to see more flexibility which is currently lacking. They need to add a cloud option as well as multiple creations. We're looking for a better mass upload.

I've been using this product for three years. 

I believe the latest version is scalable and compatible. I don't have any hands-on experience as yet.

Technical support provides a good service for us. 

We also use Oracle solutions in the SharePoint portal. Oracle is not controlled the way SAP is. Controls and validations are limited.

If you work in a well-controlled environment, implementation is easy. 

Licensing costs are a little on the high side. 

I rate the solution seven out of 10. 

SAP ERP integration - infrastructure, data model, and data distribution.

We have used this for management of SAP master data with enterprise wide workflows for objects material, such as banks, customers, and vendor.

• Improved mass editing functions
• Complete alignement with SAP ERP data model
• Improved document
• Better rich-text handling

I've used it since 2013.

Not as long as you stay inside the set standards.

Not as long as you stay inside the set standards.

Not as long as you stay inside the set standards.

It is the standard level that we use from SAP. Thorough and slow, but it's very administrative if you follow strictly by the rules. It helps to know a few guys.

We did use and implement different solutions, either a custom made office solution (Notes, Sharepoint, Mail) or a Standalone SAP System. We chose this solution becauseit has -

• Built in SAP Data model
• Configuration rules
• Data validation rules
• Preconfigured workflow
• Staging possibilities,
• Built in status tracking and reporting

The setup is straigthforward if you have a clear definition of the target structure and data defintions. If you have various versions of data definitions across the target landscape, the setup and rules defintition (how to transform/interpret data depending on the source-target relationships) becomes very complex. In short, the technology is straightforward, but it does not turn bad data into good data.

Both, implementation success is largely dependant on the maturity of Master Data Management overall. You will need most support on the conceptual definition of the degree and level of harmonization of data across the enterprise. Technical consulting is required depending on you in-house SAP expertise: you need SAP BW Workflow, ABAP coding and Webdynpro skills, plus a solid SAP Basis.

Classical MDM in SAP ERP (Custm Transactions & SAP Business Workflow)

SharePoint based Forms

Lotus notes based Forms

Strong solid base in the SAP ERP, but it needs to improve its maturity in certain elements (data model coverage, performance, usability, and search).

1. SAP MDG is only a valid product if your core ERP is SAP
2. SAP MDG becomes a must if you have multiple SAP implementations that require harmonized master data
3. SAP MDG on HANA is a good start for SAP HANA
4. Try to stick to the standard of Master Data Governance even if you have to cut back in scope
5. Performance issues and maintenance complexity will eat away your ROI
6. Start simple and build on the experience

The solution is primarily used for workflows.

For example, in Turkey, some of our customers have different material quotes, material numbers, or material types. Everything is so confusing from the main company. It's hard to go over the old data. However, with MDG, they can see all the data in the system. It allows for an effective data workflow. There are workflows for all kinds of items, including materials, data, customer's financials, vendor details, ERPs, etc. 

The solution's GUI is very good. The entire product is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. Normal users, not SAP experts, are able to get around the solution without too much trouble. 

The reporting is quite good on the product.

We've found the solution to be quite flexible.

There's a workflow in MDG. What happens is, when you end it, the materials are created. However, in Data Quote Management, when for example, you make a project, to use later you can activate Data Quote Management, and set new rules. When you check it on the Data Quote Management screen, it shows charts and analytics. You define the rule, it shows you the materials that don't fit with your rule. It's actually good practice to improve your data. You can set the workflows however you want. The analytics are largely for CFO or CEO, and they can see all data within the charts.

The implementation could be easier.

The governance of master data is difficult, and consolidating the old data is really hard. MDG projects tend to last a minimum of six months, and this is largely due to the fact that there are too many rules. 

The biggest problem in MDG is that you have to make rules and you have to set your rules very strictly and you need to prepare your data for your rules. If you don't, your old data is kaput.

The marketing of the product outside of Europe should be better. While it might be well known in places like Germany or England, it doesn't have the same recognition in Turkey. Our first MDG project was only two or three years ago. It's pretty new to the scene.

The solution is lacking configuration in one system. For example, there's a lack of country definitions, country tax category definitions in MDG, and in all ERPs. When MM projects are done, they configure everything. 

For example, my customer only does business with European Union countries. They don't define European Union country's tax number categories, however, when they deal with Israel, they don't define it in the old ERP system. It's a problem. You need to have a conversation with all seven ERP consultants and tell them to redefine this tax number category. It could be better, maybe, or easier.

I have a year's experience when it comes to dealing with the solution.

The solution is quite stable. You need to ensure the rules you create are strict, however, the performance itself is good. If you are not strict with the rules, it's hard to fix things once that happens.

The solution can scale and is expanding. For example, in the first MDG version, it was very basic. However, in newer MDG versions, SAP gets some new business objects like Data Quote Management and analytics. They are continuing to build out the product.

Currently, we have around 2,000 users at this time.

We have technical support for our company. We can open tickets if we run into issues. Typically, it takes two to three days to resolve things. It's not too difficult to reach out to them. It's quite typical and they aren't extremely helpful.

For example, when we have a problem and we open a ticket to SAP, they tend to say, "You need to check this quote". You need to check it, yet they don't define the specific problems. They say, "Check here", "Check this", "Check this quote", and we check it and we try to find the problem. They could be more helpful in that sense.

It's important, at the outset, to be very strict about the rules you are setting, otherwise, you can lose data and it's hard to fix things.

In terms of deployment and maintenance, for a simple MDG project, it depends on what data a company want. For example, one project management person is for sure needed, as well as one senior manager, one senior consultant, two engineers, and one technical consultant for sure. This is the minimum you'll need for a team.

SAP tends to sell the customer the license, however, they make money on the amount of data. 

The problem is in Turkey, there are economic issues that affect SAP's sector in Turkey. For example, five years ago, one euro was three Turkish lira, now it's nine Turkish lira, so SAP, now costs triple the amount, actually.

SAP is aware of this, and they do try to offer discounts, however, I don't know how much as I'm not in the sales meetings. It's not an aspect of the business I worry about.

I'm an SAP consultant.

I would recommend the solution to other users. It's flexible and has a good GUI. It's useful for business processes.

Overall, I would rate the product at an eight out of ten. We've been mostly pleased with the results.

I found the business workflow engine embedded inside SAP Master Data Governance to be the most useful. It helped orchestrate master data CRUD operations across the enterprise cutting across departments.

SAP Master Data Governance helped the organisation prevent bad and unauthorised master data from entering the production database. It helped crystallise the data governance processes.

A wizard based configuration similar to S/4 HANA Activate would make it easier for business users to contribute.

Consolidation function based on HANA needs improvement

More than five years

There have been no issues with the deployment.

There have been no stability issues.

There have been no scalability issues.

I have found them to be very helpful.

It was very easy to set-up. The out of box configuration can be activated in a few weeks itself.

Informatica MDM

This product is suitable for a predominantly SAP landscape.

We're a consulting company in the area of procurement solutions, where product and supplier master data builds the base for any Spend Analytics, Strategy and any Automation Scenarios. Majority of our customers use SAP MDG especially for Supplier Master Data.

Our customers are integrating their central SAP MDG with procurement solutions for self-registration and supplier profiling including supplier qualification, supplier performance and development. The central SAP MDG is also used as master data hub to distribute Central Master Data and Supplier Master Data into the different back end systems like SAP ERPs and Non SAP ERPs and others.

A good solution for large enterprises. 

The price can be improved.

It follows the SAP standard rules and governance for master data operations and follows change and release management rules according to SAP standards for IT operations. It offers the full SAP administration and governance, and it's quite a stable and professional product.

SAP Master Data Governance is a scalable product.

Technical support depends on the size and type of company. Multiple support levels are available.

Installation is straightforward. I don't think there's a big difference between this and other products.

I would recommend SAP Master Data Governance to new customers, especially large companies. 

On a scale from one to ten, I would give SAP Master Data Governance an eight.